Press Releases

Bethlehem, PA– Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded $138,397 to Northampton Community College through the Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grant program.  

The grant will enable Northampton Community College to offer free commercial truck driver training to current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including National Guard and Reservists, as well as their spouses and children, who reside in Northampton, Monroe, Pike, Wayne, Carbon, or Lackawanna counties. The grant will cover full tuition for the training program. The only cost to students will be the permit cost and the Hazardous Material Threat Assessment.

 “I’m committed to finding policy solutions that will improve our country’s infrastructure and expand economic opportunities for military service personnel, veterans, and working families,” said Rep. Cartwright, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “That is why I support programs like this safety training grant which will not only keep our roadways safer, but also will help very deserving recipients obtain a work credential for a career in a growing industry.” 

“This program will increase opportunities for veterans, their spouses, and their children to gain the skills and credentials necessary to obtain employment in a regional high priority occupation that will allow them to earn stable, self-sustaining wages. I want to thank Congressman Matt Cartwright for helping us to secure this funding,” said Northampton Community College President Mark H. Erickson. “We’re proud that more than 1,500 people have completed NCC's truck driver training program, which has a job placement rate of 90 percent.”  

Day and evening classes for commercial truck driving training run throughout the year at Northampton Community College’s Monroe Campus in Tannersville. Day classes meet Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. for six weeks. Evening classes meet Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. for eight weeks. The next classes begin in October. For additional information, call Northampton Community College at 570-369-1885. 

The mission of the U.S. Department of Transportation is to ensure our nation has the safest, most efficient and modern transportation system in the world that improves the quality of life for all American people and communities, from rural to urban, and increases the productivity and competitiveness of American workers and businesses. USDOT’s Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) is responsible for the implementation and administration of the CMVOST grant program, which is authorized by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.