Truck Driving
Degrees and Programs
Learn the skills necessary to gain a Class A Commercial driver’s license to operate a semi over the road in this six-week course.
The noncredit truck driving program teaches you the fundamentals of truck operation, safety and government regulations, and necessary record keeping. During the program, students take the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles Commercial Driver's license exams. This program is approved for the training of veterans. Many employers require a criminal background check prior to employment.Individuals with a criminal record may not be eligible for employment in some settings.
You will earn a Certificate of Continued Learning upon successful completion of the course.
Program of Study
- A. 190 contact hours of classroom and lab instruction covering such topics as: public and employer relations, accident procedures, extreme driving conditions, hazard perception, regulation agencies (DOT-CVSA-FMCSA), daily logs, fire-fighting, personal health and safety, trip planning, speed and space management, vehicle preventive maintenance, cargo handling and documentation, hazardous materials, basic control of vehicle, coupling and uncoupling, backing and shifting, concourse, city and two-lane highway driving, and other related topics including CDL training and testing.
- B. 50 hours of driving (range and street), including accompanying instructor in truck cab and actual driving under supervision. Total of 240 contact hours.
Students are trained in conventional tractor-trailer combination units with ten and thirteen speed transmissions. The number of students is limited to eight per class.
You must be 21 years of age and have a valid driver’s license. Students are also cautioned that the physical requirements for a Class A Commercial Driver License (required for truck-tractor operators) must be consistent with the standards of the United States Department of Transportation. The required drug/alcohol testing includes pre-admittance, random, post accident, and reasonable suspicion testing.
Career Information
The professional truck driving field ranks among the top professions in the number of job openings each year. The American Trucking Association (ATA) estimates a truck driver shortage to surge to 239,000 by the year 2022. Job opportunities are expected to grow by 15.9% in Nebraska by 2022 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Salary Information
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2014, the average salary for truck drivers in Nebraska is $41,700 per year.