USA Truck Offers Second Year of Scholarships for Truck Driver Training

Photo Courtesy of USA Truck

USA Truck provides scholarships for 15 qualified applicants who want to enroll in a commercial driver's license program offered through the Global Campus, Northwest Training Institute and Mid-America Truck Driving School.

ROGERS, Ark. – USA Truck will pay the training fees for 15 qualified applicants who enroll in a five-week Commercial Driver’s License Training Program offered through a partnership between the University of Arkansas Global Campus, Northwest Technical Institute, and Mid-America Truck Driving School.

For the second year in a row, participants can apply for these scholarships through the USA Truck Career Launch Program. Scholarship recipients who complete the training program offered through the U of A will be given preference for job openings with USA Truck. Recent U.S. veterans are eligible for a $1,000 hiring bonus and may qualify for an upgraded pay package.

“There is a gap between the number of well-trained drivers needed in the trucking industry today and the number available,” said Steve Brantley, director of Driver Recruiting for USA Truck. “We want to bridge that gap by making it more cost-efficient for hardworking women and men to enroll in a high-quality truck-driver training program.”

Scholarships will cover the $4,250 enrollment fee for the Commercial Driver’s License Training Program offered through a partnership of the Global Campus, Northwest Technical Institute and Mid-America Truck Driving School. The five-week program offers day or evening classes, with six starting dates each year.

A truck driver has the potential to earn about $35,000 in the first year and up to $50,000 after three years, according to USA Truck. Top-end owner-operators can earn as much as $60,000 a year.

“People with little or no truck-driving experience can use this program to start a new career in a growing industry,” said Heather Sprandel, program coordinator for professional development programs at the Global Campus. “USA Truck makes this transition easier by funding that training for 15 qualified applicants.”

The training program includes 200 hours of combined classroom and behind-the-wheel training. Each course is designed to provide the student with the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to obtain a commercial driver’s license.

Scholarship pre-screening and eligibility requirements:

• Must be at least 21 years of age
• No more than 2 moving violations in the past 3 years
• No more than 2 collisions in the past 3 years
• No DUI’s, DWI’s or any other violations involving drugs or alcohol within the last 7 years
• Stable work history
• Complete an approved physical examination and drug screen as prescribed by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

The CDL program is one of many workforce and professional development programs offered by the Global Campus in Rogers to help people advance in their careers or start new ones.

About the Global Campus: The Global Campus supports U of A colleges and schools in the development and delivery of online, distance and workforce education programs and courses. It provides instructional design services, technology services and assistance with marketing, recruiting and strategic academic development.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.