By ALEXIS ZOTOS
6 News Reporter
KNOXVILLE (WATE) - Derrek Blair worked for the U.S. Postal Service but when the economy tanked and USPS began cutting hours, he found it nearly impossible to support his family.
"I needed to do a career change for my wife and my kids and saw the advertisement online for the Tennessee Truck Driving School and decided this would be a good fit," said Blair. He's in his third week of training to become a truck driver.
The Tennessee Truck Driving School offers three-week classes, training 300 students a year. And every one of them finds a job.
"We have 100 percent job placement. Every single student that graduates Tennessee Truck Driving School has gotten a job," said Barry Henson, the school's director and owner. "And not only that, but they're making $800-1,000 a week, full benefits and unbelievable job security."
According to the Department of Labor, employment of truck drivers is expected to grow 21 percent in the next 10 years, faster than the average of other occupations.
"We're always hiring. Even in 2008 when everything tanked, we never stopped hiring. We never laid off a driver," said Steve Brown, a recruiter for U.S. Xpress, one of the largest trucking companies in the county.
He visited the school Tuesday to talk to students about job opportunities, but many already have jobs lined up, even before they're finished training.
"We have a ton of pre-hires. Companies are always looking to hire our students," Henson said.
Most of their students are hired by nationwide companies. However, local trucking companies, Skyline Transportation and Pemberton Truck Lines both say they're always hiring quality drivers.
Joshua Steppsen was looking for a career change after he hurt his back. Now he already has a job with a flat bed truck company.
"It's a sense of comfort knowing I'll be able to bring home a steady paycheck every week," he said.
While the jobs are plentiful, the industry does have its downside. "There's a lot of time spent away from home and that trips people up," Brown explained.
But according to Henson, the industry has improved. "A lot of the trucking industry has changed so they've got dedicated routes where people can be home weekends. They've made conditions a lot better," he said.
Transitioning from a mail clerk to a truck driver will be a challenge, but it's the best option for Derrek Blair and his family.
"They were a little hesitant at first, but then they realized I'll be better able to take care of them financially," Blair explained. "It's a couple thousand a year more and then the sky's the limit depending on how hard I work, and I'm a hard worker."
The Tennessee Truck Driving School offers three-week classes.
"Every single student that graduates Tennessee Truck Driving School has gotten a job," said Barry Henson, the school's director and owner.
