The Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation (CDLPI) Grant: Supporting Commercial Driver’s License Programs at the State Level

FMCSA
3 min readNov 12, 2024

--

The Maryland Department of Transportation receives a grant during a press conference in Baltimore County, Maryland.
The Maryland Department of Transportation receives a grant during a press conference in Baltimore County, Maryland.

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 and may include state, county, tribal and local governments, transit providers, academic institutions, 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.

In this special Grant Programs Series, we will highlight four types of grant programs within FMCSA — 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 edition focuses on the CDLPI grant program and three recipients — the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC), and the Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles.

The CDLPI grant improves safety by supporting commercial driver license (CDL) programs at both the state and national levels. The grant provides financial assistance 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 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 use 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.

The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC) was also awarded a CDLPI grant to support procurement and use of mobile CDL testing units that will enhance access to CDL testing for those in rural parts of New Jersey and community outreach and education initiatives to promote CDL programs.

“With this funding, we expect to be able to improve access to CDL skills and knowledge testing by bringing these services directly to our communities, especially those that are more rural and underserved, and to our veterans and veteran families,” said Latrecia Littles-Floyd, NJMVC Acting Chief Administrator.

FMCSA staff joined NJMVC grant recipients and other New Jersey community leaders for a press event in Delanco, NJ, in November.
FMCSA staff joined NJMVC grant recipients and other New Jersey community leaders for a press event in Delanco, NJ, in November.

Another FY 2024 recipient of CDLPI grant funding is the Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles. The state agency received nearly two million dollars that will help repave and improve CDL testing courses across the state — expanding the number of drivers tested and increasing the number of well-trained CDL holders in the state.

FMCSA highlighted award of nearly $2 million to AZ DMV through the CDLPI grant program during a recent press conference.
FMCSA highlighted award of nearly $2 million to AZ DMV through the CDLPI grant program during a recent press conference.

To date, the U.S. Department of Transportation has announced more than $500 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding 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.

--

--

FMCSA
FMCSA

Written by FMCSA

Our primary mission is to prevent crashes, injuries and fatalities involving large trucks and buses.

No responses yet