NEW: Roadmaster opens truck driving school in Bessemer with hopes to get more truckers on the road

Our local economy is dependent on the trucking industry, but the need for truck drivers continues to grow. Keep reading to learn about Roadmaster’s new driving school in Bessemer and its hopes of getting more truckers on the road.

A good time for truckers

The supply chain and driver shortage is driving up the demand for more training facilities. At the same time, the trucking industry is offering all-time high incentives and pay.

With a new training location in Bessemer, Roadmaster is working to reduce the current truck driver shortage and helping future truckers pass the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) knowledge and skills tests to get their new careers on the road in just one month.

Driver shortage

According to the American Trucking Association, the field needs nearly 1 million new drivers to replace those who will be retiring within the next decade.

Truckers move the nation, so it is no surprise that we need more drivers on the road. Roadmaster looks for people who are willing to work hard and want to make good money. This program will equip them to do so.

Opportunity in the industry

Trucks are more technologically equipped with more safety features than ever. Plus, it’s not just young men gravitating to the industry. Ten-percent of truck drivers today are women and that number is growing by the day.

Brad Ball with Roadmaster Driving School said the students at their school are pre-hired for trucking jobs and can earn a good living right after graduation. With such a need for truckers in the industry now, students will most likely be able to negotiate the salary they want after graduating.

“The educational opportunity in trucking is unlike any other because people can go directly from unemployed or underemployed to having a job where they can make $60, $70, $80,000 in their first year with only about a month of training. So, it’s an incredible opportunity.”

Brad Ball, Roadmaster Driving School

Roadmaster Trucking School

According to Brad Bell, Roadmaster Drivers School‘s new spot is its first in Alabama and graduates from the program are already working on Alabama’s roads.

The program takes about four weeks, but Ball said instructors work with students individually to set them each up for success. In those few short weeks, students of the school can graduate having a steady position driving the big rigs (and a good paying one at that.)

Roadmaster training includes:

• Truck Driver Training at their practice facility and on the road in real-world conditions
• Automatic Transmission Truck Training with state-of-the-art automatic shifting trucks
• Map reading, trip planning, logging and compliance with Department of Transportation laws
• Backing, turning and hooking/unhooking an industry standard 53-foot trailer
• Advanced truck driving techniques such as skid avoidance and truck recovery
• Emergency actions for special situations such as a break away trailer or hydroplaning
• Many more skills, techniques and tips you will need as a professional truck driver

Sound like something you’re interested in? You can apply and learn more on their website.

Want more stories like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our FREE newsletter!