DES MOINES — Trucking companies and other organizations that train commercial truck drivers could be eligible for grants under a new $6 million program announced Monday by the state.
Through the entry-level driver training program, employers, nonprofits and “related organizations” who sponsor or partner on commercial driver’s license training programs would be eligible for reimbursement from the grants.
In a news release, Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend said the grant program is designed to help businesses and organizations deal with the cost of training new commercial truck drivers.
“Like the rest of the nation, Iowa, too, has a high demand for truck drivers; and in order to meet that demand, we need innovative solutions that reduce barriers for anyone interested in obtaining a CDL license,” Reynolds said in the release. “This new program will break down barriers that currently exist for obtaining a CDL and provide support to organizations who sponsor these critical training opportunities right here in Iowa.”
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Recently, Cedar Rapids-based, national trucking company CRST announced it will close its Cedar Rapids truck driver training school before the year’s end after almost a decade of operation. Company leaders told The Gazette the decision was made to focus on retaining current drivers rather than training new ones, especially since over those roughly 10 years, only about 2% of CRST’s training school graduates were Iowans.
To be eligible for the new grants, a business or organization must employ Iowa commercial truck drivers and provide entry-level driver training either in-house or through a third party. For companies that train in-house, the grants can be put toward instructor wages, curriculum materials, and maintenance; for companies that use a third party for training, the grants must go toward tuition.
In the news release, Townsend claimed the new grant program will provide more opportunities for individuals to obtain a CDL, and make it easier for businesses to recruit and train drivers.
“This effort will also make our state more competitive in these high-demand fields by helping employers offer the right training when and where their workers need it,” Townsend said in the release.
Grant applications can be found at iowagrants.gov starting Dec. 13 and are due by 11:59 a.m. Feb. 3, according to the state.