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Hawkeye Receives Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Grant to Support Trucking with the Troops

Robin Hutcheson (right), administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, presents Hawkeye Community College with a check for $200,000 to support the Trucking with the Troops program that trains veterans, their spouses, and their children for careers as commercial truck drivers. posted on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 in  College News

WATERLOO–Hawkeye Community College received a $200,000 grant from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to support the college’s Trucking with the Troops program.

Robin Hutcheson, FMCSA administrator, visited Hawkeye’s Regional Transportation Training Center today (Tuesday, October 24) to formally present the award. 

“We’re proud that these grants are giving priority to current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including National Guard, Reservists, and their family members, to pursue a commercial driver’s license,” Hutcheson said. “We are changing lives while filling a huge need for truck drivers.”

Hawkeye’s Trucking with the Troops program is designed to assist current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their spouses and children earning a CDL and entering the transportation industry, while building a skilled workforce to meet the driver shortage. For qualifying individuals, the grant pays 100% of tuition and fees (Commercial Learner’s Permit, DOT Physical, DOT drug test, and Commercial Driver’s License). 

This is the eighth consecutive year Hawkeye has received FMCSA funding for Trucking with the Troops. Since 2016, the college has received a total of $830,138, which has helped 153 veterans and their families receive training and find employment. 

Truck drivers are in demand, and the need for drivers is expected to increase over the next several years. Iowa Workforce Development projects more than 1,300 openings each year for truck drivers in Iowa through the year 2024. Wages for the average truck driving job in Iowa range from $35,200 to $57,800, according to Iowa Workforce Development. 

For more information about Trucking with the Troops, visit www.hawkeyecollege.edu/trucking-with-troops.

Tags

  1. 6-Week A CDL
  2. Business and Community Education
  3. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
  4. Regional Transportation Training Center
  5. Trucking with the Troops
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