Randolph Community College is partnering with two other colleges to offer a new truck driver training course in the Spring.
ASHEBORO, N.C. — Triad area community colleges are working together to help end a truck driver shortage. According to the American Trucking Association, the current driver shortage has risen to 80,000. That is an all-time high for the industry. To keep up with the demand for freight, the trucking industry will need to recruit nearly one million drivers over the next decade.
To offer a regional workforce solution, Randolph Community College is partnering with Sandhills Community College and Central Carolina Community College to offer a new truck driver training course in the Spring.
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Elbert Lassiter is the Vice President of Workforce Development at Randolph Community College. He said the primary mission of community college is to offer short-term training and set people in the community up for great careers.
“It’s a pretty costly program to start up and collectively we’re able to offset the cost,” Elbert said. “Two, we can address that shortage in a shorter time span and address it regionally. Not only truck driving, but across the entire logistical chain hopefully.”
January 24 to February 3, Randolph Community College is offering a course designed to teach the skills needed to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). The permit is required to enroll in the truck driver training course planned for the spring.
Randy Gunter is the Dean of Work Force Development and Continuing Education at Randolph Community college. He said there are almost unlimited opportunities for a student to go out and get a position driving a truck once they finish the program.
“The average starting salary for a truck driver is in the range of $50,000-$60,000 per year,” Gunter said. “If a person has an entrepreneurial spirit and wants to own their own truck, then they can get into the six-figure salary.”
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Reports show there is a shortage of more than 12,000 truck drivers in North Carolina alone.
“It’s an exciting time for our region with the announcement of Toyota coming to our community which will only enhance truck driving as the company is up and running,” Lassiter said. “Truck driving will increase significantly.”
Scholarships are available to support students wishing to pursue the training course. Click here for details on class schedule information.
