In February 2022, WMC Director of Tax, Transportation & Legal Affairs Evan Umpir, testified in support of Assembly Bill 941. This legislation will promote the training of commercial truck drivers and help address the critical workforce shortage in Wisconsin’s economy.
The national truck driver shortage currently stands at 80,000 and is projected to double by 2030. As of February 7, 2022, there were more than 3,200 “Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver” positions listed on the Job Center of Wisconsin’s website.
This bill would address the workforce shortage by targeting students and employers for training and incentivizing retention once drivers are on the job by creating three grants. One grant is designated to providing scholarships to students who are obtaining CDLs, the second grant is designated to employers who are training their own truck drivers, and the third grant is a $500 retention bonus awarded to both the employer and drivers who are employed and using their CDL’s for at least a year.
