BUTTE — Road conditions here in Montana can be hazardous any time of year but especially so in the winter, and students returning to the CDL program at Highlands College will be receiving a wealth of information from experienced and knowledgeable drivers.
"In the 50 years I’ve been driving, I’ve never had a wreck or a speeding ticket and I’ve covered a lot of miles from, well, Seattle, back east and down south. I’ve never had an issue," says Ted Shupe.
Shupe is one of half a dozen instructors in the CDL program at Highlands College. He says semi crashes on Montana’s interstate are likely caused by drivers unfamiliar with Montana’s steep mountain passes.
"They don’t have a clue what to do. They don’t slow down. I mean, the highways can be a solid sheet of ice and they’re doing 80 miles an hour and they’ve got 40-50,000 pounds in that box," says Shupe.
Highlands College staff say students have a great training ground in town on Homestake Pass and in Elk Park. They are able to use new trucks for training, but Shupe says new trucks may offer a false sense of security.
"The trucks, they’re so easy to drive and you’ve got to think about everything you’re doing the whole time that truck’s moving," says Shupe.
What is the main thing about winter driving that Shupe imparts to students?
"Safety. Safety first," says Shupe. "Paying attention. Keeping your head out of your gluteus."