MASSENA, New York (WWNY) – For many jobs in the north country, a commercial driver’s license, or CDL, is a necessity.
But getting one is a hassle. Training is hard to come by and can be pricey.
So the village of Massena’s Department of Public Works is going to try something different: training workers in-house to get their CDLs.
“It opens up that door for us,” said Marty Miller, Director of Public Works. “Now that it’s back in our hands and we can save money by doing it in-house.”
According to public works assistant foreman Thomas Blair, a few years ago, the federal government brought in new requirements, which made it harder for applicants to earn their CDL.
That resulted in fewer drivers available for local municipalities.
And there’s an expense as well.
“Every work force wants a younger work force, but these kids can’t afford to take that class in the excess of six to seven thousand dollars to take that class to get their CDL, to be employed here,” Blair said.
Miller says instead of having to send off workers to CDL training facilities, which could take weeks of training, he says it’s better to train them in-house where they can still work and get the training as well, saving the village money.
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