Nova Scotia currently has an abundance of jobs available within the trucking industry, and no one to fill them. The Tractor Trailer (Class 1) Internship program at Commercial Safety College is preparing people to start their career as a professional driver within the trucking industry.
“The program is 12 weeks long, with the first eight weeks focusing on a balanced curriculum of safety and mechanical studies, with the hands-on practical experience of maneuvering skills and on-road driving,” says Jeremy Nichols, the general manager at Commercial Safety.
After completing the initial eight weeks, the students move onto four-week, 160-hour internships. Here, they are paired with a coach from one of the 20+ companies that Commercial Safety works with. The internships vary between placements in Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada, going across Canada or even throughout the United States.
More and more opportunities are becoming available for both local work and long-haul trips. “It’s not a crisis yet, but we’re getting close,” says Jeremy about the extreme need for able drivers within the industry. There is no prior truck-driving experience necessary, just a driver’s license, and a willingness to learn.
Jeremy adds that this on-the-job training leads to great employment opportunities, with the program leading to to a 95 percent employment rate within a month of finishing. A career in trucking provides what everyone is searching for: a stable career, with a good paycheck.
This article appears in Oct 19-25, 2017.