Motor City is home to LTL carrier’s newest tuition-free professional truck Driving Academy

Yellow Corporation has announced the opening of its 21st Driving Academy, the company’s first in Michigan, to train the next generation of professional semi-truck drivers amid a nationwide driver shortage.

Yellow’s Driving Academies are comprehensive, tuition-free training programs that provide students with classroom and behind-the-wheel training while preparing them to pursue their commercial driver’s license (CDL). After receiving a license, students are offered a driving position with additional on-the-job training at Yellow. Students will also learn the operations side of the trucking and logistics business while being paid a competitive hourly wage throughout the program.

“Our Driving Academies open the door to an entirely new career for men and women who want to earn a good living with benefits. Training our own drivers is also the best way to tackle the driver shortage in America,” said Tamara Jalving, vice president of safety and talent acquisition at Yellow. “We’re thrilled to own and operate 21 permanent Driving Academies throughout the United States. In the last year, we have opened nine new Academies, with more scheduled to open later this year in other parts of the country.”

Addressing the nationwide shortage of qualified professional truck drivers, estimated at 80,000 by the American Trucking Associations, is at the forefront of Yellow’s Driving Academy strategy.

“We’re not only bringing in new drivers but we’re also meeting more diverse candidates as we aim to train 1,000 new drivers this year,” said Darren Hawkins, CEO of Yellow. “We’re introducing a wider and broader audience to the trucking industry.”

Each of Yellow’s Driving Academies is certified as a Department of Labor (DOL) apprenticeship program, which is designed to provide paid on-the-job instruction for workers as they prepare for a career that is in high demand. Click here to learn more about the apprenticeship program.

Yellow was recently named a DOL Apprenticeship Ambassador to help to promote, expand and diversify other skilled apprenticeship programs across the country.

“Yellow Corporation has been a strong partner in the Department of Labor’s work to champion Registered Apprenticeships as a valuable workforce strategy that expands access to underserved communities to high-demand industries, such as trucking,” said Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “The success of Yellow’s CDL Driving Academy in producing some of the safest drivers on the road reflects the benefits of high-quality, earn-as-you-learn training that connects drivers to good jobs, and strengthens our nation’s supply chains.”

“We’re honored to serve as a DOL Apprenticeship Ambassador,” Hawkins said. “Our Driving Academies serve as a model for other employers looking to train professionals for careers in transportation and logistics.”

Yellow also has career opportunities available for sales professionals, dock employees, diesel mechanics, and terminal leadership coast-to-coast. Click here for more information.

In addition to the new Driving Academy in Detroit, other Yellow Driving Academies are located in Atlanta/Marietta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Denver, Fort Worth, TX, Hagerstown, MD, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Maybrook, NY, Memphis, Nashville, Pico Rivera, CA, Portland, Salt Lake City, South Bend, IN, and Tracy, CA.

Learn more about Yellow’s Driving Academies at https://www.myyellow.com/us/en/careers/driving-academy.