A-B Tech Community College announced that it will launch a new Truck Driver Training program that begins offering classes this month. A-B Tech is partnering with TransTech to provide five-week sessions and testing for a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).
“A-B Tech is in the business of training adults for lucrative careers and truck driving is currently one of the best opportunities,” said Deborah Wright, the college’s vice president for Continuing Education and Economic & Workforce Development. “The trucking industry needs 80,000 truck drivers nationally and there are hundreds of job openings in our area. We’re excited to have found the right partner in TransTech to help us provide this valuable program.”
The course allows a student to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License in as little as five weeks through a hybrid program consisting of both online and behind-the-wheel training, said program coordinator Carol Faust. The course consists of 56 hours of online coursework and 120 hours of behind-the-wheel training. Students will obtain a CDL permit from the NC Department of Motor Vehicles and then pass the NC CDL test at TransTech to obtain a CDL license.
The first orientation session is scheduled for March 17 at 11 a.m. at the Ferguson Center for Allied Health and Workforce Development on the A-B Tech campus in Asheville. Students must register in advance and attend the orientation session in person. The first five-week course begins March 21 and new sessions will be offered every two weeks. A-B Tech also offers 10-week evening and weekend sessions.
Successful applicants must be 18 (or 21 for interstate commerce or hazardous materials trucking), hold a valid NC driver’s license and Social Security card, and pass a criminal background check and Department of Transportation physical and drug screen. For more information, visit Truck Driver Training, email truck@abtech.edu or call (828) 398-7924.