Two educational systems came together today on the campus of ASU Three Rivers to
unveil Arkansas’ first and only public trucking academy. The Arkansas Trucking Academy
(ArkTA) is a consortium of ASU Three Rivers, UA Cossatot, UA Rich Mountain, and UA
Hope/Texarkana.

Speaking at today’s launch was Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, “This is another
pace-setting workforce solution that has grown out of conversations between leaders
in industry and education. Arkansas’s businesses had a problem, our educators
stepped in to fill it, and we are able to support it with an Arkansas Regional Workforce
grant. It’s a model for partnerships between the private sector and government.
Because of that, we soon will be putting more trucks on the road with first-rate drivers
at the wheel.”

New classes will begin on the campuses located in Nashville, Mena, Malvern, and
Hope. Through the use of virtual/simulation instruction, traditional classroom, and
practical over-the-road instruction, students will receive 160 contact hours of
non-credit training per course. Successful completion of the course will prepare
students to test for their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). A total of 20 courses will
be offered annually, five courses per college. Slots are limited to four students per
course. The maximum cost per student is $1,300, saving students thousands compared
to the cost of a private academy.

With the increased demand in the trucking industry, ArkTA co-chair and UA Rich
Mountain Chancellor Phillip Wilson said that he is grateful for the partnership across
two systems to bring this program into fruition. “Creating opportunities and growing
Arkansas’ workforce is always a top priority in Arkansas community colleges,” added
Wilson, who also serves as chair of the Arkansas Community Colleges association.
Shannon Newton, President of the Arkansas Trucking Association, expressed her
strong support of ArkTA and emphasized the challenges that the trucking industry in
Arkansas is facing right now, “For contextual awareness. in Arkansas the trucking
industry supports one in ten jobs in the private sector in Arkansas. We rank number
one in the country per capita employed in the trucking industry. So certainly as an
advocate of the industry, it is my job to help people understand the role trucking plays
in your everyday life but also help solve the challenges the industry is facing and the
driver shortage is actually the number one challenge in the trucking industry right
now. ” Newton shared that the average annual income for an Arkansas trucker is
$45,000 and that with the launch of ArkTA, it will help lower some of the barriers that
people face as they consider the trucking industry.

The first course will begin August 2. For more information or to apply, visit
ArkTruckingAcademy.com.