SHEPHERDSVILLE — A career pathway in which students can literally drive their own paths is now being offered.
The Bullitt County Area Technology Center is partnering with Jefferson Community and Technical College on a dual credit program, “Truck Driver Training Basic Operations,” taught to high school seniors at the JCTC Southwest Campus.
The new partnership will allow local students to begin the program in high school, then attend JCTC to obtain their commercial driver’s license (CDL).
The course is based on a Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program created by NextGen Trucking, designed to prepare new drivers working toward their CDL.
NextGen aligned high school curriculum, incorporating online learning formats and including driver simulation training, eventually leading to live training in golf carts and then semi-trucks.
Relationship possibilities can be established between the program partners and local area companies in need of drivers. The partnerships will assist students with finding available jobs immediately upon completing the program.
ATC principal Darrell Vincent referred to the class as a pre-cursor to understanding the industry. Vincent credited Bullitt County Public Schools Career and College Readiness director Dr. Lee Barger for creating the new potential career pathway for BCPS students.
“(Barger) had the idea after talking with Walmart truckers who were earning six figures,” said Vincent. “We’re developing a program for a career that our students can take advantage of.”
Vincent added that JCTC already had a workforce development program in place, making it an ideal partner and course location. He mentioned that several local businesses were looking for drivers as part of their employee fulfillment needs.
With the program established, Vincent said the right instructor was needed to get it started. An advisory board meeting led to the hiring of Ryan Williams, CEO of SBM Truck Service in Shepherdsville.
According to Williams, JCTC’s CDL program manager, Dee Creech, was looking for current drivers to instruct the class, rather than retirees, hoping to provide real world instruction in the classroom. Williams mentioned that he could not hire the drivers but was allowed to train them.
With a program and instructor in place, Vincent said the program was promoted to students based on local industry needs.
“We have more warehouses than anywhere in the state,” he said. “There are materials that need to be stored and supplied. The companies will need to fill these jobs, and they are good, high-paying jobs. We want our students to be available for those jobs and to make a good living.”
Along with driving skills, Williams provides industry logistics knowledge. He reminded students that there are many job opportunities in an industry where truck driving was involved.
“You can be a dispatcher, a diesel tech, or many other related jobs,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be a CDL. I would’ve killed to have someone in the classroom that could discuss the real world. There are so many jobs involved in logistics.”
To assist with the overall real world knowledge, Williams brought in SBM general manager Jason Luke and executive assistant Jenny Hardesty to speak with students. Luke discussed the inner workings of a warehouse while Hardesty discussed billing, customer service and terminology knowledge.
Vincent mentioned that most College and Career Pathways provided by BCPS are four-course models, allowing students to study those areas during their overall high school experience. He said ATC was working on preparing a four-course Logistics model.
“It has the potential to branch out beyond trucking,” he said. “Louisville is a huge intermodal area, with a lot being loaded onto semis. And there’s many Louisville-area businesses involved in logistics. There’s also a lot of Bullitt County industry and potential.”
According to Williams, most of the course was catered around the pre-trip, or the tasks that the driver must accomplish prior to making a delivery to increase safety.
“When they leave the class, if they’re age 18, they can be ready to take their CDL permit test,” Williams said. “Driving is the easy part. That’s why we focus on pre-trip as a result.”
Students learn general trucking industry operations along with the components of the tractor-trailer they will drive. Safety rules were an early and constant class component.
Maintaining logbooks and calculating trip hours were part of the curriculum, featuring Hours of Service Regulation requirements included in a driver’s daily log.
An emphasis was placed on proper vehicle inspection focus before, after, and even during a trip. Students learn what to look and listen for and how to identify problems.
Federal, state and other inspection regulations must be understood, as well as regulations involving any type of hazardous cargo. Regulations will be discussed involving vehicle weights and sizes along with special permit requirements.
Route planning is featured, including itinerary planning and stopping points, fuel scheduling and costs, layover plans and map interpretation.
The class training also discusses the importance of good communication skills with family and loved ones, especially while working on overnight jobs, and implementing fatigue-reducing strategies while on the road.
Williams mentioned that his students have shown extra interest in the course. He handled the classroom the same as an actual business, with students as the employees, as another way to help prepare for the real world.
“Some students are here because they have parents who work in logistics,” he said. “They ask a lot of real world questions. When they toured our facility, it made an impression. My hope is that as they move on, they will remember this class.”