By now everyone is well aware of the supply chain issues that have helped prices to skyrocket and created shortages of many products coming out of the pandemic. One facet of that problem is a driver shortage that has slowed down the trucking industry, a key link in the supply chain that stretches across the country.
Georgia, specifically has a desperate need for more drivers, given its importance as a key cog in the logistics and transportation system. With major interstates connecting the Southeast to the busiest airport in the world and one of the busiest ports in the country, a trucker shortage here in the Peach State will have consequences that ripple across the rest of the U.S. and even beyond.
Enter the Technical College System of Georgia and its Commercial Truck Driving Program, which offers courses to help students get their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) at 22 colleges in the system statewide. With program tuition covered by the HOPE Career Grant, programs taking as little as 10 weeks to complete, and with over 90% of graduates hired in the commercial trucking field, the program has proven successful in boosting the industry. But as supply chain issues continue to grow, more help is needed.
Last month Coca-Cola donated $1 million to the TCSG Foundation to help expand the Commercial Truck Driving Program, adding 11 new full-time instructor roles and two part-time instructor roles. That will greatly increase the program’s ability to take on new students, helping push toward the goal of doubling the number of commercial drivers in the state from the current 1,705 to 3,410 by 2023.
Check out the dates and locations for Coke’s ‘Delivering the Future’ tour
Some of those jobs will go straight to Coke itself, which obviously boasts a huge presence in its home state and currently shows 80 commercial driving job openings on its website. Many of those openings include up to up to $5250 in CDL tuition assistance.
And Coke isn’t just writing a check and going home – the company this month is embarking on a five-stop ‘Delivering the Future‘ tour along with TCSG officials to promote the new program. Visitors will get the chance to see some of Coca-Cola UNITED’s new trucks, learn about the enrollment process, and almost certainly get to drink some ice cold cokes.
“Despite the challenges of the last two years, the trucking industry remained steadfast as a foundational driver of the nation’s economy, delivering essential goods to help businesses stay open and to reopen,” says Mark Rahiya, Chief Supply Chain, Technical and Innovation Officer, for Coke.
“By supporting TCSG’s Commercial Truck Driving Program trainers and faculty, we’re making sure the next generation of drivers gets a world-class education while simultaneously working to address the driver shortage and provide opportunity for Georgians.”
