EDMOND, Okla. — FreighTrax, an online training company, and the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) have teamed up to present easily accessible, ongoing training for professional drivers.
“We want to deliver anytime-anywhere training to truck drivers,” said Chris Reed, a member of the FreighTrax team. “We know how hard it is for drivers to make time to sit in a classroom for traditional learning. Our courses are meant for use on the go, available on a mobile device.”
The FreighTrax courses are designed primarily for CDL holders who want to expand their knowledge of a specialized portion of the logistics chain.
“The University of Central Oklahoma is proud to partner with FreighTrax in offering courses such as SandTrax and PortTrax,” said Dr. Robin Lacey, chairperson of adult education and safety sciences at UCO.
The courses, she says, will provide students with invaluable knowledge and a solid foundation in the trucking industry.
“We’re excited to join forces with the University of Central Oklahoma to develop the next generation of logistics professionals,” said Robert Moore, FreighTrax vice president of operations.
“This collaboration is an example of how higher education institutions and industry leaders can work together to create innovative and relevant learning opportunities for continuing education,” Lacey said.
FreighTrax currently offers courses in sand hauling and ports of call, both sectors in which fleet managers want to be confident their drivers have the advanced knowledge needed to operate in unique environments.
“It’s very useful for a driver who wants to learn another area of the trucking sector. They want to know that the drivers know what they’re doing,” Reed said, noting that drivers receive a microcredential in the area they’ve studied.
“For our PortTrax class that opened (May 15), we already have over 50 drivers signed up,” he continued. “This type of training is going to be in demand in the future, and we are already looking at upgrading our offerings.”
Upgrades include a basic CDL course for those wanting to learn the business of trucking, as well as a “masters” course that is currently in the planning phase.
One aspect of the courses FreighTrax offers that makes the programs appealing to drivers is affordability.
“Our price point is a major advantage,” Reed said. “Our $199 classes beat the competition by $100 to $250 for the same material.”
In addition to allowing drivers to enhance their skillsets, the courses can prepare students for advancement in the industry. The PortTrax course, Moore noted, will equip students with skills to work in supply chain management.
“It will address the ever-changing needs of the drayage industry, and where confident our collaboration will drive meaningful change and growth in the sector,” Moore said.
For more information, visit freightraxtraining.com.
Since retiring from a career as an outdoor recreation professional from the State of Arkansas, Kris Rutherford has worked as a freelance writer and, with his wife, owns and publishes a small Northeast Texas newspaper, The Roxton Progress. Kris has worked as a ghostwriter and editor and has authored seven books of his own. He became interested in the trucking industry as a child in the 1970s when his family traveled the interstates twice a year between their home in Maine and their native Texas. He has been a classic country music enthusiast since the age of nine when he developed a special interest in trucking songs.
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