Critical Shifts:
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National Recruitment Initiative Launched: FleetForce launched its "Next10,000" fall recruitment campaign to train its next 10,000 CDL professionals and address the ongoing commercial driver shortage amid tightening federal CDL oversight.
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Guaranteed Career Pathways: The program features a partnership with Swift Transportation that guarantees qualified graduates a job interview, while dozens of carriers help subsidize student enrollment costs.
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Integrated Training Model: FleetForce's training model combines colleges, companies, and municipalities to support students from CDL training into immediate employment, illustrated by graduate Drexyl Eitniear receiving a job offer from Swift.
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A new national campaign is targeting the shortage of qualified commercial truck drivers as demand continues for professionals who move vehicles, parts and other goods across the country.
FleetForce Truck Driver Training launched Next10,000, a fall recruitment campaign designed to train its next 10,000 CDL professionals. The campaign follows the graduation of FleetForce’s first 10,000 students and includes a partnership with Swift Transportation that guarantees qualified students a job interview. The initiative comes as federal oversight of CDL licensing and training tightens, adding to the demand for qualified drivers among trucking companies and other businesses dependent on commercial transportation.
“Ten thousand graduates means 10,000 new careers and answers to a deficit that touches every American who buys anything delivered by truck,” said Tra Williams, president and CEO of FleetForce. “We’re not slowing down. Next10,000 is our commitment to find and train the next generation of professional drivers until we’ve resolved the national driver shortage.”
Under the program, qualified FleetForce students at its locations across the U.S. are guaranteed job interviews through the company’s partnership with Swift. Other carriers and businesses are also being encouraged to participate. The campaign's launch event in Florida also marked the graduation of FleetForce’s 10,000th student. Its 10,001st graduate, Sarasota resident Drexyl Eitniear, received an immediate job offer from Swift Transportation after completing the program.
Eitniear said he pursued his CDL after becoming frustrated with unreliable gig-work jobs. His grandfather had worked as a professional truck driver, and Eitniear said the new career represents an opportunity to build greater stability for his family.
FleetForce’s employer partnerships are designed to connect graduates directly with companies seeking qualified drivers. Dozens of carriers subsidize enrollment costs as part of the arrangement, while Swift expanded its partnership in June by adding on-site FleetForce CDL training at its Mobile, Ala., terminal to address driver demand in the Southeast.
“Our business operates on safe, well-trained professional drivers, and FleetForce consistently delivers them,” said Kort Chase, vice president of recruitment at Swift Transportation.
FleetForce said its model combines colleges, companies and municipalities to support students from CDL training through employment. The Next10,000 campaign expands that approach nationally as transportation companies continue to compete for qualified drivers.
