Reading, writing, and really big trucks

An old adage has it that where some see problems, others see solutions. The latest example of that is a California high school's creative response to the nation's growing shortage of commercial truck drivers.

To help meet skyrocketing demand for qualified truck drivers, a high school in Patterson, Calif., said in February that it had opened a truck-driving program for its students and the general community. Patterson High School's commercial driving course helps students develop the knowledge and experience necessary for the truck-driving profession, the school says. Through a partnership with the regional transportation firm Morning Star Trucking, graduates will have the opportunity to obtain free behind-the-wheel training and even apply for seasonal employment to help them pay for college, according to a promotional video.

The year-long course includes 180 hours of classroom instruction, demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and simulator experience, ultimately preparing students to take the commercial driver's license (CDL) written exam. The truck-driving course is the latest logistics industry initiative to come out of Patterson High School, which in 2016 opened the Supply Chain and Logistics Training Center, an academic facility that offers four classrooms and three working warehouses to prepare students for jobs in the sector.