Hazard Community and Technical College partners with TLD Logistics to address shortage of CDL drivers

TLD Logistics is facing a shortage of qualified applicants for over-the-road truck driver positions, a trend that is seen across the country. To help reduce this shortage and provide well-paying jobs for residents of Appalachia, the company is partnering with Hazard Community and Technical College (HCTC) for a pilot training program. If successful, the training program will be expanded to other colleges within the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS).

A news release from HCTC explains that the new partnership is operating under the KCTCS-TRAINS program, which encourages partnerships by offering to share the costs of training between colleges and local employers. General Manager of Operations at TLD Logistics, Duwayne Powers, talked about the many positions available now and what the company anticipates for the near future. "TLD currently has 15 open positions for over-the-road drivers and in the next year we want to hire even more and expand our fleet by 40-50 trucks. On top of that, we also hire an additional 140 drivers each and every year—but to fill the jobs of the future we know it's going to take more than just people. It's going to take partnerships."

The need for truck drivers is causing supply chain issues across the country, not only in Appalachia, as recently reported by CNN. Chris Spear, President and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, told CNN that there is a national shortage of around 80,000 drivers, leaving consumer goods stuck on docks in major ports in the U.S. Spear noted that many drivers have retired or left the field in recent years and that training young drivers is the best solution to solve the shortage. "I think that clearly is the most impactful thing that could be done right now to alleviate this problem," Spear said.

HCTC President Dr. Jennifer Lindon addressed the driver shortage in the college's news release. "Because of the critical shortage in the supply chain and the critical shortage of CDL drivers, I was very pleased when SOAR brought this opportunity to us. Our plan is to take this training project and duplicate it on to our sister colleges within KCTCS," Dr. Lindon said.

Dr. Lindon also stated, "We know that Eastern Kentucky has a strong workforce and our folks just need to be upskilled into the appropriate jobs. Hazard Community and Technical College and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS0 are poised to take on this challenge, make this happen, and to provide training efficiently and effectively across the region and across the state."