Pensacola State College gearing up for new truck driver training facility to open in fall
Pensacola State College will be picking up its two newest trucks this week for the school's truck driving program.
The trucks are part of the growth associated with the new Truck Driver Training Facility currently being built in Milton. Construction of that facility broke ground in September and is expected to be completed this fall.
The school currently has two trucks for the students to practice on, as well as two truck driving training simulators. According to PSC President Edward Meadows, plans are to have four trucks — which the two new additions will achieve — and six simulators all housed at the new facility.
"And we also want to utilize that site and to add other associated types of programs like diesel mechanics, and cabling and lineman training," Meadows said. "So that facility, hopefully, will one day accommodate all of those other future programs that are in the planning stage now."
The current truck driving program was founded in 2019. About eight students graduate per term, which lasts eight weeks and costs each student $2,500.
"With the addition of the two new tractors, that's going to increase our class size. We're still looking to hire some additional faculty as well," said PSC Director of Workforce Education Mike Listau. "So, the facility is going to allow us to grow the program."
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PSC's new 13,000-square-foot Milton site is funded by a $3.8 million Triumph Gulf Coast grant, a $1.6 million U.S. Department of Commerce grant and some state and local funding.
Program officials said at the groundbreaking that truckers' annual salaries can vary greatly depending on the type of route they drive, but generally range from $40,000 to $60,000 for local routes, to $50,000 to $100,000 for long-haul routes.
PSC's new truck-driving campus features a training track to practice on and a 400-by 400-foot driving pad where students will practice trucking maneuvers.
PSC Dean of Grants and Federal Programs Debbie Douma said the timeline on purchasing additional simulators will depend on the new facility's construction, adding that the new trucks were not even purchased until early this year.
"We've not ordered the simulators yet, because I don't know that we have somewhere to put them until that construction is completed. They're still looking at that," Douma said.
While Meadows emphasized the need to look toward continued growth at the new facility, Douma said any large additions other than the two new trucks and four new simulators would require the school to secure additional funding.
"If we need to do something like buy another truck, then yes, that would not be in the college's regular operating budget, because you're looking at $75,000 to $100,000 depending on what kind of truck and trailer it is that you're purchasing. And that money doesn't just sit around," Douma said. "So yes, if there was a determination that we needed to do something like that, then I would be looking for external funding."
Listau emphasized the need for truckers in the general workforce, adding that this program — and its expansion — is PSC's attempt to help fill that gap.
"And, I mean, the idea of even starting this program has been solving a problem. And right now, the problem is there's major shortages in truck drivers," Listau said. "... I don't think there's a shortage of students. There are people that are interested in doing this."
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: PSC commercial truck driver program in Florida gets 2 training trucks
