SPRINGFIELD – Veterans, active military, and their spouses will be eligible to receive free training at Lincoln Land Community College for a career in truck driving, thanks to a federal grant just announced.

LLCC is one of 20 institutions in the nation and the only one in Illinois to be awarded a U.S. Department of Transportation Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Operator Safety Training Grant. LLCC will receive nearly $82,000 to provide this free training.

“We’re very pleased to receive this grant and to assist our veterans and members of the military,” said Curt Robinson, director of LLCC Truck Driver Training. “There is a high demand for truck drivers nationwide. Our short-term training program prepares students to pass the commercial driver’s license (CDL) exam and get good-paying jobs in just weeks.”

Students can complete their in-class and behind-the-wheel training in four weeks if attending during the day or six weeks in the evening. Employers recruit students onsite, with starting salaries ranging from $35,000 to $75,000. The program also offers lifetime job placement assistance.

The federal grants are designed to expand the number of CDL holders with enhanced operator safety training, helping reduce the severity and number of crashes on U.S. roads involving CMVs. In addition, the grants aim to assist current or former members of the U.S. Armed Forces (including National Guard members and Reservists) and their spouses to transition to the CMV operation industry.

Details of how to apply for the free training at LLCC will be announced soon. More information on the LLCC Truck Driver Training program is available at www.llcc.edu/truck-driver-training