Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) 

Talking Points

General Talking Points

• We are proud to be a recipient of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grant for fiscal year (FY) 2024. 
• This grant helps organizations like us expand the number of commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders who have enhanced operator safety training. 
  • It also has a specific focus on training for veterans and their families, as well as individuals from underserved communities. 
• This grant also helps us improve road safety by ensuring individuals driving large trucks and buses on our roadways have the proper safety training. 
• The grant aligns with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy to achieve the goal of zero fatalities on our roadways. 
  • The number of fatalities on our nation’s roadways involving commercial motor vehicles decreased by an estimated eight percent from 2022 to 2023. 
  • Increased funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help us continue to move the needle in the right direction. 
• 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. 
  • The focus on attracting veterans and individuals from underserved communities helps expand and diversify the trucking industry. 
• This year, FMCSA awarded $3.5 million in grant funding to 27 organizations. 
• We are excited to receive (insert amount) in grant funding. This funding will help us (insert details about project). 

CMVOST Grant Background Info

• The Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grant is an annual discretionary grant from FMCSA. It seeks to reduce the severity and number of crashes on our nation’s roads involving large trucks and buses by expanding the number of commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders possessing enhanced operator safety training. 
• The grant prioritizes entities that recruit and train current or former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reservists, and their spouses in obtaining a CDL. 
  • It also prioritizes entities that recruit and train individuals from underserved communities. 
• Eligible applicants include public or private colleges, universities, vocational-technical schools, post-secondary educational institutions, truck driver training schools, associations, and State and local governments, including federally recognized Native American Tribal governments. 

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 

• The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed into law by President Biden in November 2021, provides a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure. 
• The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law increases CMVOST funding by $11.5 million over five years.