Dive Brief:
- The Department of Transportation is providing $118.8 million in grants to improve roadway safety and support commercial driver’s license training programs, the agency announced Dec. 30.
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration grants will go to state and local partners to reduce crashes through data-driven enforcement, per the release. Funding will also support states’ efforts to comply with federal rules when issuing CDLs and bolster training programs for veterans seeking trucking jobs.
- “Whether it’s deploying smart technology to identify unsafe vehicles or auditing CDL programs to prevent fraud, every dollar is focused on raising the bar for safety and ensuring only qualified drivers and compliant vehicles are on our roads,” FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs said in the release.
Dive Insight:
The grant funding comes as the DOT cracks down on English language proficiency violations and improper non-domiciled CDLs.
States, including Pennsylvania and California, have also been at risk of losing federal funds and decertification for CDL programs over alleged lapses in regulatory compliance.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in the announcement that the DOT is “backing aggressive enforcement and empowering states to keep unqualified, unvetted drivers off the road.”
A total of $43.8 million in grants will help states comply with federal rules to ensure CDL issuance procedures are accurate to reduce fraud. The DOT said funds could be utilized for compliance oversight and to provide training.
Most of the money, a total of $71.6 million, is dedicated to supporting state and local enforcement initiatives to reduce commercial motor vehicle-related crashes, the DOT said. This could include deployment of new technology to monitor movement of hazardous materials.
The remaining $3.4 million of the grant will support programs to military families seeking commercial driver training.
Organizations including the American Trucking Associations recently testified before Congress urging for programs and funding to expedite training efforts for veterans to pursue trucking careers.
