Joe Southern
There aren't as many people as there used to be who want to keep on truckin' these days, but Caden Freeman is one of them.
The 2024 Rudder High School graduate is already getting experience behind the wheel of a big rig as a student in Blinn College's CDL truck driving program.
"I love to drive, not just trucks but cars and everything," the 18-year-old Freeman said.
Being able to make a living doing something he loves holds great appeal to Freeman.
"I like the ability to get paid -- and get paid good money -- to do something I really enjoy," he said.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn a median salary of $54,320 per year.
Freeman said his father, Michael, suggested he consider a career in truck driving and helped him enroll in Blinn's program.
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"We're learning everything," the freshman said. "I've got my CLP (commercial learner's permit) and I'm driving on the road already."
Freeman credits his instructors for the quality education he is receiving.
"After I talked to the instructors at Blinn, I knew this was the right choice. They don't want you to just pass the test. They want you to be safe on the road, be successful, get a good job, and have a good career," he said.
After completing the summer session, he is taking the second part of the class at Texas A&M's RELLIS campus.
"I've been driving a lot the last two weeks now," he said.
Program director and instructor Anthony Aragon said Freeman, like many of his peers, is a quick study.
"These guys are like sponges; they soak up everything," he said.
He said he likes teaching young students because they are eager to learn and they don't have bad driving habits.
"Their desire to learn is such a nice thing," he said.
Truck driving is traditionally a male-dominated industry, but Aragon said more and more women are enrolling in Blinn's program. He estimated that 40% or more of his students are female.
"These 18 to 20-year-olds absolutely do great," he said.
Aragon said the students know they don't have the inherent skills or knowledge to do the job so they really pay attention in class. He said he caps the classes at 10 students to help keep the instructor-student ratio low.
"That also gives them more drive time," he said.
The students drive with instructors, so they are not going solo yet.
"I've learned backing, how to unhook a trailer ... business opportunities," Freeman said.
He said he is learning from seasoned professionals.
"All of my instructors have been truck drivers, so they really want to show you the right way to do things because they also drive," he said.
Aragon said it is crucial for the trucking industry to attract younger drivers into the field.
"Drivers are the number one commodity. There's somewhere between a 90,000- to 120,000-driver shortage in the industry that grows every day someone retires," he said. "This is a hands-on career for hands-on people and it's a great alternative to going to a university."
Aragon said the connection he and his instructors have to the industry makes Blinn's program unique.
"What you get at Blinn's CDL truck driving program is instructors who are not only knowledgeable, we also care," he said. "We don't just teach our students to pass a test, we give them the tools that will make them successful so they can have as long a career as I had as a driver."
Blinn's program prepares students to earn their commercial driver's license through two courses that focus on vehicle and equipment inspections, map reading, managing logbooks and cargo documentation, emergency responsibilities, dispatch procedures and transportation agency regulations.
In addition to driving practice in a simulator, students train in both automatic and standard shifting vehicles. Training by hauling tank trailers gives students experience if they plan to obtain hazardous material (hazmat) hauling clearance once they earn their CDL. Students also are trained on electronic logging devices and the automatic trucks feature a special anti-rollover device and radar that adds an extra layer of safety for drivers.
"Texas A&M-RELLIS gives our students hands-on training with some of the industry's most technological equipment," Aragon said. "We put you in real-life situations, that's how you learn to be a safe driver."
Freeman said he looks forward to owning his own truck driving company someday.
"I own my own small landscaping business now and I really enjoy working for myself," he said. "I'm just very happy that I chose this industry because everybody needs drivers and if you have your CDL, you're pretty much always going to have some kind of work."
Blinn College's communications department contributed to this story.
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