The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $3.5 million in grants to commercial driver training programs at 27 colleges, in a bid to open up more career pathways for the trucking industry. 

“The funding we’re announcing today is an important part of this administration’s trucking action plan to strengthen America’s supply chains and support the workers who keep our economy moving," U.S. transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg said in an August 26 news release. 

The funds will go to training programs at community colleges in 16 states, including Colorado, Texas, Maryland, Georgia, California and Ohio. The larger grant program within the DOT's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is designed to increase the number of commercial driver's license (CDL) holders with "enhanced operator safety training," create opportunities for military members and veterans to enter the trucking industry as drivers, and provide more training for people living in rural and underserved communities.