One of the nation’s largest trucking companies is partnering with a fast-growing driver training provider to expand commercial driver’s license education in Alabama.
FleetForce Truck Driver Training announced Tuesday that it has partnered with Swift Transportation to offer CDL training and certification at Swift’s terminal in Mobile, Alabama.
The program is designed to help address driver shortages across the Southeast while creating a direct pipeline from training to employment.
The partnership marks FleetForce’s first training location in Alabama and expands the company’s footprint beyond its existing operations in Florida, North Carolina and Texas.
FleetForce said the Mobile program will train new drivers while also creating career advancement opportunities for current Swift employees.
“Alabama operates heavily on the trucking industry, and right now, it needs more qualified drivers to keep up,” FleetForce President and CEO Tra Williams said in a news release. “Our partnership with Swift is a direct response to that demand by bringing professional CDL training to Mobile, a critical point for the state’s freight network.”
The launch comes as freight activity continues to grow around Mobile, home to Alabama’s only seaport and the nation’s 11th-largest deep-water port. According to FleetForce, trucking moves about 75% of all freight entering, leaving or moving through Alabama.
“As demand grows for qualified, safe, and productive drivers, Swift is committed to helping build the next generation of transportation professionals,” said Kort Chase, vice president of recruiting at Swift Transportation.
According to the Alabama Trucking Association, workers in the state’s trucking sector earn more than $56,000 annually and account for nearly 8% of Alabama’s workforce. The industry generated more than $7.6 billion in wages and supported 37,370 jobs in 2023.
The Alabama Trucking Association noted that load-to-truck ratios have climbed sharply nationwide, including a 189% year-over-year increase in the flatbed segment, making workforce development programs increasingly important for carriers seeking qualified drivers.
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