Two Colleges Launch CDL Training to Open Trucking Careers
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A pair of community colleges are offering commercial driver license training in California and Louisiana to introduce students to professional truck driving careers.
Situated in California’s Mojave Desert, Barstow Community College recently announced thanks to a venture with Chicago-based 160 Driving Academy.
Barstow is a major freight corridor junction where Interstates 15 and 40 as well as California Routes 58 and 247 converge. Some 19 million vehicles each year pass through Barstow, located between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
“At Barstow Community College, we recognize the important role that career education plays in preparing our students for today’s workforce. Whether through our own programs or by partnering with industry leaders like 160 Driving Academy, we are bringing specialized training to our campus and creating pathways that lead to in-demand careers,” said .
The new arrangement will help fill truck driving jobs in the local workforce while “opening doors to careers in the trucking industry. It’s a valuable opportunity for students and community members to gain skills and build a better future, right here in Barstow,” Bagg added.
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The partnership calls for the community college to provide classroom space. With more than 150 locations in 44 states, will be the sole provider and operator of the CDL training program. BCC is the first community college in California to partner with 160 Driving Academy.
“This collaboration will make truck driver training more accessible to local students and community members interested in joining the transportation industry,” according to BCC.
The CDL program will require students to take 40 hours of in-person instruction at BCC and receive 120 hours of behind-the-wheel training at a 160 Driving Academy facility. This training combines classroom and hands-on instruction to fully prepare students for the CDL exam.
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Victoria Ramos, business development specialist at the driving academy in Barstow, noted: “Our dedicated instructors work with students every step of the way, both in the classroom and in the yard, to ensure they have the knowledge and experience needed to succeed in a growing and essential industry.”
Founded in 1959, BCC is a two-year public college that also serves students in surrounding high desert communities such as Baker, Lenwood, Newberry Springs and Yermo.
Eugene Butticci, executive director of the Barstow Chamber of Commerce, praised the partnership for increasing community residents’ access to high-demand careers like professional truck driving. “This kind of training directly supports economic development in Barstow,” he added.
(Bossier Parish Community College)
Meanwhile, across the nation in northwestern Louisiana, Bossier Parish Community College near Shreveport at the Natchitoches campus. BPCC is based in Bossier City and has a Sabine Valley campus.
Joseph Brownlee, BPCC dean of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics division, said the new CDL training program “represents a significant step in expanding workforce training opportunities in the region. With the growing demand for skilled commercial drivers, this program will provide students with the training and certifications needed to secure high-paying, in-demand jobs while supporting transportation and logistics industries that are vital to our local and state economy.”
Students will have the opportunity to receive training to obtain CDL Class A or CDL Class B licenses. BPCC kicked off its first class in mid-April with a ribbon-cutting ceremony a few weeks earlier.
Last year, BPCC received a state Workforce Training Rapid Response Fund grant of $400,000 to prepare students for high-demand jobs in logistics and CDL career training. The funding program helps workers who have lost jobs due to layoffs or plant closings find employment quickly in new careers.
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