Trucking Industry Sees More Applicants In Hard Times

EL PASO, Tx – It was about five years ago when truck driving companies saw only a trickle of people willing to take on jobs as drivers.

Now, it is a different story.

The truck driving school at El Paso Community College, which is run by the Mesilla Valley Training Institution, says it has seen its class size nearly double in the last few months.

While the classes usually have 10 students, now it is enrolling up to 18.

“We probably have twice the demand, but people can’t find the monies to pay for schooling and it’s hard to get a loan right now from the banks,” says Royal Jones, the president of the trucking school.

Jones says he thinks the influx of applications is most certainly tied to the recession – in particular, the housing bust.

“Construction pretty much pulled a lot of people from truck driving because they could … be home every night,” Jones said.

“Now that all that’s down, a lot of people are flocking back to trucking.”

Jones says driving a truck, whether for a local or national company, comes with a good salary and the perks that come with traveling across the country.

But a huge perk in this recession is that graduates of the trucking classes are still guaranteed a job.

“We’re 100% of placement. Everyone who graduates from this school has a job,” says Jones.

Written for kvia.com by Anchor/Reporter Stephanie Valle