(Left to right) Dave Robertson, director of the CBPD at UAFS; Doug Blair, CDL Instructor; Roy Duncan, CDL program coordinator; Mariann Morrett, CDL instructor; Steve Brantley, director of driver recruiting at USA Truck; and Dr. Leroy Cox, associate dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology at UAFS.

A partnership between the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith and a local trucking company was recently recognized when USA Truck awarded the Commercial Driving School at UAFS as its 2016 CDL School of the Year.

 

The Van Buren-based company awarded representatives from the university’s Center for Business and Professional Development, which houses the Commercial Driver’s Licensure (CDL) program, during a presentation at the operations meeting at the company’s headquarters.

 

The award recognized a partnership between UAFS and USA Truck that extends back to 1999. The CBPD has provided services to USA Truck including road skills testing, the four-week CDL training program, and refresher courses for those already holding a CDL.

 

The CBPD currently trains approximately 13 USA Truck drivers per year through its 4-Week CDL Training Program, drivers that are much needed as the company seeks to address the a national shortage of truck drivers. Additionally, the retention of graduates from the UAFS program was a major factor in UAFS receiving the award, according to Steve Brantley, director of driver recruiting at USA Truck.

 

“The UAFS CDL program graduates completed the USA Truck training program at a near perfect rate, Brantley said. “This is a phenomenal achievement for any CDL training program. We are looking forward to another successful year in 2017.”

 

Dave Robertson, director of the CBPD, said the award was a validation for the work of the center.

 

“When one of your main employers selects you as their school of the year out of several different schools, it’s very gratifying,” Robertson said. “It shows the credibility of the instruction that our students are receiving. All of our instructors were professional drivers with long histories of being safe drivers, and they can impart useful knowledge to these students, which is evidenced by the retention and results that USA Truck is seeing from the drivers coming out of our program.”

 

Roy Duncan, director of the CDL Program at UAFS, was also recognized by Brantley during the meeting for working as a truck driver for USA Truck in 1985.

For more information about the Center for Business and Professional Development and the services it provides, contact Robertson at 479-788-7799 or dave.robertson@uafs.edu.

 

About the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith

The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith is the premiere regional institution of Western Arkansas, connecting education with careers and serving as a driver of economic development and quality of place in the greater Fort Smith region. Through a small campus, dedicated professors, and the university’s unique bond with its community, students at UAFS are able to do more in the areas they are passionate about, both on- and off-campus, in a way that prepares them for post-graduate success. To find out how you can do more at UAFS, visit www.uafs.edu.