TCC receives 3rd federal grant to train vets in trucking

Tidewater Community College is the recipient of a third consecutive six-figure federal grant to train military veterans and their spouses for employment as commercial bus and truck drivers.

For information on the truck driver training for veterans and spouses, contact Al Jackson at axjackson@tcc.edu or 757-822-7761

The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) awarded TCC the $149,967 grant. Over three years, the college has received more than $457,000 for this program.

Administered at TCC by its Center for Military and Veterans Education (CMVE), the grant will continue to support free training and placement of veterans and their spouses in one of the highest in-demand industries in Hampton Roads, where the average truck driver is more than 50 years old and approaching retirement.

TCC is one of seven technical and community colleges and the only one in Virginia to receive funding provided through FMCSA’s Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training grant program.

The grants will provide training for nearly 400 students throughout the nation, including 35 at TCC.

“We are pleased to continue this program as a result of this grant,” said Cal Scheidt, director of military contract programs at the CMVE. “Preparing military-related students for careers in the trucking industry is a priority for us.”

T.F. Scott Darling III, FMCSA acting administrator, said, “We charge each of the institutions that will receive a grant to train those who have served our nation in the armed forces to be the very best professional drivers in the industry.

“In this profession, being the best requires an absolute commitment to making safety the top priority, and I believe there is no group better prepared to do that than our veterans.”

For more information on the grant for TCC’s truck driver training program, email Alesia Wroten or call 757-822-7714.