Committee hears bill to fund CDL training and expand trucking workforce; local pilots cited as model

House Bill 3,826, a bill to expand workforce development for commercial driver license (CDL) training, drew testimony March 19 from lawmakers, regional workforce boards, industry groups and a trucking-business owner who helped run a federal pilot.

Representative Shelley Bosshardt Davis, sponsor of HB 3,826, told the committee the bill would direct the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to award $5,000,000 in grants to local workforce development boards to administer CDL training programs, provide financial assistance for tuition and offer wraparound services to increase access to training, especially in rural communities. "Truck driving is not just an essential profession ... It provides a pathway towards family financial stability," Rep. Bosshardt Davis said, adding that median truck-driver pay in Oregon often exceeds $60,000 and that experienced drivers can earn more than $100,000 a year.

Sarah Stevens of the Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board (SOWIB) and Andrew "Andy" Owens, CEO of A & M Transport and a SOWIB board member, described results from a federal Good Jobs Challenge grant they used to pilot CDL training in six counties. Stevens said the pilot trained hundreds of participants, noting short training timelines and measurable employment outcomes. Owens described the program’s components, including a traveling truck-driving simulator purchased for about $125,000 that the pilot used at job fairs and schools to spark interest.

Jana Jarvis, president and CEO of the Oregon Trucking Association, told the committee the industry faces a statewide shortfall of drivers and cited an industry estimate that Oregon may need an additional 15,000 drivers in 2025 to meet demand. She said many new drivers are mid-career hires and noted demographic and recruitment challenges: a median driver age older than the broader workforce, low percentages of younger drivers and low female representation in the field.

Amanda Sullivan Astor of Associated Oregon Loggers said reliable trucking is essential to forestry operations and rural economies. Testimony from multiple witnesses stressed that training costs ($4,000–$6,000 per participant was described in testimony as a common range) and the inability of prospective trainees to forgo wages while training can be a barrier; witnesses asked the committee to allow workforce boards to provide tuition plus wraparound supports to address those gaps.

Proponents urged scaling successful regional practice statewide. Witnesses described the Good Jobs Challenge grant that SOWIB used: the region received $3.4 million in federal funding to support CDL training, purchased a simulator and coordinated training with local truck-driving schools. Committee members asked about recruitment, partnerships with community colleges, apprenticeships and insurance barriers for younger drivers. Witnesses said many workforce boards already provide some CDL training funding and that the bill would expand grant access to all nine Oregon workforce areas.

No committee vote was recorded on HB 3,826 during the March 19 hearing; supporters said additional legislative steps will be required for statewide funding.