The St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment [SLATE] has gone to work on increasing the number of fully trained and certified commercial vehicle drivers in the city.
SLATE is offering 4-week Commercial Driver’s License [CDL] training to eligible participants at no cost. The agency will provide students with career guidance and job readiness training, help purchase supplies, materials, and uniforms, and upon completion, will offer job placement assistance, according to SLATE Executive Director Fredrecka McGlown.
We know the demand for truck driving training is strong among our customers because these are better-paying jobs, but many people cannot afford to pay for it,” she said.
“Our partnership with the training providers will help us assist participants and greatly enhance career and professional skills to help them stay gainfully employed for years to come.”
The St. Louis regional economy and service providers depend on thousands of commercial drivers delivering goods to households and businesses.
The license also opens careers in heavy machinery operation for construction projects, repairing roads, picking up refuse, and driving Metro and school buses.
A shortage of bus drivers is plaguing many school districts throughout the United States. St. Louis Public Schools was forced to suspend routes to eight schools for the first few weeks of the school year. It is trying to get more bus drivers on the road, but the company providing the drivers cannot currently recruit enough candidates.
Finding itself in need of drivers, the trucking industry offers flexible schedules, job security, and a high earning potential for many positions.
The trucking industry is also trying to increase diversity among its drivers.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data for truck transportation in 2020 show that women make up 12.4% of trucking’s workforce, while comprising more than 50% of the nation’s total workforce.
In addition, 76.6% of the industry is white, 22.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Black, 3.6% Asian.
“The business environment has moved faster than ever, so you have to have diversity of ethnicity, diversity of gender, diversity of thought, and diversity of experience,” Eric Fuller, CEO of U.S. Xpress, said during the American Trucking Associations’ 2021 Management Conference in Nashville, according to fleetowner.com.
“We are very open about our intention to be more diverse,” Fuller said. “We’ve had a number of candidates that we tried to hire who are unwilling to come to U.S. Xpress because of their perception about the industry.”
According to the Labor Dept, there were 80,000 open truck driving positions in 2021, which the SLATE program can help alleviate.
SLATE is partnering with MTC, Roadmasters, and 160 Driving to provide CDL training, and the program offers a combination of classroom lectures and hands-on experience. The goal is preparing students to obtain a Class A CDL certification and then apply for work with national carriers, municipalities, and local contractors.
To participate, candidates must be at least 18 years of age, have a valid U.S. Driver’s License, reside in St. Louis or St. Louis County, and have a high school diploma or equivalency.
Individuals can call (314) 589-8000 to schedule an appointment or visit to SLATE, located at 1520 Market Street, Ste. 3050, Missouri 63103. The office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. It is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information about SLATE, visit www.stlworks.com. To apply for a position with the City’s Refuse Division, which includes a $3,000 hiring bonus, visit the city website’s Refuse Division page.
