PGCC Wins $870,000 DOL Grant to Expand CDL Pathway, Serve 65 Students

Prince George’s Community College has secured an $870,000 Department of Labor congressionally directed spending grant to expand its Transportation Pathway and grow its Commercial Driver License program into a comprehensive pathway that will serve up to 65 students.

The expanded program will add an accelerated licensure pathway and a certification-to-degree option, and will include the purchase of five CDL simulators. PGCC says the simulators will allow students to practice real-world driving scenarios in a safe, controlled environment before operating commercial vehicles. The college announced the award on January 30, 2026, from its Largo campus.

The grant arrives as the trucking industry faces persistent labor pressure. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projections cited by PGCC show trucking employment is projected to grow 6 percent by 2030, with nearly 250,000 job openings each year and an industry driver shortage of about 80,000. Locally, the college’s transportation, distribution and logistics departments trained more than 500 students in 2023 and have enrolled more than 300 additional students since July 2023, signaling strong regional demand for CDL training and logistics skills.

The announcement included testimonials and leadership comments highlighting community impact. PGCC student Josseline Hernandez said, “I was struggling for months to find an affordable school and nearly gave up on my dream,” Hernandez said. “With the support I received through this program, I passed my CDL test on my first try. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity and for what this program means for our community.” Sherrie Johnson, vice president of external affairs, communications and advancement at PGCC, framed the investment in broader terms: “Much like the Department of Transportation, we, too, are committed to the mission of providing safe, efficient, sustainable and equitable commerce in our community.”

The grant complements earlier federal support. In an October 11, 2023 Department of Transportation visit to PGCC, Secretary Pete Buttigieg presented a $173,640 CMVOST grant to help cover tuition for veterans, refugees and underserved students seeking commercial motor vehicle operator safety training. At that event Buttigieg said, “Before the infrastructure law passed, even if the school qualified for these grants, students would still have to cover a lot of the tuition. Here at Prince George’s, that comes roughly to about $4,000,” and he added, “We’re tearing down that barrier with federal funding so that they can get funded to come to an excellent institution like this.” Gov. Wes Moore has also shown visible support; he praised PGCC and said, “Our support for community colleges is not just everlasting, it’s personal,” and rode as a passenger during a driving demonstration used to showcase training.

The $870,000 award is intended to scale capacity and safety training at a county institution that already serves hundreds of local students each year. Residents and prospective students seeking information can contact Sonji Joyner, Communications Manager, Office of Communications at Prince George’s Community College at joynersr@pgcc.edu. The next steps for the program include procurement and scheduling for the simulators and clarification of whether the 65-student capacity refers to cohorts or annual throughput; PGCC has not yet published a detailed timeline for rollout. For Prince George’s County workers and employers, the grant signals a targeted push to convert federal funding into local, career-ready drivers and logistics professionals.