[GHENT, W.Va.] Jordan Nelson came to New River Community and Technical College in 2016 after he was laid off from the Volvo plant in Dublin, Va.
“I’d been interested in getting my CDL license for a while, but when I was working, I couldn’t complete the training,” Nelson explained.
A program through WorkForce West Virginia paid for his training at New River CTC. After completing the course Nelson joined TMC Transportation, an employee-owned flatbed carrier company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, and took top honors in his class.
“It was a tough lifestyle,” Nelson said. “There was a lot of travel and each day was different, but it was a good company to work for. They treated me well, and I knew that I would need the experience to get in with a local company.”
He stayed with TMC for two years before joining American Block Co., Inc. and Eastern Vault Co., Inc, in Princeton in April 2018.
“I’ve got a good schedule. I’m home every day, and I really enjoy what I do. I wouldn’t change anything,” Nelson added.
The six-week Class A CDL course at New River CTC provides 180 contact hours of training to prepare students for the driving test, and students at New River CTC benefit from on-site testing and use of the college’s truck for the exam.
Upcoming start dates for the Class A CDL course at New River CTC are July 30, September 17 and November 5. Classes are held Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Preregistration is required for the course and seating is limited. Students must have a Class A CDL learner’s permit prior to the beginning of the class.
To register or for additional information on Workforce Education at New River CTC, visit www.newriver.edu/workforce-education or contact Program Specialists Gloria Kincaid (gkincaid@newriver.edu, 304-793-6101) or Brian Sampson (bsampson@newriver.edu, 304-929-5009).
New River Community and Technical College serves nine counties in southeastern West Virginia from the Greenbrier Valley Campus (Lewisburg), Mercer County Campus (Princeton), Nicholas County Campus (Summersville) and Raleigh County Campus (Beaver).
