A cluster of community colleges in Indiana are offering a truck driver training program that is eligible for federal student loans.
The “CDL+” curriculum was introduced by Ivy Tech and is the “nation’s first training program for commercial truck drivers that is covered by federal student loans,” according to school officials. Ivy Tech says that the program “elevates the quality of training for new commercial truck drivers while eliminating the historic financial barriers to entry.”
CDL+ will be rolled out at five Ivy Tech campuses in January 2021 and will expand to an additional eight Ivy Tech locations later in the year.
The curriculum was developed in partnership with the Indiana Motor Truck Association (IMTA) and can be completed in a single semester. Students who take the program will receive 160 hours of training, which will include 121 hours of operating observation, 30 hours of behind-the-wheel skill development, an 8-week internship, an overview of logistics and transportation which includes all types of trucking operations including intermodal processes. The course also emphasizes the importance of professionalism and customer service.
Once students finish the program, the college credits that they earned can be put toward a degree.
Ivy Tech also plans to provide Class A Refresher Training as well as Class B training at some locations.
To learn more about CDL+, please click here.