Truck driving school relocates in Springdale

Mid-America Truck Driving School Inc. recently relocated its Springdale campus to a larger location that will allow the school to more than double its student enrollment capacity.

The school has moved to 1609 N. Old Missouri Road, less than two miles north of its previous location. Since 2015, it had operated its commercial driver’s (CDL) training program at Northwest Technical Institute (NWTI) in Springdale.

Doug Carter, owner of Mid-America Truck Driving School, said it is no longer affiliated with NWTI. A new CDL training program has been established at NWTI.

“We recently, after seven years here, embarked on an expansion of our program in Northwest Arkansas and are thrilled to announce that we are moving into a larger facility which enables us to more than double enrollment capacity,” according to a news release provided by Carter. “This campus remains accessible to students and is centrally located in Springdale. Our goal is to provide larger numbers of highly qualified CDL drivers for business and industry throughout the region. Our objective is to train and equip our students with the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for entry into this incredible career field.”

The new location has 2,700 square feet of interior space and a 3.5-acre paved backing range, Carter said. The school has a training capacity of 20 students, and Carter plans to train 200 or more students annually. The Springdale campus has seven employees.

According to trade group American Trucking Associations, a shortage of truck drivers is expected to increase from 60,800 drivers in 2018 to 160,000 drivers in 2028 if existing trends don’t change.

Carter established Mid-America Truck Driving School in February 2003 with one big rig. Its first campus opened on Nov. 3, 2003, at Ouachita Technical College in Malvern. The college has since been renamed Arkansas State University Three Rivers. Mid-America Truck Driving School continues to provide testing services at that location.