The Commercial Driver’s License program at Highlands College is basically brand new, but the program has received the gift of a new truck from FedEx to help students expand their opportunities in a field that is in high demand.
“It’s really important right now that Highlands has this CDL program and that we can help by donating equipment, and that helps our trucking industry that is in dire need of CDL drivers,” said Greg Peters with FedEx.
“This is going to be huge for our CDL program. It just offers another vehicle for our students to train on. It’s different than what we currently have to offer for them, so it’s just going to help them become even more prepared to become truck drivers,” added Brooke Samson, Director, Community Relations & Industry Partners at Highlands College.
The truck driving industry is very broad with jobs that can take drivers on long-haul gigs or keep them local, but for one Butte native the CDL program is a ticket to Hollywood.
“Well, driving for film, there’s a lot of different opportunities. You can pull cast trailers, there are some semis that are driven, but just with weight restrictions and cdl requirements it just opens up a lot of opportunity,” said Kacy Bond.
Bond says she became interested in the program after working with the “1923” crew last year and she now has her sights set on becoming a member of the Hollywood Teamsters Union.
“It’s not something I ever expected to be doing but it’s a good skill to have and job security,” said Bond.
