OFTC Strengthens Commitment to CTD Program 

OFTC – With a history rich in supporting the needs of local industry, Oconee Fall Line Technical College (OFTC) continues to meet workforce demands, specifically in producing quality trained commercial truck drivers, bridging the gap to combat the state’s truck driver shortage. 

In the last four years, enrollment in the College’s Commercial Truck Driving (CTD) program has increased 40%, a direct result of the college’s commitment to meeting industry needs. 

“At OFTC, we understand the critical role a strong commercial truck driving program plays in our communities and for our local industry,” shared OFTC President, Erica Harden. 

“A robust CTD program fuels our local economy by providing a pipeline of qualified drivers, strengthens our community by offering opportunities for a career in a robust industry, and empowers individuals to achieve their dreams,” she said.  

“We are committed to providing the best possible CTD education, ensuring a brighter future for our students, our college, and the communities we serve.” 

Quality Facilities  

Because the need for quality trained drivers is great, OFTC recently put forth additional efforts to ensure their 241 CTD students are supported with adequate resources, and proper measures are being taken to strengthen the program.  

Thanks to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER II), in 2023, the college constructed a new range on the Dublin Campus. 

The new range sits adjacent to the campus and allows students to practice their skills before driving on the road. Before this range’s construction, CTD students at this location used a portion of a vacant parking lot to practice their skills.   

“The addition of this range gives students more opportunities to hone their skills in a controlled environment similar to what they’ll see on the road,” shared Brent Redfern, OFTC’s Division Chair for Trades and Industrial Programs.  

Growing Enrollment 

To train more students each semester, OFTC recently revamped the CTD schedule to offer more classes each semester, giving more students the opportunity to enroll.  

Class sizes have also been adjusted to allow for increased enrollment each semester. 

“It was important for us to find ways to work with the large pool of potential students expressing interest in our CTD program,” shared Michele Strickland, OFTC’s Vice President of Academic Affairs. “As we acclimate instructors to schedule changes and hire more lab assistants, we’ll also increase CTD class sizes over the next three years,” she said. “At the end of the three-year implementation, we expect a 30% increase in CTD enrollment.”  

Quality Resources 

As more students enroll in CTD classes, additional resources have been acquired by the college to ensure quality training. 

“We’re growing our fleet of tractors and trailers through the pursuit of USDA grants to ensure our students are trained on the same or similar models they’ll see in field, and the college recently purchased Samsara, a tool that tracks student hours behind the wheel simulating the experience our graduates will have when they are on the job,” Strickland shared.  

This tool helps industry with compliance to the Entry-Level Driver Training requirements. 

Students also utilize QR codes linked to CTD training videos in Blackboard, an online learning platform used in the CTD program.  

“While students wait for their turn driving the truck, they can easily access and review the maneuvers they need to practice,” Redfern said, “which has been a confidence booster for our students and aids in their ability to successfully master various tasks.”  

Workforce Growth  

As OFTC continues to strengthen its CTD program, their commitment to the student, community, and local industry remains the same – growing the workforce.  

Within the last 12 years, OFTC has produced over 1,984 CTD graduates with over a 90% in-field placement rate. 

“OFTC wants to equip our students with the skills and knowledge to thrive in this dynamic field, which is not just important to our region, it’s essential,” Harden said.  

“Georgia’s on the move, and commercial truck drivers are the engine that keeps us rolling,” she added. “We owe a debt of gratitude to these dedicated professionals who keep Georgia running strong.” 

To learn more about OFTC’s CTD Program, or the other 130+ programs available, visit the College’s website, OFTC.edu.

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OFTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia.