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TCAT Morristown has welcomed a new trucking program to its long list of courses available to students.

The 37 day program will be taught at its Hawkins County satellite campus and will teach students how to get their Class A license.

Ryan Dixon and Wayne Bailey have worked with TCAT since last September to build the program from the ground up.

“We started researching and we visited campuses in Knoxville and Memphis and found out what we needed to do to get this program to run smoothly,” Dixon said. “We implemented policies, procedures and getting registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.”

TCAT had purchased several trucks in July in anticipation of the incoming program.

“We will be using 2019 freightliner Cascadia in the program and each truck has 400,000 miles on them and we will be using 53 foot band trailers for our students to use for the driving portion of the course.”

Students will spend the first three weeks in the program in a traditional classroom.

“Students will sit a desk and we will go over everything in the required books,” Dixon said. “There will be quizzes and test each day over the material covered that day.”

After the first three weeks the remainder of the course will be hands on with students learning in the trucks.

“We will do pre trips and backing,” Dixon said. “We will have a portion of the course just focused on backing which is what they will have to do when they take their license test.”

Not only will students receive their Class A license, but the program is hoping to have a job secured for each student as they graduate from the program.

“At the end of the program students will be a licensed Class A Operator,” Dixon said. “I already have around 30 recruiters who are looking to put drivers to work. They keep up with me weekly asking when the first students will graduate from the program.

“Not only do we want to educate our students, but we want to place them with a company. All of TCAT programs have the same goal and mindsight in place. We want to train them in field and place them with a company in that field.”

There are several requirements students must meet prior to registering for the trucking program.

Students must have a Class A permit prior to taking the class, Dixon is willing to help students receive the permit if needed.

A Department of Transportation Physical is required and must be submitted online.

“Some doctors submit that for you but you can also do a self-certification by going through the DOT’s website for CDL license. Once you submit the medical card, you will be able to go on there a register as a student driver.”

Students will also need to setup take a drug screening before the program begins. Random drug screening will be taken throughout the program.

Students wishing to take the class will register through TCAT Morristown under the trucking program.

The first class of the program will began Monday and the next available class will begin May 3. The program has eight seats available for each class but anticipates that number to grow as the program does.

For more information on TCAT’s trucking program visit TCAT’s webpage.