The full picture · 2 sources

North Dakota counties struggle to retain employees who have commercial driver's licenses

Updated Oct 20, 4:40 PM CT. Every fact below links to the source that reported it.

What the primary sources show

North Dakota counties are facing a shortage of workers with commercial driver's licenses, affecting operations in places like Burleigh and Morton counties. [KFYR-TV] [Bismarck Source]
The cost of obtaining CDL certifications has reached record highs, with individuals spending upwards of $8,000 on required training and testing. [KFYR-TV] [Bismarck Source]
Some counties have begun offering grants and assistance to cover CDL certification costs for employees in an effort to attract workers. [KFYR-TV] [Bismarck Source]
After obtaining their CDL certifications, workers increasingly leave county positions for higher-paying jobs in the private sector. [KFYR-TV] [Bismarck Source]
Nick Moser, president of the Association of Counties and an official from Cavalier County, said his county picks up CDL training costs because it needs qualified drivers for county operations. [KFYR-TV] [Bismarck Source]

How many counties across North Dakota are actively affected by this shortage?
What wage or benefit increases would be required to keep trained CDL workers from leaving for the private sector?
How much does each county typically spend on CDL certification assistance, and what is the grant amount offered?

KFYR-TV: KFYR focuses on the financial burden and the retention problem, quoting the Association of Counties president on how counties subsidize training costs to recruit needed personnel. Read it → · Ads
Bismarck Source: Bismarck Source provides broader context about the impact on Burleigh and Morton counties specifically, explaining how the shortage creates a recruitment and training cycle counties cannot sustain. Read it →

701 News writes these summaries from the sources above and checks every sentence against them. Read the originals for the full reporting. Corrections