Each year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) awards four types of grant funds to eligible applicants through a competitive selection process. Eligible applicants vary based on the specific grant program but may include state, county, tribal and local governments, transportation departments, universities, research institutions, law enforcement agencies, nonprofit organizations and others. The grants fund projects that align with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, which aims to eliminate roadway fatalities over the long term by improving the country’s highways, roads and streets.
There are four types of grant programs — the Commercial Driver License Program Implementation (CDLPI) grant, the two High Priority grants, the Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMV-OST) grant — and give examples of how funds have been used by previous grant recipients.
This article focuses on the CDLPI grant program and two recipients – the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) and the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT).
The CDLPI grant improves safety by supporting commercial driver license (CDL) programs on a state and national level. The grant provides financial assistance both directly to agencies charged with managing state CDL programs as well as to organizations that operate at a national level to improve their CDL programs by reducing wait times, ensuring conviction and disqualification data is electronically exchanged, implementing regulatory requirements, combatting human trafficking and achieving compliance with FMCSA regulations concerning driver’s license standards and programs. The goal of the CDLPI grant program is to ensure the national CDL program supports FMCSA’s mission to save lives by ensuring only qualified drivers are eligible for a CDL.
How CDLPI grants are being used
In fiscal year (FY) 2024, FMCSA recently awarded more than $55 million through the CDLPI grant program. One recipient was the nonprofit American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), which was awarded five CDLPI grants. In 2024, AAMVA received funding to continue supporting the Commercial Skills Testing Information Management System (CSTIMS) through stakeholder engagement and development allowing States to maintain compliance with federal regulations, maintain proper technical infrastructure and security enhancements and assist onboard states to new systems for access to the modernized skills test.
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) was another organization that received a CDLPI grant in 2024. The state agency will be using its grant award to conduct train-the-trainer courses for their skills test examiners and convert the English and Spanish versions on the CDL Manual into plain language.
Representatives from this agency joined FMCSA leadership during a press conference in October, to discuss how the grant would help them keep Maryland roadways safe. Hosted at the Community College of Baltimore County, the press event highlighted how more than $140 million through FMCSA’s grant programs will be used nationwide to enhance roadway safety by providing CDL training to military veterans (including National Guard and Reserves) and eligible family members, advancing technological capabilities and supporting state CDL programs. FMCSA was joined by partners from the office of U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, the MDOT, Baltimore County, Community College of Baltimore County, Cecil College and Wor-Wic Community College.
The CDLPI grant funding is part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which aims to improve roadway safety and create more good-paying jobs for Marylanders.
To date, more than $500 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has been announced for over 63,000 specific projects and awards in all 50 states, D.C. and U.S. territories.
Learn more about our grants and the grants process at https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/grants.
