10-04-2025
New Truck Drivers hitting the road this week
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – There's a new class of truck drivers from Champaign County that are hitting the roadway this week.
Parkland College has a Truck Driver Training/Commercial Drivers License program in partnership with 160 Driving Academy and Parkland's Workforce Development and Community Education programs.
Students in the class take the CDL course which teaches topics such as road safety and basic maintenance, as well as providing students with 120 hours of behind the wheel training. Once that's complete and students pass the course, they then take the Commercial Drivers License test through the State of Illinois.
Each year, the program graduates nearly 300 truck drivers, with most of them landing jobs immediately upon graduation. And those jobs pay well.
According to the 2024 Bureau of Labor Statistics, median hourly earnings of tractor-trailer drivers was $26.12. Entry-level truck drivers have the potential to earn between $54,000-$76,000 annually.
Elijah Boyd, a current student in the class is taking his CDL Exam today. He says that the program is a chance for a fresh start.
'It's a second chance program for those who aren't doing anything or have anything to do. If you need somewhere to go or you need something to do, I'm 51 and I came back to school. They have offered me a second chance.'
He says that he has gotten scholarship opportunities to help pay for the class.
'I got my scholarship through the SWFT Program, which got me through school for free.'
Boyd has a job lined up once he is done and he'll be among several in the current class to have a job.
The SWFT program Boyd is a part of is one of several potential ways to cover funding for the class. SWFT is a grant program that provides free short-term training for high-skilled, high-wage jobs for qualifying students.
Funding is also available through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which is a grant program sponsored by the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission. That program assists qualifying adults with receiving the financial support needed for career training. Other students have also gotten funding through carrier sponsorships.
To learn more about the program, including entry requirements, the registration process and cost/funding options, you can visit the Parkland College Truck Driver Training Page.
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