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From service to semis: TCC receives grant that aims to train more vets as truckers

Tidewater Community College received an eighth federal grant to specifically help train military veterans and their spouses for careers in trucking.

The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently awarded TCC a $102,769 grant, which will be administered by the college’s Center for Military and Veterans Education (CMVE).

TCC is one of 12 community colleges in the nation and the only college in Virginia to receive the award.

“We’re very proud of the work we’re doing to serve our military veterans and their spouses in trucking,” said Beno Rubin, Ph.D., Pathway Dean for Manufacturing and Transportation. “TCC’s trucking instructors have over 100 years of combined training and road experience and share that knowledge with students behind the wheel and in the classroom.”

“During this pivotal time with supply chain issues, it’s especially important to offer veterans, who know how to serve, a way to contribute even after they leave military service,” Rubin added.

Since the initial grant was received in 2014, a total of 245 veterans and spouses have enrolled in TCC’s Truck Driving program using this funding.

Recipients of the grant pay nothing to complete the one-semester, 16-credit certificate. Students learn how to drive a truck in state-of-the-art simulators that allow them to practice in varied road and weather conditions. The program includes 140 hours of on-the-road training. Course work qualifies students to obtain the Class A CDL (commercial driver’s license) from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

After completing the program, TCC instructors take students to the DMV test site for the final skills exam. Students must be able to successfully complete a series of tests including a set of backing maneuvers with the truck and a road test in live traffic.

TCC students have a 98% first-time pass rate on the DMV tests for commercial licenses.

TCC has its own driving range at its Center for Workforce Solutions in Suffolk.

Trucking classes are taught at TCC’s Center for Workforce Solutions on College Drive in northern Suffolk. Day, evening and weekend sessions are offered year-round.

Contact Alesia Wroten, at awroten@tcc.edu or 757-822-7714, for information on qualifying for the grant program.

TCC secures seventh consecutive grant aimed to help veterans transition to careers in trucking

Tidewater Community College received a seventh federal grant to help train military veterans and their spouses for careers in trucking.

The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently awarded TCC a $94,842 grant, which will be administered by the college’s Center for Military and Veterans Education (CMVE).

“So far we’ve helped more than 200 transitioning military, veterans and dependents train for a career in trucking at no cost to them,” said Alesia Wroten, veteran resource liaison with TCC’s CMVE.  “We are grateful to be one of two schools in Virginia to receive this funding, especially as the need for trained truck drivers is growing nationwide.”

TCC alum Tim Raub is a Navy veteran who now drives trucks.
Navy veteran Tim Raub earned his Truck Driver certificate at TCC.

According to the American Trucking Association, the United States will be short 175,000 drivers by 2026. A lack of drivers continues to make goods more expensive and delays orders as freight rates are climbing.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average age of a commercial truck driver is 55 years old. A significant percentage of these drivers will retire over the next 10 years.

TCC is one of 21 educational institutions that received funds from the $2 million federal grant to help train veterans for jobs as commercial bus and truck drivers.

Since TCC received its first grant in 2014, 220 veterans and spouses have enrolled in the Truck Driving program.


TCC students have a 98% pass rate on the DMV tests for commercial licenses.

Recipients of the grant pay nothing to complete the one-semester, 16-credit certificate. Students learn how to drive a truck in state-of-the-art simulators that allow them to practice in varied road and weather conditions. The program includes 140 hours of on-the-road training. Course work qualifies students to obtain the Class A CDL (commercial driver’s license) from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

Classes are taught at the Center for Workforce Solutions on College Drive in northern Suffolk. Day, evening and weekend sessions are available.

Contact Alesia Wroten, at awroten@tcc.edu or 757-822-7714, for information on qualifying for the grant program.

Ten things to know about TCC’s Truck Driving program

Why sit behind a desk when you can sit behind the wheel? A trucking career allows you the opportunity for financial reward and professional growth thanks to a job where you’re always on the move.

TCC has its own fleet of trucks for student drivers.
  1. Sixteen weeks is all it takes to train for a new trucking career. Tidewater Community College’s Truck Driving program offers classes that cover Department of Transportation rules and regulations, defensive driving, maintenance, hazardous material and highway and city driving.
  2. Day, evening and weekend classes are offered year-round.
  3. TCC is the only driver training program that runs its own program that includes a state-of-the-art driving simulator, as well as a fleet of trucks.
  4. TCC’s instructors have over 100 years of behind-the-wheel truck driving experience to share with students during the program.
  5. Military veterans pay zero for tuition and fees thanks to a federal grant offered through the college’s Center for Military and Veterans Education.
  6. After completing the program, TCC instructors take students to the DMV test site for the final skills exam. Students must be able to successfully complete a series of tests including a set of backing maneuvers with the truck and a road test in live traffic.
  7. TCC students have a 98% pass rate on the DMV tests for commercial licenses.
  8. The trucking program at TCC provides 120 hours in the classroom and 140 hours of practical application.
  9. TCC hosts recruiters and employers to visit classes and present employment opportunities for graduates. There are more than 60,000 available jobs in this industry.
  10. The price is right, too. TCC’s program is 40% cheaper than private trucking schools.
TCC is the only school in Hampton Roads with a driving simulator.

For more information about TCC’s Truck Driving program, contact Matt Woods at mwoods@tcc.edu or call 757-822-2639.

Marine vet finds new career on the road thanks to TCC trucking grant

Former U.S. Marine Chris Gaillard found a new career as a truck driver after the training she received at Tidewater Community College that came without a price tag.

“I love what I do,” said Gaillard, who benefitted from a federal grant awarded to TCC’s Center for Military and Veterans Education (CMVE) that supports trucking training and education for military veterans and their families. “I’m doing what I always wanted to do and having the best time of my life.”

Owner of her own Freightliner Classic, Gaillard, 57, was immediately hired by Givens Inc., a transportation, warehousing and logistics company with locations in Seattle, South America and Chesapeake.

After her Marine discharge, Gaillard worked as an auto technician for decades but had been intrigued by trucks since childhood. A single parent, she began saving money to work toward her Career Studies Certificate in Truck Driving when she saw the information online about the grant. After the CMVE assisted her with the application process, she was accepted into the program.

“I was able to spend all the money I saved on living expenses and other things,” she said.

Gaillard completed the program in May 2015 and began her job within a week. She hauls everything from stereo equipment to automobile parts to baby wipes, rarely driving the same route twice.

“The freedom is the biggest thing for me,” she said. “I’m not stuck behind a desk or in a cubicle or in a garage like I was for 35 years. I’m out on the road. I get to see beautiful parts of the country that many may never see for free.”

For information on the Truck Driving program contact Matt Woods at mwoods@tcc.edu or call 757-822-2639.

CMVE ready to assist military-related students with everything

Military-related students, we’ve got you covered.

Pose any question about almost anything, and Tidewater Community College’s Center for Military and Veterans Education will provide an answer.

“The buck stops here,” said Shelly Bearden, a VERITAS veterans resource liaison. “I’m not going to send anyone to another office. If something’s not working, if you’re frustrated with a process, if you have any kind of problem, I will make sure it gets solved.”

Bearden refers to herself as an advocate for all of the college’s military-related students. Echoing that are her colleagues Cassandra Harris, lead military academic advisor, and Alesia Wroten, also a VERITAS veterans resource liaison.

With the Navy a part of all of their backgrounds, the administrators don’t just understand the language of the military — they’re fluent in it. They understand acronyms, including myCAA, VMSEP and TA and can explain if you qualify.

They can answer any questions about GI Bill benefits. The email askvetaffairs@tcc.edu was set up specifically to respond to questions related to military-related students looking to use their GI Bill.

Wroten handles workforce programs geared toward military-related students seeking a short-term program that leads to immediate employment. A sampling:  

Wroten works with student vets to ensure they know all their options before selecting a program. “I make sure they know about all the workforce programs they can take advantage of,” she said.

Harris had been on base prior to COVID-19; now she is based at the Virginia Beach Campus with the others. She works primarily with active duty service members, but also assists veterans, spouses and dependents. She provides a range of services, including the evaluation of credit from military experience and prior college/universities attended to ensuring that qualified military-related students receive a domicile exception to pay instate tuition.

Harris also helps military who might not be able to finish the semester due to deployment or temporary assignment. “We can get them pulled out of class and get their tuition fully refunded,” she said.

She’s happy to help military-related students navigate the transfer process and will even advise a student vet on how many hours he or she can handle based on other obligations.

Bearden can assist former military looking to transfer to an Ivy League college as TCC is part of the Warrior-Scholar Project.

The CMVE is also able to direct veterans to a plethora of resources — from assistance to pay for books to filing a disability or unemployment claim.

“We take a holistic approach,” Harris said. “The CMVE is a one-stop shop.”

You don’t have to remember who does what if you’re a military-related student in need of assistance. Email military@tcc.edu for any questions. Virtual service is available daily or via phone; see this link for information.

Military Times ranks TCC best two-year school for vets in Virginia

Tidewater Community College was named the top two-year school in the Commonwealth by Military Times in its Best for Vets: Colleges 2020 rankings.

Best for Vets ranked TCC seventh overall among two-year institutions in the United States and No. 1 in Virginia.

“TCC is honored to be chosen again as a Best for Vets college,” said Batanya Gipson, interim director of TCC’s Center for Military and Veterans Education (CMVE). “Through our CMVE, we continue to work each day to serve the needs of our military-related students. In addition to providing excellent student support services, we work closely with military supportive business, industry and organizations to achieve our mission of facilitating educational and employability success. 

Military-focused offerings include:

  • A partnership between Virginia Natural Gas and TCC for a workforce development initiative that trains veterans and transitioning military to fill the growing need for skilled workers in the natural gas industry. The week-long program, offered at the Virginia Beach Campus, began in 2017.
  • The Machining Skills Certification, a SkillBridge-approved program that trains military-related students in computer numeric controlled (CNC) machinery from setup to operation. CNC machinists are in demand throughout Hampton Roads and the nation. Military-related students may also use their GI Bill benefits to pay for this program. Contact Chris Blow, project coordinator, at cblow@tcc.edu for information.

Military-related students make up about one-third of TCC’s enrollment. The statistics used for the Bets for Vets survey do not account for dependents.

The rankings are based on the results of Military Times’ annual survey — a comprehensive school-by-school assessment of veteran and military student services and rates of academic achievement — as well as a detailed review of public data collected by federal agencies. The survey asks colleges and universities to document a wide array of services, special rules, accommodations and financial incentives offered to students with military ties, and to describe many aspects of veteran culture on a campus.

Navy vet-turned-trucker, a TCC alumnus, is finalist for national driving excellence award

Veteran Timothy Raub needed a new career after his retirement from the military and was asked on base if he ever considered becoming a truck driver.

“Are you out of your mind?” he responded.

Three years later, the graduate of Tidewater Community College’s trucking program is one of 10 finalists for a national driving excellence award. The recognition is part of an effort to inspire the hiring of more veterans in an industry overflowing with employment opportunities.

According to a recent CNBC article, in the next decade, we’ll need 890,000 drivers to keep pace with growth and demand for freight transportation. Raub had a job lined up prior to graduating from TCC, noting, “I had 17 companies contact me.”  He paid nothing for his classes here after working with TCC’s Center for Military and Veterans Education (CMVE).

For the last four years, the CMVE has received grant money from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to train veterans, their spouses and dependents for careers in trucking, where typical wages range from $45,000 to $65,000.

“I called TCC, and within two weeks, I had a confirmed seat in class, and the bill was paid for me,” Raub said. “I have a job in an industry where I don’t need to ever worry about finding one.”

Equally gratifying, the former Navy cook enjoys his job at Averitt Express, a transportation and supply chain management company that prides itself in customer service. Raub hauls paper to numerous accounts from Canada to Florida, recording more than 135,000 safe miles driven.

As a “Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence Award” top 10 finalist, Raub will be recognized at the George W. Bush Library and Museum later this year. The field then narrows to three during a trucking trade show in Dallas that he will attend as a guest. Cash prizes are awarded in addition to the overall winner receiving a fully loaded Kenworth T680 — a tractor-trailer with all  the bells and whistles — valued at $155,000.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s “Hiring our Heroes” program, trucking manufacturer Kenworth and software development company FASTPOR sponsor the awards.

“It’s just an honor to be up for the award,” said Raub, 48, who, straight out of high school, joined the Navy, where he spent 26 years, serving on five ships, two overseas unaccompanied commands and three shore duties commands.

In earning his Class A Commercial Driver’s License at TCC, he realized that trucking played to many of his strengths, particularly his commitment to structure and discipline.

“Veterans have a different mindset,” he said. “My motto is, ‘If you’re early you’re on time; if you’re on time, you’re late.’ ”

Raub drives roughly 2,000 miles a week, but “I’m home every week, usually in the middle of the week, and every weekend.” Given how much time he spent traveling with the Navy, he welcomes the schedule and thinks other veterans would embrace it as well.

In the last four years, the FMCSA has awarded TCC more than $554,000 in grant money to train veterans for careers in trucking. Nearly 150 military-related students have received training through the program.

“My company comes to TCC during graduation,” Raub said. “I’ve been back, too, to show off my truck.”

The 16-week Career Studies Certificate in Trucking is offered at TCC’s northern Suffolk site. Day and evening classes are available.

For information, contact Alesia Wroten, program coordinator, at awroten@tcc.edu or 757-822-7714.