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University of Arkansas Joins Truck Driving Quest

4 min read

The University of Arkansas is getting into the truck driving business, and Doug Carter couldn’t be more pleased.

Carter, the owner of Mid-America Truck Driving School of Malvern, jumped at the chance when Heather Sprandel of the UA Global Campus in Rogers suggested a partnership. Mid-America and the Northwest Technical Institute have operated a joint training program the past year in Springdale.

“The U of A is legendary,” Carter said. “Its name is golden. It was Dr. Sprandel’s brainstorm. It’s a natural fit.”

Carter and Sprandel are hopeful that UA joining the partnership will raise the exposure and enrollment numbers of the program. Carter said the previous dual partnership has churned out approximately 85 graduates with commercial driver’s licenses.

“It’ll help our program,” Carter said. “I have no doubt the enrollment will increase as a result of the publicity and exposure of the partnership with the UA.”

The three-group initiative will take place at the UA Global Campus in Rogers as well as at the NTI in Springdale, where it was originally held. Sprandel believes UA’s involvement will bring more marketing, more money and more partners as the program progresses.

“We’re hoping to expand awareness of the truck driving shortage,” Sprandel said.

Sprandel is an adjunct faculty member with the Walton College of Business as well as the program developer at the UA Global Campus, where she does workforce development training. She said research showed that the driver shortage in the transportation industry is something that the partnership could help tackle.

“Everyone is getting together to try to do something to help this shortage,” Sprandel said. “We are always exploring what the needs are in northwest Arkansas and the region. If you do a little exploring, you’ll find there is a truck driving shortage.”

I’ve written about the driver shortage in the transportation industry, so I won’t bore you with all the details. Bob Costello and Rod Suarez of the American Trucking Associations predicted in October that the driver shortage could reach 175,000 by 2024.

Transportation companies across Arkansas have raised pay in an attempt to attract drivers. Adding more drivers to the pool would help, but truck driving doesn’t have the same appeal it once did when a young misfit sitting tail gunner in the family station wagon knew all the words to “Convoy” by C.W. McCall.

The program is a five-week course that costs approximately $3,700 for 200 hours of classroom and in-cab training. Graduates who earn a CDL will be eligible to drive trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles.

Because of the demand for drivers, it’s a pretty secure job. Dan Cushman, CEO of PAM Transport of Tontitown, once joked that a driver could curse him out but he would still hire the driver back.

The UA Global Campus said the program is open to all, including two specific groups: women and veterans. Women make up just 6 percent of the truck-driving workforce, while veterans can qualify for a waiver of their skill requirement if they have military experience with similar vehicles. Meaning, let’s not make someone who drove a tank through mortar fire have to practice left-hand turns in a dump truck.

“This is a career path that is available to so many people,” Sprandel said. “It’s a well-paying career. There are so many jobs available. We want to help get people working.”

Sprandel hopes that as the new partnership progresses, companies will begin to reach out and help the program.

Sprandel said it’s too early to tell since the partnership became official on Jan. 7, but transportation businesses expressed interest in the training program before it was announced. Sprandel said she hopes executives will participate in the program in the future.

“We hope that excitement turns into action,” Sprandel said. “We hope businesses who hire drivers will become engaged as networkers and guest lecturers and recruiters.”

Carter said he is confident that the new tri-party arrangement will lead to long-term success. Carter also believes the success of the training program will encourage other groups to help or develop similar schools.

“As public awareness spreads, I think the impact will have the numbers increase,” Carter said. “It will be felt throughout this part of the state. Word will spread, and the influence will be felt.”

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