President Joe Bidenโs administration is awarding $44 million in grants to streamline the process of obtaining a commercial driverโs license (CDL) and enhance road safety under its Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently announced.
This funding will allow states and other entities to reduce wait times, implement regulatory requirements, ensure conviction and disqualification data is electronically exchanged and combat human trafficking within the trucking sector. In summation, the hope is that, through these grants, motor carriers will have fewer barriers to get qualified divers on the road to meet increasing supply chain demands.
The Biden administrationโs Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also includes a 74% increase in CDL Program Implementation (CDLPI) funds. According to FMCSA Deputy Administrator Robin Hutcheson, this investment could help address the rising number of roadway fatalities.
“[The] FMCSAโs core mission is safety, and weโre proud to make investments that support the U.S. Department of Transportationโs ambitious goal of zero fatalities on our roadways,โ Hutcheson said. โThe grants we are announcing today are an important tool for reducing large truck crashes and supporting critical safety programs in every state.โ
Beyond improving the process for obtaining CDLs, the Biden administrationโs Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force is looking to confront the issue of driver retention as part of the Trucking Action Plan. Specific initiatives include completing a driver compensation study and forming a Truck Leasing Task Force.
For more information on the FMCSAโs planned grants and financial assistance, click here.
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