By Teresa Brummett
Online Editor
SPRINGFIELD – Troy McCallister and Rich Ledbetter lost their jobs from the Bloomington-Normal Mitsubishi auto plant in November.
Both 48 years old, they had friends who completed Lincoln Land’s truck driving course, and those friends ended up with good jobs and loved the course.
So, they decided to join the program that began in July 1998 when Bob Howard and Rich Burge began teaching. At the time, it was just two teachers, two trucks and two students.
After 18 years, the faculty-student ratio has jumped quite a bit. As of last semester, 2,719 students have completed the class, 800 of whom are military veterans.
Today, there are six trucks running at any time.
Last year, 160 passed the class, and this year, they are looking at 168 successfully completing it.
The class is 7 credit hours, and students complete it in two weeks. Students log 400 to 500 miles behind the wheel during the class.
The goal is for students to find jobs when they leave. Many students will land jobs paying $35,000 to $50,000 a year, with medical benefits and retirement.
The instructors are very professional, McCallister and Ledbetter said. The hands-on approach is also very helpful.
They explain everything nice and clear so there’s no question on what you should be doing at the time. It’s so easy to pick up the information needed and then test, Ledbetter said. It’s that simple. The instructors are great.
While the students were joking with one another, Bob Howard, who is the director of the program, said safety is a focus.
Students leave here being a professional and being safe times three, Howard said.
Of course, we try to make it fun because anyone who has been on a road trip knows how boring it can be to drive for long periods of time.
The driving instructors have different locations set that allow enough time for the students to each have a chance to drive. Students get to drive on some of the narrowest roads in Illinois.
But they’ll stop for lunch at certain destinations, making it more like a truck driver would have to do while on the road.
Not for everyone
But, this class isn’t only about truck driving. Although it’s a very important part of the class and they do have some classroom time also. This class is a teaching and learning life experiences as they go. A lot of our instructors even come in early and stay late even on the weekends. They even have offered to come in on a Sunday because testing was quickly approaching.
Howard said not all students who come and want to be a truck driver are right for that type of job. If a student has a significant other, he’ll meet with both of them so that they both can assess if it is the right life for them.
But, in the end, if you pass everything, do as instructed and can communicate knowing that it’s a possibility that the spouse may be gone for weeks at a time, then you’re ready to be a truck driver.
The class has even had couples who were dating or married come through. That way they can be together and travel all around the world.
Father-son duo
But for father-son students Roger and Sam Donohoo, they are completing the course with the goal of becoming a driving team.
Son Sam Donohoo was busy practicing backing the rig into three different parking spots as Roger Donohoo explained how the pair has fun together.
Roger Donohoo said they can switch out to keep the truck on the road, while driving from coast to coast, Canada or wherever the jobs takes them.
Roger Donohoo owns a barbershop and rental stores, but he was ready for a change, and this was the perfect opportunity to do just that.
Roger Donohoo said his son was having trouble finding a job, so they spoke about truck driving and decided to enroll together.
It will be fun to be on the road with Sam, Roger Donohoo said, and he hopes the road will take them to visit his other son who is serving in the Air Force
Focus on students
Part of the stress of the class for instructors is that they squeeze the training into only two weeks’ time. So, that means every two weeks, they have new students to train.
If they have a student who’s not catching on as quickly as others, they hold him back, but it’s usually only been three to five days difference.
The instructors focus on the positives, not the negatives, Howard said. The staff try to be coaches and encourage students, although it sometimes takes the patience of Job, he said. But that’s expected with stressful situations.
With so many students going through the course, one might think that Howard and Burge wouldn’t be able to remember each student, but Howard keeps photos of every student who has passed through his class since 1998.
Burge said these students are doing a fantastic job and it’s a positive when he sees them moving forward.
Several students who moved on will swing by to show the instructors their new trucks, Burge said. The instructors love that.
Everyone tries to stop and take the time to see the trucks that our past students are currently driving, Burge said. Because they’re part of the reason why he and Howard are still teaching after 18 years.
Students end the class with permits for driving doubles, hazardous materials and basic delivery trucks. This makes it easier for the students to find jobs with such an open license where they can drive for basically any company out there.
While truck driving is dominated by men, about 10 percent of the students are women.
Teresa Brummett can be reached at [email protected].
