For decades, learning to drive a big rig meant mastering an 18-speed gearshift, a skill that intimidated many would-be truck drivers before they even stepped into the cab. Penn Stateโs for-profit business-technical school is betting that the barrier is quickly disappearing.
A Washington County school has added an automatic truck to its fleet to train commercial drivers, giving students the opportunity to learn on the type of equipment that now dominates the nationโs highways.
The move reflects sweeping changes in the trucking industry. Automatic and automated-manual transmissions account for more than 90% of new heavy-duty trucks today, up from about 10% a decade ago, as fleets look to save fuel, reduce maintenance costs and make it easier to recruit new drivers.
โA lot of people who would make excellent truck drivers talk themselves out of it because theyโre nervous about the change in leadership,โ said Robert Bazant, president of the Pennsylvania Commerce Business and Technical School. โWe hear this all the time. By training automatically, we meet students where the industry already is and eliminate another reason they might pass up a good career.โ
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 237,600 job openings for heavy truck and tractor-trailer drivers each year through 2034, driven primarily by retirements and turnover.
โThese numbers represent real jobs right here in our region that need to be filled,โ Bazant said. โTrucking carries almost everything we buy. The companies that hire our graduates now need qualified and safe drivers, and training must reflect the realities of todayโs industry.โ
Automatic transmission students receive a CDL with what the industry calls an automatic limit, which means they are licensed to drive trucks with an automatic transmission. Because most major carriers now have fleets of vehicles with automatic transmissions, Bazant said the restriction is less stringent than in the past. Penn Commercial continues to offer manual transmission training for students who want the opportunity to take full advantage of the options.
The addition is intended to help students focus on the fundamentals of safe driving, according to Ben Crawford, director of CDL training for Penn Commercial.
โWhen students learn, they already have a lot to think about,โ Crawford said. โAn automatic transmission allows them to focus on traffic, mirrors, space and vehicle control without having to worry about timing each shift. This may help some students gain confidence behind the wheel more quickly.โ
In any case, the schoolโs core curriculum remains unchanged. The Penn Commercial program is a 200-hour day, evening, and weekend program in just five weeks for full-time students, and includes the turnarounds, pre-trip checks, and maneuvers required to pass the Pennsylvania Class A license exam. The school is an approved entry-level driver education provider registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and a third-party CDL testing site for PennDOT.
โNothing can replace time behind the wheel,โ Crawford said. โOur students train in a real truck, on real roads, under the supervision of an instructor. The addition of an automatic simply gives students another avenue to develop the skills and confidence they need to succeed.โ
Penn Commercial has been training Washington County residents for professional careers for over 95 years. CDL graduates have held positions with companies such as Coca-Cola, Sysco, PGT Trucking, Old Dominion Freight Line, Schneider National and PennDOT.
For Bazant, an automated truck is not just a single piece of equipment, but rather an ability to keep a door open.
โThe goal is to get good people in good jobs,โ he said. โIf transmission was the only thing that was stopping anyone, thatโs no longer the case.โ
Classes are now being formed. Information is available at penncommercial.edu or by calling 724-263-7188.