WACO, Tex. — The Texas State Technical College (TSTC) has relaunched its Professional Driving Academy at the Waco campus, according to a May 22 press release issued by the school.
“The goal is to produce people eager to join the trucking industry with a state Class A commercial driver’s license (CDL) in hand,” the press release notes. In addition, the driving academy offers students in TSTC’s Electrical Lineworker and Management program an opportunity to learn to safety operate a commercial vehicle.
Students are required to earn a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) before driving a tractor-trailer.
“We are not just teaching how to pass the test,” said Steven Clark, a TSTC Professional Driving Academy instructor. “We want them to see what it’s like in the real world.”
Each cohort of lasts four weeks. The first week involves virtual work, the remaining three weeks consist of intense hands-on training that includes on-the-road driving as far as West Texas. Students may earn a CDL once they pass the driving test.
Teaching real-world skills
TSTC’s press release also shared thoughts voiced by driving academy students as they practiced pre-trip inspections and learned the skills required to safely back up a tractor-trailer. All exercises are conducted in a state-certified course painted on an on-campus parking lot.
“All you have are the two mirrors on the side,” Clark said. “They have to learn to drive the trailer, not the truck.”
Shannon Welch Dubose of Hewitt, Texas, already has a state Class B CDL that enables her to drive school buses.
“My husband is a truck driver,” she said. “We have often thought about team driving.”
Welch Dubose says wishes she could have learned the new skills earlier, noting that, for her, reverse offset backing has been a challenge to learn.
“It’s just something you get the more you try,” she said. “The trailer can get away from you quickly.”
Gabriel Camacho of Temple, Texas, says his employer allowed him to take a month-long leave to take the driving course. While he already has experience driving forklifts, he says he’s wanted to earn a CDL for several years. Having a CDL, he says, provides job security because the transportation of goods will always be needed.
Alex Orozco of Corsicana, Texas, is a third-semester student in the Electrical Lineworker and Management program. He says he had no experience with heavy equipment before starting the driving program.
He advises prospective driving students to start early in order to meet the course requirements, adding that he believes earning a CDL will help him when he pursues his chosen career field.
“Companies will definitely look for you,” he said.
Clark, along with instructor Heath Norden, have a combined 60 years in the truck driving industry. Clark is certified to administer the state CDL test.
“You have to prove you are safe enough to be on the road with my family,” he said. “If they are not safe, they do not pass.”
Plans for expansion
The Professional Driving Academy’s future involves adding additional tractor-trailers, hiring more instructors, increasing participant capacity and eventually training on a new on-campus concrete pad, according to TSTC.
For more information about TSTC’s Professional Driving Academy, visit tstc.edu/workforce/professional-driving-academy .
Linda Garner-Bunch has been with The Trucker since 2020, picking up the reins as managing editor in 2022. Linda has nearly 40 years of experience in the publishing industry, covering topics from the trucking and automotive industry to employment, real estate, home decor, crafts, cooking, weddings, high school sports — you name it, she’s written about it. She is also an experienced photographer, designer and copy editor who has a heartfelt love for the trucking industry, from the driver’s seat to the C-suite.
