FOX 5 Money: Trucking Careers Take Off

WASHINGTON, D.C. - What would you do if you got laid off? Some recently pink-slipped workers are finding they have to change careers to adapt to the changing economy.

Snow flurries are falling in Southern Maryland on a cold and cloudy April afternoon. It's an unusual sight, to be sure. But Gary Balaban says the view from the driver's seat of his big rig couldn't be better.

"If all goes well, I'll have my CDL license, and I'm starting to apply for jobs," he says, downshifting carefully.

Truck driving is not a path Balaban initially chose. He spent three decades in radio, then took a post-retirement job at a small woodworking shop. Then, like millions of Americans, he was laid off because of the sluggish economy.

Yet he says now, he has the opportunity to live a childhood dream.

"All little boys love big trucks. And I guess some of the little boy in me just never went away," says Balaban.

He's learning the rules of the road in the College of Southern Maryland's Commercial Truck Driver Training class. Program Coordinator Mary Beth McCollum says its one field, that's actually growing right now.

"Trucking is a huge part of the economy," explains McCollum. "Every good that's in every store was transported there by a truck driver."

The college says demand for new drivers is about 80,000 a year nationally. Student enrollment here is up 13 percent from last year for the 10 hour a day intensive program. After the course, students must pass a Commercial Drivers License exam. The College of Southern Maryland says 80 percent of its students maintain long-term trucking careers.

Reginald Wright discovered the course though the Veterans Administration. He went there, seeking a new start after losing his job at a boat manufacturing company.

"I had to make a quick move," said Wright.

A VA counselor told him about a grant that would cover his tuition. His class will be graduating Thursday, and he's ready to get started.

"I'm excited about that, that I have the opportunity to advance my career, and make some good money," says Wright.

Truck drivers can make, on average, about $36,000 a year. The students figure they won't get rich from that, but it's a livable wage and a reliable job.

Yolanda Harvey came to the program, after much urging from her family. A single mom, she had planned to become a registered nurse, but then realized it would take too long, and cost more money than she was willing to spend to start earning a steady paycheck. She can't believe how much she's learned in two months about her truck, and herself.

"I love to see females behind the wheel, driving 18-wheelers. So, why not me? " she laughs.

Harvey also feels she'll be setting a good example for her 8-year-old son.

Rather than being victims of the economy, these students chose to take the wheel instead. Now they're in the driver's seat to a new future.

FOR MORE ON TRUCKING CAREERS FROM THE COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND, FOLLOW THIS LINK.