FleetForce Truck Driver Training recently launched Next10,000, a national fall recruitment campaign designed to train the company's next 10,000 CDL professionals. 

The company, which provides commercial driver's license training, launched the campaign after celebrating its first 10,000 graduates and honoring its 10,001st student, Drexyl Eitniear. Eitniear, a Sarasota, Florida, resident, received an on-the-spot job offer from Swift after being recognized as FleetForce's 10,001st graduate. He accepted the offer to work for the carrier.

Through its partnership with Swift Transportation, Next10,000 guarantees job interviews for every qualified student at FleetForce locations across the U.S. In June, Swift also began hosting on-site FleetForce CDL training at its Mobile, Alabama, terminal.

FleetForce's training model includes partnerships with colleges, companies, and municipalities that support students from CDL enrollment through employment. Dozens of carriers, including Swift, subsidize enrollment costs to gain access to qualified, job-ready graduates.

"Ten thousand graduates means 10,000 new careers and answers to a deficit that touches every American who buys anything delivered by truck," said Tra Williams, president and CEO of FleetForce. "We're not slowing down. Next10,000 is our commitment to find and train the next generation of professional drivers until we've resolved the national driver shortage." 

What this means for the trucking industry

Next10,000 connects CDL training directly to employment, giving carriers a more structured path to recruiting qualified drivers. The model also shows how employer partnerships can help fleets build driver pipelines while reducing some of the barriers between training and employment. As oversight of CDL licensing and training increases, access to graduates who have completed established training programs could become increasingly important for carriers.