New CDL program underway

The new CDL training program at Southwestern Community College is well on its way, with seven students working through their online entry-level driver training course in preparation for the fall semester.

SWCC Vice President of Economic Development Wayne Pantini shared updates on the Transportation Training Center and its program, which officially opened with a ribbon cutting on May 15. Classes utilizing the facility begin in August.

The program will offer two tracks, the CDL driver test prep course and the CDL driver training program.

“We’ll have two different tracks based upon their level of history,” Pantini said. “If someone has been driving truck on the farm, they’d be on the fast track. If they don’t have any experience at all, which would be me, it may take three to four weeks.”

In order to qualify for either track, one must have their Commercial Learner’s Permit, after which they will complete their online ELDT theory course. Next, the student will register for the behind-the-wheel training, utilizing both the road and the new range. Once that is complete, a DOT examiner will test the student at the on-campus range.

“There are two official painted ranges so in the future, if we add another truck or trailer, we’ve got two testing ranges on here,” Pantini said. “At the same time, this project allowed us to use our motorcycle revolving fund to help pay for the range through some of those dollars, and so we are real close to getting our motorcycle range certified on here.”

While SWCC only has one semi and a 40-feet drop-deck trailer now, the goal is to eventually bring more to the center.

“Our goal in the future as we build the program with different levels of experiences is to get a dry van and also maybe a grain trailer,” Pantini said. “I know our ag program would really like to have that, so they could use it and take their crops to the co-op.”

For now, the college is happy with their newly refinished semi, a 2018 Freightliner manual 10-speed tractor, and their new facility.

SWCC’s journey to starting their own transportation and CDL training program began in late summer 2023 following the 2022 closure of the college’s CDL program due to new federal requirements. Pantini said his team had been looking into ways to bring the courses back to SWCC when Governor Kim Reynolds announced a new grant opportunity.

“There’s a lot of demand out there that we can’t currently serve because we don’t have the infrastructure and equipment to do so,” Pantini said in 2023. “We went to Northwest Community College for a discovery mission over a couple of days to meet with them on their CDL program. Ironically, on August 10, second day we were there, Gov. Kim Reynolds made an announcement of a $5 million CDL grant.”

The new grant focuses on creating or providing CDL infrastructure. According to Future Ready Iowa, the grant “will provide up to $5 million to assist community colleges with building, purchasing or remodeling CDL training infrastructure.”

SWCC was awarded $665,000 from the Iowa grant that October. Requiring a 50% monetary match, Pantini said this contribution from the college came from previous investments and funds.

“We won’t need to go out and borrow money; we have those dollars that will be eligible to use and that we have already that we’ve accrued over the years,” Pantini said previously. “We’re excited about that, and obviously coming up with 50% of that cash match for the grant, we don’t always have the ability to do that and leverage those dollars, but we do have that, which is good.”

The ribbon cutting for the new center was held just a week after SWCC’s spring 2025 commencement. To learn more about the new program or to apply as a student, go to www.swcciowa.edu/business-and-community-development/training/transportation-training or contact program coordinator Dante Powell at (641) 782-1414.