Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) applauded yesterday’s announcement by the Biden Administration to implement a pilot program that would help get more commercial truck drivers on the road to mend the country’s strained supply chain. In November, Congressman Bishop joined a bipartisan letter signed by 60 Members of Congress urging the White House to hasten the process to certify new commercial driver’s licenses through apprenticeship programs.
“The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on America’s supply chain. A shortage of truck drivers has significantly contributed to the bottlenecks in the supply chain. I was pleased to work with Democrats and Republicans in Congress to call on the White House to take action and am glad to announce that the Biden Administration has quickly delivered,” said Congressman Bishop. “Long haul trucks move goods across the country as well as to and from our backed up ports, like Savannah, Georgia. The program announced today builds on established apprenticeship programs to build a larger, qualified workforce. It also provides funds for states to speed up the processing of CDLs.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation program will accelerate the expansion of Registered Apprenticeship programs for drivers that put more skilled, safe drivers on the road. It will also take immediate steps to address the pandemic-driven delays in getting a commercial driver’s license. The program will also make additional effort to engage veterans and underrepresented communities, such as women, to pursue good driving jobs.
Original source can be found here.
