WASHINGTON — A legislative package to end the government shutdown includes a major earmark – $4.9 million – to expand truck driver training in North Carolina.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., secured the funding on behalf of Southeastern Community College, near Whiteville, N.C., to expand the school’s truck driver training program, according to congressional documents.
The project ranked ninth in funding among 360 other earmarks totaling approximately $530 million that were included in a full-year appropriations bill to fund agriculture, rural development, and related agencies.
The appropriations were part of a continuing resolution reached on Sunday between a group of Democratic senators and Republicans in an effort to end the 40-day long government shutdown. The legislation passed the Senate on Monday evening but must still be approved by the House before heading to the White House for President Trump’s signature.
The size of the investment dwarfs government funding typically secured for such training programs.
For example, last year the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training Grant Program awarded $3.5 million to 27 community colleges across the country to boost truck driver training, with grant award winners receiving an average of $130,000.
The size of the earmark for Southeastern Community College suggests that, if the funding goes through, it could be used for more than tuition assistance and could include investing in truck driving simulators, on-site testing facilities, or a fleet of trucks and trailers for hands-on instruction.
