Truck Driving Certificate

COURSE OFFERINGS

Class 20 (July 19-August 27)

Class 21 (September 7-October 18)

Class 22 (October 25-December 13)

Class 23 (TBD)

Class 24 (TBD)

Class 25 (TBD)

 

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS 

• Complete a Commercial Truck Driving Admission Application 

• Submit an Identity Verification Form: escc.edu/identity-verification 

• 21 years of age or older 

• Valid Alabama Driver’s License 

• Motor Vehicle Driving Record (MVR) 

• Class A CDL Permit (Must Pass general knowledge, combinations, and air brakes portions) 

• DOT Physical and Drug Screen (Enterprise State Community College has a contract with Dr. Williams, 557 Glover Ave, Enterprise, AL 36330, [phone]) 

PROGRAM COSTS AND FEES

• Tuition: $3,500 

• Tuition must be paid by the first day of class 

• Possible tuition assistance is available through the Alabama Career Center. 

• Enterprise Career Center [phone]

• Eufaula Career Center [phone], Ozark Career Center [phone] 

• Dothan Career Center [phone], Troy Career Center [phone] 

• Or the Career Center near you! 

ADDITIONAL EXPENSES 

Motor Vehicle Record (MVR): $5.75 CDL Learner’s Permit Certification: $36.25 CDL Learner’s Permit General Knowledge Test: $25.00 *Admission requirements are preferred but not required for admission. **Students will be responsible for all additional expenses.

 

REFUND POLICY

Refunds for withdrawals may be granted with a five percent administrative processing fee.  A written refund request must be received by the department at least two business days prior to the first day of training.  No refunds will be issued once training begins.

TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY

All prior CDL training (including military) will be evaluated and appropriate credit is given to shorten the training program and tuition.

 

MAKE-UP ATTENDANCE & EXAM POLICY

• Missed Hours due to absences will be handled on a weekly basis, as needed.

• Unsatisfactory written test scores will be handled immediately following an exam by allowing the student to retake the exam.

• Any unsatisfactory driving test will be rescheduled with the state examiners, according to their posted testing schedule.  

 

INSTRUCTOR CREDENTIAL INFORMATION

WILLIAMS, KEMMIE, CDL Instructor 

Certifications, Washington-Holmes Area Vocational-Technical Center

Employment background and credentials: 

28 Years over the road and local driving experience

Hudson Transportation Inc., February 1988- January 2007, Position-truck driver and driver trainer

Keystone Foods, January 2007-October 2018, Position- truck driver and driver trainer

CDL CLASS EQUIPMENT

2015 International Prostar trucks with beds removed and replaced with bench seats and seat belts provided.

2003 T-800 Kenworth truck with the bed removed and replaced with bench seat and seat belts provided.

48-foot flatbed trailer.

53-foot dry van trailers.

Approximately 3 acres for skill field training also used for testing.

 

CDL Program Syllabus & Description

The objective of this class is to familiarize students with the rules and regulations governing the safe operation of commercial vehicles as outlined by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. By utilizing extensive classroom and skills training, by the end of this course, each student should be able to obtain his or her C.D.L. (commercial driving license).

Week 1:
Day 1: Orientation
The objective of this section is to introduce the student to the trucking industry and to present the concepts of industry regulation and the professional driver.
A. The importance of the trucking industry and how it affects the nation’s economy.
B. The importance of compliance with applicable regulations.
C. The procedure for obtaining a C.D.L.
D. The driver qualifications they are subject to in the industry.
E. The commercial motor vehicle.

Day 2:
A. The importance of daily vehicle inspections.
B. The importance of personal safety around commercial motor vehicles.
C. The proper way to enter and exit a vehicle.
D. Key vehicle components and their purpose.
E. Familiarization of vehicle controls and switches.

Day 3:
A. Perform vehicle inspections; conduct appropriate and systematic inspections.
B. Hours of service and daily logs
C. Distracted Driving: Discuss different types of distractions. (VISUAL - MANUAL- COGNITIVE)
D. Basic principles of backing.
E. Discuss the skills course and reasons for continuous practicing.

DAY 4:
A. Daily logs
B. Pre-trip / Daily inspections
C. Step by step procedure for proper coupling, uncoupling of truck and trailer.
D. Learn shifting patterns for different types of transmissions.
E. Use of clutch and double-clutching

DAY 5:
A. Daily Logs
B. Pre-trip / Daily inspections
C. Speed management:
1. The science of speed and stopping distance.
2. The role surface conditions play in speed management.
3. The importance of adjusting speed for hills and grades.
4. The relationship between speed and visibility.
5. The influence of speed on traffic management.
6. The how and the why of obeying the speed limit.

WEEK 2:
DAY 1:
A. Daily Logs
B. Pre-trip/ Daily inspections
C. Begin skill field learning to maneuver truck and trailer.
D. The importance of space management
E. The concept of maintaining an appropriate cushion of space.
F. Space management when executing a turn

DAY 2:
A. Daily Logs
B. Pre-trip / Daily inspections
C. Night driving - The factors that affect night driving, including driver, roadway, and vehicle factors.
D. Skills field Backing and maneuvering vehicle.
E. Extreme driving conditions.
F. How to operate in adverse conditions, including snow, ice, and cold temperatures.
G. How to operate in hot weather.
H. The challenges of mountain driving.

DAY 3:
A. Daily logs
B. Pre-trip / Daily inspections
C. Skills field backing and maneuvering vehicle practice shifting.
D. HAZARD PERCEPTION - An introduction to the nature of hazards and clues to recognizing these hazards.
E. Railroad crossings
F. Emergency maneuvers

DAY 4:
A. Daily Logs
B. Maps and trip planning.
C. Pre-trip / Daily inspections.
D. Skid control and recovery.
E. Skills field backing and maneuvering vehicle practice shifting gears.

DAY 5:
A. Daily Logs
B. Pre-trip / Daily inspections
C. Skills field backing and maneuvering vehicle practice shifting gears.

WEEK 3:
DAY 1:
A. Daily logs and pre-trip inspections
B. Skills field backing maneuvering truck
C. upshifting and downshifting.

DAY 2:
A. Daily logs and pre-trip inspections.
B. Skills field backing and maneuvering truck.
C. Upshifting and downshifting.
D. Proper braking and turning procedures.

DAY 3:
A. Daily logs and pre-trip inspections.
B. Skills field backing and maneuvering truck.
C. Upshifting and downshifting.

DAY 4:
A. Daily logs and pre-trip inspections.
B. Pre-trip inspection test: find the marked vehicle defect.
C. Skills field backing.
D. Short road trip.

DAY 5:
A. Daily logs and pre-trip inspections.
B. Short road trip.
C. Personal Health: Drug and Alcohol consumption
Driver fatigue
The importance of safety in the work environment.

WEEK 4:
DAY 1:
A. Daily logs and pre-trip inspections
B. Skills field backing and short road trip
C. Cargo security

DAY 2:
A. Mapping and trip planning
B. Daily logs and pre-trip inspections
C. Road trip

DAY 3:
A. Mapping and trip planning
B. Daily logs and pre-trip inspections
C. Road trip

DAY 4:
A. Mapping and trip planning
B. Daily logs and pre-trip inspections
C. Road trip

DAY 5:
A. Daily logs and pre-trip inspections
B. Skills field backing
C. Road trip

WEEK 5:
DAY 1:
A. Daily logs
B. Public and Employer relations; The image of the trucking industry.
Appropriate contact with the public
Good customer relations
Job requirements
How to apply for a job
C. Pre-trip inspection
D. Road trip

DAY 2:
A. Daily logs
B. CSA: Compliance, Safety, and Accountability
What CSA is and how it affects the students driving career.
The four major components of the CSA system
CSA related data.
C. Pre-trip inspection and road trip

DAY 3:
A. Daily logs and trip planning
B. Pre-trip inspections
C. Road trip

DAY 4:
A. Daily logs
B. Pre-trip inspections
C. Road trip

DAY 5:
A. Daily logs
B. Pre-trip inspections
C. Road trip

WEEK 6:
DAY 1:
A. Daily logs
B. Pre-trip and skills field
C. Road trip

DAY 2:
A. Daily logs
B. Pre-trip and skills field
C. Road trip

DAY 3:
TESTING

DAY 4:
TESTING

DAY 5:
TESTING


COMMERCIAL TRUCK DRIVING CLASS - SUBJECTS COVERED
1. Safety in and around trucks
2. Compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations
3. Daily vehicle inspections
4. Hours of service regulations
5. Distracted driving
6. Backing and maneuvering around obstacles
7. Coupling and uncoupling trucks and trailers
8. Emergency maneuvers
9. Defensive driving
10. Shifting 10-speed transmissions
11. Highway driving (urban and rural)
12. Human trafficking
13. The laws of drugs and alcohol
14. How to apply for jobs (Resume building)
15. Recruiters from various companies

The course is six weeks (30 days) Monday through Friday 7:00 PM to 3:30
PM with a total of 240 hours (approx.30 hours of classroom training and 210
hours driving highway and skill field combined.)


ADDITIONAL RULES AND STANDARDS GOVERNING STUDENTS

1. Absolutely No smoking or other tobacco use in or around trucks; this includes all types of vapor products and smokeless products. This begins when you enter the gates to the Truck Driving range. For the designated smoking areas, Students should refer to the Student handbook.

2. Cleanliness and neatness is an important phase of training, and Students will be expected to make use of disposal containers. Please help keep our campus clean! Students will be required to help keep the trucks clean; this will ensure that the next incoming class will have clean trucks for training.

3. The following provisions will be followed with the goal of maintaining an atmosphere conducive for learning and safety.
A. Students should always be well-groomed and dressed appropriately for class
B. Clothing with obscene language or symbols will not be allowed. (We expect to have many outside visitors, and we wish to portray a positive attitude for the public.) Shirts must have sleeves and no sagging pants.
C. All shoes must cover the foot completely; no open toes or heels will be allowed. This is considered a safety issue.
D. No students are allowed on the truck driving range after hours without an instructor present.
E. Student cell phones: Volume must be turned off at all times during class to avoid distractions.
F. Attendance is a very important part of the learning process, and even though emergencies do arise at times it is important to understand that the CDL Program only lasts six weeks which does not allow much time to go back and visit the classes missed and do makeup work. That being said, please make your attendance one of your priorities.
G. To avoid any question as to how many days a student can miss and still be a part of this class, we have concluded that 3 days maximum is the most that will be allowed.