This award provides funding to Surry Community College (SCC) to expand its truck driver training program in response to the trucking industry’s movement toward automatic trucks. SCC currently operates its truck driver training program in collaboration with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s instructors but SCC is required to provide its own trucks. This proposed project will add automatic transmission range trucks to the college’s inventory which also includes two automatic transmission road trucks purchased with an NC Economic Impact grant. This additional capacity resulting from the new range and road trucks will also support SCC’s partnership with Forsyth Technical Community College (FTCC) by allowing SCC to provide weekend classes for students who are pursuing a Class A CDL as part of FTCC’s Electrical Lineman program. SCC expects to expand capacity from 140 to 200 students annually and to provide increased skills on driving automatic trucks. Golden LEAF funds will be used to purchase two range trucks and trailers.
