The American Trucking Association reported the trucking industry hauled 72.2% of all freight transported in the United States in 2021, equating to 10.93 billion tons. Lone Star College offers a truck driving certificate program to prepare them for this critical job.
“The truck driving industry will always be around because people will always need commodities,” said Ryan Stout, LSC truck driving graduate. “I chose this field because I wanted a reliable career to provide a stable life for my family and to experience new adventures each day.”
Through LSC’s Continuing Education division, the Truck Driver CDL Occupational Skills Award program is a seven-week (14-week part-time) course that instructs students on how to drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a 26,001-capacity load.
The LSC-Transportation and Global Logistics Technology Center will showcase the program in depth at an in-person information session April 25 at 2 p.m. and May 25 at 10 a.m. Attendees will have an opportunity to speak with faculty and staff and tour the facility.
“Houston is one of the country’s leading port cities and the transportation industry needs more drivers,” said Linda Leto Head, LSC Senior Associate Vice Chancellor External and Employer Relations. “The Truck Driver CDL program can put drivers on the road in less than three months and offer them a well-paying career to support their families.”
Students in the Truck Driver CDL Occupational Skills Award program learn how to operate, control and monitor trucks and inspect loads to make sure it is secure. Upon completion, students will receive a state-issued commercial driver’s license and the opportunity to make between $50,000 (mid-point) to $100,000 (senior level) during their career.
“My employer was really impressed by the knowledge and the 240 training hours I received through Lone Star College’s Truck Driver CDL program,” said Stout. “The professors were great, and they used their real-world experiences to prepare us for the industry. I feel very comfortable in a truck.” Stout currently works for USA Trucking.
LSC also offers a Truck Driver CDL Certificate in partnership with Stevens Transport. This program is a three-to-four-week commitment in which students can earn a Class A CDL, a certificate and a job with Stevens Transport. View LoneStar.edu/TransportationGlobalLogisticsTechnologyCenter for more information.
Lone Star College enrolls over 80,000 students each semester providing high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education. LSC is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., serves as Chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and has been named a 2022 Great Colleges to Work For® institution by the Chronicle of Higher Education and recognized by Fortune Magazine and Great Place To Work® as one of this year’s Best Workplaces in Texas™. LSC consists of eight colleges, seven centers, eight Workforce Centers of Excellence and Lone Star Corporate College. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.