By Staff
President Joe Biden recently signed into law a measure led in part by U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, to cut red tape for veterans looking to obtain a commercial driver’s license.
Per current law, if a trucking school opens a second facility, regulators must deny the branch’s ability to receive GI Bill benefits for two years.
The Veteran Improvement Commercial Driver License Act will exempt new branches of established commercial driver-training facilities from this statutory waiting period if the primary training facility has been approved to receive these benefits by the VA and state-approving agencies, according to a release.
By clarifying this two-year moratorium, the bill will allow veterans more accessibility to nearby CDL schools, hopefully leading to high-paying careers in the industry. CDL schools must still comply with state and VA rules regarding curriculum standards.
“Congress has a role to play in helping those who answered the call to serve get high-paying jobs and ease their transition back into civilian life. By reducing unnecessary barriers for veterans seeking their CDLs, we can speed up the process of getting these heroes behind the wheel and on the road to success,” said Spanberger.
Supporting the measure are Virginia Trucking Association, American Trucking Associations, American Legion, Moving Veterans Forward, Student Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Great Plains Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America, Nebraska Military Officers Association of America, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Commercial Vehicle Training Association, Nebraska Trucking Association, and Werner Trucking.
“Virginia has the fastest growing veteran labor force in the U.S. and the trucking industry offers them high-paying jobs when they leave military service,” said Dale Bennett, President & CEO, Virginia Trucking Association.
When the men and women of the armed forces return home, the last thing they should have to worry about is red tape preventing them from realizing the American dream that they fought to defend, said Chris Spear, president and CEO, American Trucking Associations.
“Improving veterans’ access to CDL programs will open the door of opportunity to good-paying, in-demand jobs in the trucking industry.”
The commonsense legislation helps reduce barriers veterans face in getting high-quality training for good paying truck driving careers, added Jerome Redmond, chairman of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association.
“Because of their extensive training, exceptional professionalism and mission-focused approach, veterans are ideal candidates to join the trucking workforce. The relief provided under this bipartisan proposal will give veterans additional choices when seeking out professional truck driving careers.”
Also leading the bipartisan bill were U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC), Chris Pappas (D-NH) and Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ-02). A companion bill was led by U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Alex Padilla (D-CA).