Infrastructure law increases investment in CDL programs

The bipartisan Infrastructure Act will provide over $44 million in government grants to improve road safety and improve the efficiency of the commercial driver’s license (CDL) process.

 The funding is intended to streamline CDL training and get more commercial drivers on the job to address shortages across the country.

The fund can be used by states to improve their CDL programs by reducing waiting times, enabling electronic exchange of convictions and disqualifications, complying with regulations, and combating human trafficking, according to a statement from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

These grants, provided through the Commercial Driver’s License Program (CDLPI), are designed to bring more qualified drivers onto the road who can help meet the demands of the supply chain.

drivers in their important careers but also to get more qualified truck drivers on the road,” said Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), in a statement. “Now, using funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are helping states bring safe, well-trained truck drivers into the workforce and ease pandemic-driven supply chain disruptions.”

President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law includes a 74 percent increase in CDLPI funds that will also help deal with the rising number of road fatalities, a key component of the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Strategy.

In addition to improving the process for the CDL, Buttigieg and Biden’s Supply Chain Disruption Task Force also focused on the issue of retaining truck drivers under the Trucking Action Plan.