The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has awarded a total of $1 million in grants to nine technical and community colleges to enhance classroom safety curriculums and behind-the-wheel training courses for students enrolled in commercial driver's license training programs.


"Our nation relies on a workforce of well-trained, safety conscious, professional truck and bus drivers to move our economy," said FMCSA Administrator John H. Hill. "Through this grant program, we are helping provide the cadre of highly qualified commercial drivers that our nation needs. This is also an investment in individuals and in communities seeking enriched economic opportunities for the future."

Eligible entities for the annually awarded commercial motor vehicle grants include accredited public and private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American Tribal Governments, and city, county and state governments.

The CMV Operator Training Grant Program, which was established by Congress in 2005 through the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act-A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), has two goals: (1) to expand the number of CDL holders possessing enhanced operator safety training to help reduce the severity and number of crashes on U.S. roads involving commercial motor vehicles; and (2) to assist economically-distressed regions of the U.S. by providing workforce training opportunities for qualified individuals to become CMV operators.

The following institutions were awarded grants for fiscal year 2008: Maricopa Community College, Glendale, Ariz.; Arkansas State University, Newport, Ark., West Hills Community College, Coalinga, Calif.; Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, Ill.; Ozarks Technical Community College, Springfield, Mo.; National Tractor Trailer School, Liverpool, N.Y.; Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, Ohio; Lehigh Carbon Community College, Schnecksville, Pa.; Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, Orangeburg, S.C.

An announcement regarding application procedures for fiscal year 2009 grants will be posted in late summer 2008 at www.grants.gov.