Wor-Wic Community College has a plan to combat truck industry issues
SALISBURY, Md. – Officials say the trucking industry is feeling the impact of inflation, the supply chain crisis, and high turnover rates that come with staffing shortages.
As a result, a local college has extended its program to help fulfill some of those positions. Although these issues students at Wor-Wic Community College are still excited to be joining the trucking industry.
“I’m looking forward to getting my license and then securing a job, Stevens Transport seems to be a nice place to go, and then there’s like various other trucking companies that seem to be some good ones,” says student Dionte Kirkland.
Staffing shortages continue to cause concern for the industry but the college’s trucking program is looking to provide a solution.
there are still staffing shortages they are doing things to mediate those staffing shortages, I know that as a school we have added an extra class last year, we overlapped our classes so that we can hopefully get 12 to 15 more students through,” says Kelly Carey, the Director of Transportation at Wor-Wic Community College.
In order to make that class work, the school had to make a few adjustments. especially as inflation lingers.
“Inflation, fuel prices, we run on diesel and diesel this time last year was a little bit over 3 dollars it pushed nearly 6 dollars, it’s dropping now to about 5 dollars a gallon but that changes things, it changes the routes we can take, changes some of the teaching methods we use, we have a budget and we have to stay within that budget for fuel,” says Kelly Carey, the Director of Transportation at Wor-Wic Community College.
With graduation just 2 weeks away Transportation Director, Kelly Carey has no doubt that students are headed in the right direction.
“They’re going to get hired, if they want to work in the industry they’re going to get hired, they’re going to start at about 50,000 dollars for the first year, they’re going to work really hard and they’re going to contribute to our consumer nation 5.51.31 and they’re going to make really good lives for themselves,” says Kelly Carey, the Director of Transportation at Wor-Wic Community College.
A life that student Dionte Kirkland is pushing for as he fights for his seat behind the wheel.
“I guess I’m just going into it like with my options open and just trying to secure a job in the industry,” says student Dionte Kirkland.
Students are set to complete this program between August 16th and 22nd. Carey says that the prices that have gone up are most likely going to stay that way however, large companies will be okay rather owner-operators will feel the squeeze. But Carey is hopeful that it will all work out.
