PINCKNEYVILLE, IL (WSIL) -- Truck drivers are always in high demand.
"They've almost all have a job by the time they leave here," said RLC truck driver instructor Les Marlow
Truck drivers are part of a supply and demand field and Rend Lake College is doing its part to supply the industry with as many drivers as it can.
"If we have a student going into a job, they're almost always calling the school to see if we've got another one like they got," said Marlow.
Rend Lake College offers truck driving training at various locations -- including their main campus in Ina as well as at the Murphy-Wall Campus in Pinckneyville where three new students are looking to become the next truck drivers making their way down the highway.
"Some people don't know how we can drive 11 hours a day, but if you like it and like to see the country and something different all the time, it's a good way to go," said truck driving student Ronald Kinkaid.
And thanks to the DRA grant, RLC will be able to expand its program in Perry County.
"There's a great demand in this region for truck driving training," said RLC Vice President of Instruction and Student Affairs, Lori Ragland.
Rend Lake College will use the $185,000 they got from the Delta Regional Authority to improve those facilities.
"If we didn't have the funding we wouldn't be able to expand our training and keep up with the technology that's out there," said Ragland. "By receiving these grant funds we're able to strengthen the community. We can grow the workforce.
Kinkaid decided to change careers and at first, he wasn't sure he would be able to make it through the program.
"The first day I didn't know if I'd be able to do this," said Kinkaid.
However, he credits the small class size and the hands-on experience with the instructor for helping him through these last few weeks.
"We have an awesome, one-on-one instructor," Kinkaid said.
Jacob Kueker is a 22-year-old from Mt. Vernon. He's more interested in repairing the big rigs but says learning how to operate one of them will help him better understand what a driver goes through, if the time comes he needs a mechanic.
"There's a lot within the last couple of weeks," Kueker said. "I've learned a lot more than I thought I'd learn. It's a different perspective than driving a little pick-up truck or a car."
Marlow has been an instructor since the Pinckneyville campus opened in 20-19 and says the school gets students from those who are just starting out trying to figure out what they want to do to recent retirees who aren't quite ready to stop working.
"Probably just about as diverse as the people," said Marlow. "Some people just want to sit in a truck and get left alone. They've had a high-pressure job their whole life and others are just trying to make a living for their family."
