We’ve all been hearing about the national truck driver shortage and Apollo Truck Driving Academy has been working to produce the next generation of drivers.
School officials say that they have had steady enrollment over the last several years with around 100 students yearly. And most of those have gained employment before even completing the course. This because the number of companies that are now competing to get drivers is increasing. Instructors say that the shortage of drivers could be a combination of early retirements, people just getting out of the business and the federal regulations that drivers must be 21 to move interstate freight.
Micah French, Training Manager Apollo Truck Driving Academy explains, “There’s government regulations that keep younger people from getting into a truck. You need to be 21 to haul interstate freight. So, you loose a lot of possible people there. They get into other career fields. Most the people in the trucking industry are older. I think the average age of a commercial driver is around 55. People are leaving the industry faster than they’re getting replace.”
The “SAFE” act is currently going through congress that could lower that age requirement. French says at Apollo you pay $4,600 for training that could get you a $46,000 dollar a year career out of the gate as a local driver which he says seems like a good return on your investment. French also states that some over the road haulers can make $80,000 to $100,000 or more a year.
