In order to aid in bridging the supply and demand gap in the solid waste management department, the city of Lubbock, Texas, has created an apprenticeship program for employees while they get their commercial driver’s licenses.

According to Brenda Haney, Lubbock’s director of solid waste, “CDL drivers are essential for the efficient collection and disposal of waste, but the industry has struggled to attract and retain qualified professionals. The solid waste department was looking to begin an apprenticeship, allowing us to hire people without commercial driver’s licenses and then train them for their CDL.”

Since the city did not have the staff available to conduct the training, various driving schools nearby were researched. When the city looked into South Plains College, they discovered the college had an existing partnership with ATDS Truck Driving School. Meeting with South Plains College and ATDS Truck Driving School, it was agreed that ATDS would submit the necessary paperwork to become licensed to offer a Class B CDL training program with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The partnership is three-fold between the city, South Plains College and ATDS Truck Driving School. Lubbock provides students and vehicles to use during the training, South Plains College manages the facility and enrolls employees in the class and ATDS provides the training and test for the appropriate CDL licensing.

The need for an innovative program and partnership was seen as the solid waste department lost CDL drivers to the private sector and had difficulty hiring drivers who already had a CDL because of the high demand for drivers in the private sector. After the partnership between all parties formed, pay, job descriptions and responsibilities had to be established for the apprentice heavy equipment operators. It took a couple of months between setting up these qualifications and beginning to hire candidates.

Over 40 applicants initially applied for the positions. To qualify, an employee must be hired into the apprentice heavy equipment operator position. The city began with four employees at one time. After being hired, these new employees reported to the solid waste department for initial training. This training consisted of familiarizing the employees with their job duties and they began studying to receive their learner’s permit for their CDL. At the end of the first week, the employees receive their permit and are sent to school for two weeks of intensive training and driving. At the end of these two weeks, each employee is then tested to receive their license. Each of the candidates hired by the solid waste department passed their licensing exam. After receiving their license, the employee reports back to the solid waste department to train on waste collection, learning routes and working on their own.

“The first students were enrolled in September 2022, and we have maintained this relationship ever since,” Haney described.

Once the program started, students were sent back-to-back to classes every two weeks until the solid waste department was fully staffed.

“This has been a huge success for solid waste,” Haney stated. “We went from about 65% staffing to 100% staffing and maintained that for a very long time. We have had some subsequent retirements and such, but we continue to use the apprentice program to recruit new employees. One of the most rewarding components is the number of employees we have now — because of this — that would not have had the means to obtain a CDL. Single parents, new high school graduates, those just looking for a career change and many more from all walks of life are benefiting from this program. They appreciate the opportunity to have full-time, stable employment and free training in a new career without having to leave home for long periods like other CDL truck driving jobs.”

There have been a total of about 20 operators licensed since the beginning of the program. The program continues to be used to hire new apprentices as needed. “The community, including both customers and candidates, has been very supportive,” Haney emphasized. “Customers are because when we are fully staffed, their service is seamless. Candidates are because this presented an opportunity to work in an industry that is incredibly stable and rewarding and they earn a license that provides them a great career and future.”

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