Cloquet High School drives students to learn with CDL class

Oct. 11—CLOQUET — A web of collaboration between Cloquet High School and Upper Lakes Foods in Cloquet has made possible a Certified Drivers License class for CHS students.

The year-long class is only available to seniors, and 20 students enrolled out of a class of about 200, said CHS assistant principal Tim Prosen. If students pass their tests, they will graduate high school with a CDL permit, and they will be ready to take the final CDL test, according to Tyler Lackas of Upper Lakes Foods and CHS industrial arts teacher Bret Gunderson.

Luke Olin, director of transportation at Upper Lakes Foods, said the idea of offering a CDL class at the high school came from Next Generation Trucking, a company that promotes CDL career opportunities to high school students across the country.

Cloquet is one of "maybe only a couple in the state, and certainly a few dozen in the country" to offer a CDL class in a high school, he said.

Upper Lakes Foods is sponsoring the class by providing funds to pay for curriculum and by providing trucks for students to get familiar with. They also trained Gunderson, who now has his CDL and is able to pass everything he learned onto the students.

"We couldn't do this without (Upper Lakes Foods)," said Prosen, who has also played an integral part in developing and co-teaching the class.

Prosen has a history in the trucking industry. He got his CDL while he was in college, paid for his tuition by trucking and also has family members who have careers as truckers.

Lackas, who serves as operations manager for Upper Lakes Foods, described the benefits of offering the class as "two-fold."

"The industry is short of CDL drivers, so, we ultimately want to expose students of course right in our community ... to opportunities with CDLs, and naturally we hope that they and their families will also get some visibility into Upper Lakes and what we can provide with career opportunities," Lackas said.

A typical CDL class takes about five weeks and costs $5,000-$7,000 — CHS students get the opportunity to take it for free, something senior Chris Stoltzfus is excited about.

"Having the class in high school is a super big highlight because if it wasn't in school ... I'd have to pay quite a bit of money to go to CDL school, and that would take time after high school," he said.

Olin added that even when a driver has their CDL, their opportunities are limited within state lines if they are not over 21, thus Upper Lakes Foods could be a viable option for an 18-year-old with a CDL who just graduated high school.

Stoltzfus said working for Upper Lakes Foods after graduation is a potential option for him.

"I'm really excited about (the class), especially partnering with Upper Lakes Foods. It's really cool, it kinda gives me a foot into their company if I'd want to go and be employed there, so that's really exciting," he said.

Gunderson also said that even if students don't want to pursue a career in the trucking industry, having a CDL is a valuable addition to a resume for any trade.

The class utilizes J.J. Keller curriculum, which goes through "everything you could want to know about the tractor and the trailer, as well as everything on the road," said Gunderson.

For each chapter of the curriculum textbook, Gunderson said students are required to pass a test by at least 80% on whatever the topic was such as basic control, backing and docking, and shifting and operating transmissions, to name a few.

Students will eventually be able to drive the trucks provided by Upper Lakes Foods either on school grounds or on Upper Lakes Foods' property to get more hands-on experience with the trucks and to prepare for the final CDL test.

"It's just a super great program and I'm grateful to Mr. Prosen and Mr. Gunderson for teaching me and the other kids in the class," said Stoltzfus.