Professional Truck Driving

Perry Technical Institute’s Professional Truck Driving program offers students a diversified curriculum that guides them through the process of becoming a commercially licensed truck driver.

The objective of the program is to provide students with a broad base of knowledge and skills necessary for obtaining a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and beginning a career in the trucking industry. Students are taught about safety pre-trip inspections, shifting/operating transmissions, backing and docking, coupling, and uncoupling, visual search, speed and space management, extreme driving conditions, maintenance, cargo handling, hours of service, trip planning, and human trafficking. The Professional Truck Driving curriculum follows the class A training curriculum defined in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) as required by Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 308-100-033, along with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Entry Level Driver Training Requirements.

The goal for students who successfully complete this program is employment as entry-level commercial truck drivers. The Professional Truck Driving program is 5 weeks in length. The student will earn 9 credit hours, which are 160.0 clock hours. Tuition is due at the start of each program.

The student to instructor ratio for the Professional Truck Driving program is no greater than 8:1.

Program Outline

Course NumberTitleClock HoursCredits
PTD 110Classroom Instruction
40

2.5

PTD 111Lab, Range and Behind-the-Wheel Training
120

6.5

Totals:160.09.0

Total Clock Hours: 160.0

Total Credit Hours: 9.0

Professional Truck Driving Equipment List

Students in the Professional Truck Driving program utilize the following equipment in addition to a variety of hand and power tools:

Loading Ramps
Air Compressor
Tire Inflation Equipment
Snow Tire Chains
Lubrication Equipment
Fluid Dispensing Systems
Refrigeration Units (Refrigerated Trailers)
Load Securing Devices