Aims to Train 1,000 New Drivers in 2022
U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf Join Ribbon Cutting in Carlisle, PA
Yellow Corporation is enhancing its commitment to train safe, professional semi-truck drivers by opening the company’s 17th permanent truck driving academy as it expands its partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor.
The latest school to open is in Carlisle, PA, a major freight crossroads for shipments from the Northeast to the Midwest and onward. On Tuesday, Yellow executives celebrated the launch of the company’s newest academy at a ribbon cutting ceremony with U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, and International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 776 President Ed Thompson.
“Our new academy will provide career opportunities for Americans while strengthening our partnership with the Department of Labor apprenticeship program,” said Darren Hawkins, CEO of Yellow. “We’re thrilled that our academies are receiving this recognition. Our commitment to safety and training is unparalleled in the industry, and we’re proud that government leaders are investing in these programs for new drivers.”
For nearly five years, Yellow has participated in the Department of Labor’s apprenticeship program, a public-private partnership that enables companies to offset a portion of the costs associated with training new drivers. The federal program helps provide paid on-the-job training for student apprentices as they prepare to earn a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and launch a highly skilled career. The partnership is designed to address the nationwide shortage of qualified professional truck drivers.
“The success of Yellow’s CDL Academy in producing some of the safest drivers on the road reflects the great power and promise of apprenticeship to be a proven workforce tool in the trucking industry,” Secretary of Labor Walsh said.
“Apprenticeship programs prepare workers for success by equipping them with the skills to compete for good jobs that offer family-sustaining wages,” Governor Wolf said. “The investments we’re making in apprenticeships and other forms of hands-on and on-the-job training are already helping us get more Pennsylvanians into careers where they can succeed. This is more important than ever as Pennsylvania’s economy continues to rebound following the COVID-19 pandemic.”
In 2021, Yellow announced its support for the Biden administration’s Trucking Action Plan, which intends to ease current supply chain constraints. The White House identified the expansion of apprenticeship programs as a key component of its plan. Earlier this month, Walsh launched the 90 Day Trucking Apprenticeship Challenge.
Walsh added, “The 90-Day Trucking Apprenticeship Challenge has shown that joint labor management programs and public-private partnerships are critical, and that we succeed when we work together.”
“We look forward to continuing this partnership with Secretary Walsh and Governor Wolf and are standing by to help other companies establish similar apprenticeship programs,” said Yellow’s Hawkins.
With the addition of the Carlisle, PA facility, Yellow has 17 permanent driving academies nationwide; each is certified as a Department of Labor apprenticeship program. Other Yellow Corporation driving academies are located in Atlanta/Marietta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Fort Worth, TX, Hagerstown, MD, Indianapolis, Kansas City, KS, Memphis, Nashville, Pico Rivera, CA, Portland, Salt Lake City and South Bend, IN. The company plans to open additional locations throughout 2022.Learn more about the Yellow driving academies at https://www.myyellow.com/us/en/careers/driving-academy.
