Matthew Harrell, Staff Writer for CareersinGear.com Magazine, is currently a senior at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. Harrell performs industry research as well as conducts interviews and writes articles for CareersinGear.com Magazine and CareersinGear.com, leading sources for truck driving jobs and other trucking job search tools. For more articles by Matthew Harrell, check out the trucking news section in CareersinGear.com.
By Matthew Harrell
The Troops to Truckers program provides active-duty servicemen and women the opportunity to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) at no cost. To make the transition to civilian life smoother, the Troops 2 Truckers program educates servicemen while serving active duty so that they are qualified for a transportation job immediately.
Chris Lopez has worked with the Troops 2 Truckers program for the past two and one half years and spoke to CareersinGear.com Magazine about the services they offer.
“The Troops to Truckers program was born out of an idea, and that idea stems primarily from the American Dream. Our service members have spent the early parts of their life defending the American Dream and when they leave the service, they want to continue to live that. As you know, they want to do that with a great career and a bright future,” stated Lopez about the origins of Troops 2 Truckers.
Troops 2 Truckers allows companies to choose from an exceptional pool of safety-minded, hard-working and physically fit individuals. In addition to providing the precise workforce that the trucking industry needs, the Troops 2 Truckers program also caters its education to companies that request drivers with specific requirements.
Active duty soldiers are covered under the military’s tuition assistance program. While the program is primarily for active-duty servicemen and women, there are still opportunities for those who have already completed their military service. Those who find out about the program after their service can sometimes be covered under various scholarships.
Troops 2 Truckers partners with a number of different transportation companies that desire the high-quality employees that the military offers. “Our program is perfect for anyone who has a need for hiring good, quality talent for behind-the-wheel opportunities,” stated Lopez.
“The key to our program is that we want our graduates to have a job before they make that final salute on base,” summarized Lopez.
Troops 2 Truckers is currently located at Camp Pendleton, CA, with expansion expected in several bases in the Midwest. For more information, visit Troops2Truckers.com to see how you can make the transition from the military to a job in transportation.
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