The following students graduated from Surry Community College’s Truck Driver Training program in May. (Back row, left to right) Instructor Charles Jester, Nathan Hudson, Clint Renegar, Keith Lynch, and Instructor Perry Wagoner. (Second row): Ankur Patel, Emmanuel Lewis, Instructor Rick Ogborn, Mike Tinnes, and Aaron Simpson. (Front row) Demitree Glenn, Ivan Gonzalez, and Jared Franks.
DOBSON— Ten people graduated from Surry Community College’s Truck Driver Training Program at the Yadkin Center on May 28.
The graduates include Aaron Simpson of Jonesville, Ankur Patel of Rural Hall, Clint Renegar of Yadkinville, Demitree Glenn of Boonville, Emmanuel Lewis and Jared Franks of Mount Airy, Ivan Gonzalez of North Wilkesboro, Keith Lynch of Hamptonville, Mike Tinnes of Walnut Cove, and Nathan Hudson of Westfield.
The next offering of Surry Community College’s Truck Driver Training Classes starts Wednesday, Aug. 4 and will run through Thursday, Oct. 7. Classes are held Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A student orientation will be held Monday, July 12, at 10 a.m. at The Yadkin Center, 1001 College Drive, Yadkinville.
Median pay for truck drivers is $38,200 per year, according to the United States Department of Labor. Drivers with experience can make more than $50,000.
With a shortage of up to 15,000 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 11 percent during 2012-2022.
“There are currently job openings for truck drivers locally and nationally. We developed this program as a direct response to the requests from local truck driving representatives who need skilled applicants to fill job vacancies,” said SCC President Dr. David Shockley.
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 placement test score of 40 or higher; disclosure form; high school transcript; and drug testing.
For more information about SCC’s Truck Driver Training Program, contact Dr. Douglas Underwood at (336) 386-3584 or underwoodd@surry.edu. The tuition is $1,876.00. You may qualify for a tuition scholarship. To see if you are eligible, please visit www.surry.edu/funding.