“I was in corporate America. I kind of left my job. People always told me I should drive for a living because I love to drive. So I just went out on faith, and here I am.”
—Trucker Gloria Simpson from Atlanta, Georgia
January 11, 2022
The gist:
With so much uncertainty in the economy right now, the Biden administration is looking to women to fill the ranks in the trucking industry. To that end “theU.S. Labor and Transportation departments are giving tuition incentives to get women behind the wheel, with $32 million in grants just to expedite CDL licensing.”
The Stats:
- Washington is looking for 100 employers to provide apprenticeships over the next 30 days to get drivers out on the road
- The federal government is giving funding to states to help with the program. The Biden administration is making financing available to candidates for driver training programs as an incentive to beef up the trucking industry workforce.
- Federal money is also being set aside for drivers to lease trucks on favorable terms.
“I think it’s going to happen. There are a lot of women out there seeing opportunities. I have a lot of friends who actually do dispatch. They’re not drivers but they’re still getting into the industry themselves.”
—Gloria Simpson
Read more of the WDVM Local News post here.
