Ten students graduated from Surry Community College’s Truck Driver Training Program at The Yadkin Center.
The December 16 graduates include Wayne Winebarger of Roaring River, Bradley Woodle of State Road, John Stevenson of Boonville, Justin Robertson of Mount Airy, Juan Saavedra of Yadkinville, Jason Warner of Mount Airy, Samuel Gonzalez of North Wilkesboro, Isaac Gonzalez of Elkin, Jeremy Gibson of Pinnacle, and Tiffany Wilkins of Elkin.
Surry Community College will be offering another section of Truck Driver Training starting this spring. The classes will run from March 16 to May 19. A mandatory orientation will take place on February 17 at The Yadkin Center, 1001 College Dr., Yadkinville. Registration for the course will be held on February 24 at The Yadkin Center. Visit workforce.surry.edu for more information.
Median pay for truck drivers is $54,320 per year, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Drivers with experience can make more than $60,000.
With a shortage of up to 12,000 truck drivers in North Carolina and as many as 200,000 nationally, CDL-certified drivers will easily be able to find jobs. The U.S. Department of Labor says the profession is expected to keep growing – by 6 percent during 2020-2030.
The SCC Truck Driver Training Program teaches proper driving procedures, safe driver responsibility, commercial motor vehicle laws and regulations, and the basic principles and practices for operating commercial vehicles. The coursework includes motor vehicle laws and regulations, map reading, vehicle maintenance, safety procedures, daily logs, defensive driving, freight handling, security, and fire protection.
Highway driving training exercises and classroom lectures are used to develop the students’ knowledge and skills. Graduates are qualified to take the Commercial Driver’s License Test and are employable by commercial trucking firms. They may also become owner-operators and work as private contract haulers.
Special admission requirements include official driving record, physical examination, reading at an eighth-grade level or above, disclosure forum, high school transcript, and drug testing. Students must be at least 18 years of age.
For more information about SCC’s Truck Driver Program, contact Dr. Douglas Underwood, Director of Yadkin Center, at (336) 386-3584 or underwoodd@surry.edu. You may also visit workforce.surry.edu.
