The officials said the plan will not only look at the immediate driver shortage but also address long-standing challenges in the trucking industry that predate the arrival of COVID-19. Apprenticeships, a popular form of workforce training in many industries, are an "earn and learn" model that enables interested truck drivers to learn on the job, the administration officials said. The Biden administration hopes to expand the number of apprentices in the trucking industry, which currently number more than 10,000. The bill also includes funding for compensation studies to understand the hours truck drivers work and hours spent unpaid while waiting to load and unload cargo. Administration officials said they will also form a task force to address the recruitment and safety of women into the work force.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 17, 2021 19:15 UTC