GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Guilford Technical Community College is working to help end a truck driver shortage and get people employed.
According to Labor Department data, the trucking industry now has about 80,000 fewer drivers compared to 2019.
Last fall, the college introduced a new Commercial Drivers License training program. Nine out of the 11 December graduates are already working. Each student completed a 320-hour course with 22% of their course work in the classroom and the remaining 78% on the driving range and/or on the road.
Program Director Van Staley said the Triad is a good place to be a trucker.
"There is such a need in this area and Guilford County with all the industrial manufacturing bases we have here. We've got all the new distribution centers going up that's just more and more transportation-related jobs for the area and trucking is a part of that," Staley said.
.Staley said companies are having a hard time finding qualified drivers. He said he has more recruiters reaching out to him than he has students.
Due to COVID, the school has had to limit the number of students in each class.
"It's a wonderful industry to be in. It's very rewarding to me and to a lot of other people, it's not for everyone, but like I said, you can go from unemployment to $50,000 a year in eight weeks full-time or 16 weeks part-time and we would like to help as many people in Guilford county as we can," Staley said.
GTCC plans to offer 6 full-time courses and 3 part-time courses this year.
You can find more information on GTCC's website.