Truck Driving/CDL Program
Career Training in the Transportation Industry
Class A CDL License Training Program
Class hours: 7:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Thursday, 4 weeks
Call 304-434-8000, ext. 9253 to enroll.
Call for class schedule.
Eastern's truck driving program offers career training in the road transportation industry. The program provides up to 160 hours of instruction, including at least two weeks of on-the-road training in a big rig, and prepares trainees to pass West Virginia's CDL Learner's Permit and the state's CDL Licensing exams.
Program graduates qualify for entry-level employment immediately upon obtaining their Class A CDL.
Minimum qualifications to apply:
- 19 years or older
- At least two years legal driving experience
- Valid WV driver’s license
- Class A CDL permit
- Pass a drug screen
- Possess a valid high school diploma or GED® or TASC (replaces GED® in WV to earn a WV High School Equivalency Diploma) and provide transcript
- Copy of driving record from DMV
The Program
Students receive a total of 160 hours of instruction, divided into two units (2 weeks each):
Component 1: Classroom Theory and Application (Up to 80 Hours as needed)
Component 1 introduces students to the most important and essential concepts for professional truck drivers:
- securing cargo
- transporting hazardous materials
- regulations affecting the industry
- inspection
- repair & maintenance
- map reading & trip planning
- defensive driving
- logbook entries.
Component 2: Road/Range Skills (80+ Hours)
Component 2 gives learners the opportunity for hands-on practice of essential tractor-trailer road driving skills, including these and other techniques and maneuvers:
- basic control skills
- road driving skills
- pre-trip inspections
- straight line & serpentine backing skills
- coupling & uncoupling skills
- driving on two-lane & four-lane highways, interstates (Corridor H), city streets & rural roads
- fuel conservation methods
- truck parking
Financial Aid
Many students can qualify for financial assistance in the form of state grants through the Workforce Development component of the Higher Education Adult Part-Time Student (HEAPS) grant program.
For more information, contact Melissa Shockey, Program Coordinator Senior, at 304-434-8000 or toll-free: 1-877-982-2322.
The first three graduates of Eastern's Truck Driving program in the summer of 2010. (From left: Jeremy Crites, William “Bill” Miller, Jr., Lowell Evans, and Justin Connolly.) [Click on photo to enlarge.]
Eastern puts YOU in the driver's seat! [Click on photo to enlarge.]
Eastern's 18-wheeler training vehicle: Discover Your Potential! [Click on photo to enlarge.]