According to a May 22 announcement from the school, the academy is designed to help students earn a Texas Class A commercial driver’s license while building hands-on experience operating tractor-trailers in real driving situations.

The program also gives students in TSTC’s Electrical Lineworker and Management program an opportunity to safely operate commercial vehicles connected to utility and field work.

Students entering the academy must first obtain a commercial learner’s permit before beginning tractor-trailer instruction.

“We are not just teaching how to pass the test,” said Steven Clark, a TSTC Professional Driving Academy instructor. “We want them to see what it’s like in the real world.”

Students Spend Three Weeks Behind the Wheel

Each training cohort lasts four weeks. The first week focuses on virtual instruction before students move into three weeks of backing practice, inspections, maneuver training, and road driving assignments extending into West Texas. Students may earn a CDL after successfully passing the driving test.

Training exercises take place on a state-certified course painted onto an on-campus parking lot, where students practice backing maneuvers, trailer control, and pre-trip inspections before operating in live traffic situations.

Clark said learning how to control a trailer while backing remains one of the more difficult adjustments for many newer students.

“All you have are the two mirrors on the side,” Clark said. “They have to learn to drive the trailer, not the truck.”

Several students participating in the academy described the challenges involved with learning backing maneuvers and handling larger equipment for the first time.

Shannon Welch Dubose of Hewitt, Texas, already holds a Texas Class B CDL for school bus operation, but enrolled in the Class A program because she and her husband have discussed team driving opportunities.

She said reverse offset backing has been one of the more difficult skills to learn during training.

“It’s just something you get the more you try,” she said. “The trailer can get away from you quickly.”

Students Say A CDL Can Open More Job Opportunities

Gabriel Camacho of Temple, Texas, said he took a leave from work to attend the month-long driving course because he had wanted to earn a CDL for several years.

Alex Orozco of Corsicana, Texas, entered the academy without previous heavy equipment experience while studying in TSTC’s Electrical Lineworker and Management program.

He encouraged future students to begin preparing early so they can complete permit steps and meet CDL requirements before training begins.

“Companies will definitely look for you,” Orozco said.

The School Plans to Expand the Academy

TSTC said the Professional Driving Academy plans to add more tractor-trailers, hire additional instructors, increase student capacity, and eventually move operations onto a larger on-campus concrete driving pad.

Clark and fellow instructor Heath Norden reportedly have a combined 60 years of trucking industry experience. Clark is also certified to administer the Texas CDL skills test.

“You have to prove you are safe enough to be on the road with my family,” Clark said. “If they are not safe, they do not pass.”

For more information about TSTC’s Professional Driving Academy, visit tstc.edu/workforce/professional-driving-academy.

Source: The Trucker

Image Source: TSTC

The Truck Drivers USA editorial team creates practical, driver-focused content covering industry topics, job trends, and real-world decisions that impact drivers at every stage of their careers. Each article is written to provide clear, accurate information that drivers can use.

Last updated: June 1, 2026

The post Texas CDL Program in Waco Reopens to Train New Drivers appeared first on Truck Drivers USA.