“Here in Chino, there’s a difficult left turn out by the Safeway,” Commercial Driver Training instructor Alex Barber describes what it’s like turning a big rig onto the 89 from Perkinsville Road. “The cars in the [northbound] left lane shouldn’t have to back up. A lot of students don’t think they can make that turn. I show ‘em how.” He laughs. “Then they want to do it again.”

Four years into its existence, YC’s Commercial Driver Training Program has survived the lockdown and is up and rolling again. One of only two community college-based driver training programs in the state, Yavapai College will offer a special eight-week section of the program beginning October 12, in Chino Valley.

The program, which currently teaches 12-17 students per semester, combines in-class coursework with behind-the-wheel training. Students can acquire their permit, learn how to handle a rig, and even road test for their Class A, B or C commercial driver’s license.

It’s comprehensive training, in a growth industry, and the savings over private, for-profit trucking schools is substantial. “To train and get the license at a private company would cost seven to nine thousand dollars,” Barber says. “We’re doing it now for about $3,600.” The program’s students are also financial aid-eligible, with organizations like the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) helping certain students in need.

The program can be a gateway for those seeking a fresh start in the workforce. “We have employers from all over asking for drivers,” Barber says. “Almost all our students come [into training] with a letter of intent to be hired.”

YC’s Commercial Driver Training began as a component of its Electrical Line Worker Program. Since then, it has grown into an independent program, with its own 48-foot tractor/trailer, a dedicated test track on the Chino Valley campus, and the ability to conduct Arizona Department of Transportation-sanctioned road testing.

“We’ve done well,” Barber says. A former ADOT employee, Barber says the ability to train and test at one of Northern Arizona’s only third-party testing sites dramatically streamlines the licensing process. And he takes pride in the program’s ability to reach students wherever they are and train them to a high level of proficiency.

“We don’t give up on them,” he says. “It’s intimidating to some, being in the big rigs. But the whole staff works to find ways to keep students and help them complete.”