Sampson Community College’s truck driver training students continue to hit the road as the latest group of graduates completes training this week.

“We are proud of these graduates because of the rigorous training each goes through to get to this point,” says Fred Stamey, Director of Transportation Programs. “This is an exciting time for them. We are working hard to do things here that will make the program even more attractive to those who have been considering it and we are bringing our driving course a little closer to home as well.”

PHOTO:  Top row: Dwight Davis, Jamrica Pearsall, Jalen Murphy, Montoria Hood, Salam Rashan and Johnathan Covington. Front Row: Quawi Clifton, Dequarius Bannerman, Mario Highsmith, Rachelle Jennings, Gerarado Zapata, Kytemia Covington and Samuel Wangui.

SCC’s truck driver training program has become known as one of the premier schools in the country for the quality of training and is the most cost-efficient program of its kind in the nation. Building on this, the college is working toward the construction of a new site for the program.

For years, the training site has been located at the Ag Provision Lot in Kenansville, but work is underway to bring the facility to Clinton’s Industrial Park. The new site allows SCC to train more students for a career in the trucking industry. A benefit for students is the travel time to and from school. The move will cut commute time for out-of-town students, a benefit as the price of gas continues to rise.

“We are all about students and anything that will contribute to those students becoming successful,” adds Stamey, who also developed a Class B license course to add to the program to service drivers who only need that license. “We acquired a dump truck and a box truck so that our drivers will be prepared for anything once they take that first job right out of school.”

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that jobs for tractor-trailer and other heavy trucks drivers is expected to grow by 6% from 2016-2026. The median salary for these workers is about $42,000 now. For more information about the Truck Driver Training program at SCC, contact Fred Stamey at fstamey@sampsoncc.edu or at 910.900.4042.