If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times. Truck drivers are in high demand! Go out and get that pay!

The good news for existing truck drivers is that many trucking companies are raising pay and increasing benefits to attract more drivers. But the trucking companies say that’s not enough to get the workers they need, especially as some drivers age out of the profession.

The newest effort to attract more drivers comes from Florida. The state will spend $8.2 million in an effort to bolster training for people to get their Commercial Drivers License (CDL).

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the state would award this money to five state colleges. The goal is to increase the amount of CDL students by at least 1,200 aspiring new drivers each year.

The colleges and amounts received are below:

Broward College – $2.6 million

Daytona State College – $1.3 million

Northwest Florida State College – $1.5 million

Valencia College – $1.3 million

The State College of Florida will also be awarded more than $1 million to expand CDL programs through the Department of Economic Opportunity.

Alix Miller, president and CEO of Florida Trucking Association, told trucking website Transport Topics, “The funding recently announced by the governor is a game-changer for the industry and will have a major impact on increasing CDL training capacity at both public and private institutions across the state — and it comes at a critical time, as FTA builds awareness of the changing image of trucking and opportunities for the next generation.”