When Vance-Granville Community College announced its plans to launch Truck Driver Training in late 2019, no one could have anticipated the challenges the program would face from the start. Shortly after its first group of students began classes in February 2020, the whole world changed, forcing the new program to find its footing in uncertain times—and yet, thanks to the tenacity of its students and the vision of its leadership, the program quickly established itself as a key Continuing Education program for the College.
Vance-Granville launched its program in early 2020 through a collaboration with Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute, a sister institution from the North Carolina Community College System. With Caldwell’s Truck Driver Training program already well established, their partnership lent key support to VGCC’s. For nearly four years, CCC&TI remained heavily involved in each nine-week CDL session at Vance-Granville, sharing resources, expertise, and even instructors who regularly traveled to Henderson from the western part of our state. But by late 2023, VGCC had officially met all the criteria for its program to ride solo.
When VGCC welcomed a new group of students into its CDL Truck Driver Training program in January, the College reached a remarkable milestone. Now, nine weeks later, those students hold the distinction of being the first to graduate from an independently-run VGCC program.
An independent VGCC trucking program provides a major advantage to Vance-Granville students. Conducting the program entirely in-house lowers the overall cost of running the program—a difference reflected in course’s tuition. Tuition and fees for the entire class now total $1,200, significantly below the average cost for commercial truck driving schools. With possible scholarships on top of reduced costs, the road to a successful trucking career is more accessible to many local learners than ever before!
Program Information
CDL (commercial driver’s license) students must be at least 18 years old and have a valid North Carolina driver’s license. They must also read and speak English well enough to take instructions from highway signs, to converse with officials, and to complete the required reports. Additional requirements and payment deadlines are available on the Truck Driver Training program page.
Costs for the required DOT physical and drug screen, N.C. Motor Vehicle Record, permit, and license are not included in the $1,200 tuition/fees.
The Truck Driver Training program is approved for funding by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and the N.C. Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Unemployed and underemployed individuals may qualify for tuition vouchers to take the course.
For more information about the program, contact CDL Coordinator Kelvin Sharpe at sharpek@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3408.
