Central Georgia Technical College received $130,240 in funding from the U.S. Department of
Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) through a Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) grant for fiscal year 2024. The funding will cover tuition and required fees for at least 80 commercial truck driving students, including 40 military affiliated and 40 students from underserved populations, and expand the number of commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders who have enhanced operator safety training.

“At FMCSA, our job is all about safety – that includes safety of the roadways and safety of our nation’s
commercial motor vehicle drivers,” said FMCSA Deputy Administrator Vinn White. “So, we are proud to make this funding available, and are committed to working with the awardees to put it to good use, making it easier for drivers to enter into and stay in the CMV industry.”

The mission of FMCSA is to is to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. The agency is awarding more than $3.5 million to states and other entities through the CMVOST grant, which seeks to reduce the severity and number of crashes on our nation’s roads involving large trucks and buses by expanding the number of CDL holders possessing enhanced operator safety training.

The CMVOST grant program has three goals: 1) to expand the number of CDL holders possessing enhanced operator safety training; 2) to provide opportunities for current or former members of the United States Armed Forces (including National Guard members and reservists) and their families to enter the trucking or busing industry as drivers; and 3) to help increase training opportunities for candidates from rural, refugee, and underserved communities.

"Operator safety, training and workforce development within the CDL industry is vital to the economic
development of our communities in Central Georgia," said CGTC's dean for Aerospace, Trade and Industry, Mike Pace. "We are grateful to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for their investment into our program and look forward to the access and impact it has on our students."

This will reduce the severity and number of crashes on our nation’s roads involving large trucks and buses by expanding the number of CDL holders possessing enhanced operator safety training. The focus on attracting veterans and individuals from underserved communities helps expand and diversify the trucking industry. The grant also highlights the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued commitment to its Trucking Action Plan, increasing the pool of trained drivers to strengthen the trucking workforce. Strengthening our nation’s trucking workforce also improves the resiliency of our national supply chain.

To learn more about the CDL program at CGTC visit, https://www.centralgatech.edu/programs-of- study/aerospace-trade-industry/ctd