WHAT WE DO AND THE SOUTHWEST DIFFERENCE
Southwest Truck Driver Training runs Commercial Driving Training Programs to help drivers get their careers moving. We offer CDL A, B, C, bus training, and other training. Learn more about the programs we offer.
What sets us apart? We at Southwest Truck Driver Training provide ever-evolving, student-focused truck driver training with the needs of our students at the front of our minds:
SMALL CLASSES
We keep our class sizes small to get to know our students and their unique needs.
UP-TO-DATE AND CUSTOMIZED TRUCKS
We invest in brand-new vehicles for our students to learn in each and every year, and these vehicles are specially modified for a better learning experience.
CERTIFIED ON-SITE EXAMINERS
We provide state-approved CDL testing services on-site. In addition, our relationships with employers are about positivity, not promises. As a Southwest Truck Driver Training graduate, you're under no obligation to any future trucking employer.
In designing our programs, we go above and beyond the minimum requirements. In fact, we instituted the federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements well before the rules took effect.
SOUTHWEST TRUCK DRIVER TRAINING PHILOSOPHY
We post our philosophy all over our campuses. Though it all boils down to loyalty, integrity, and respect, we take it further with this expression of our ethos:
Our student is…
The most important person on the campus.
Not a cold enrollment statistic, but a flesh and blood human being with thoughts and emotions like our own.
Not someone to be tolerated so that we can do our thing.
You are our thing.
Not dependent on us.
Rather, we are dependent on you.
Without you, there would be no need for us.
If you ask any of our employees what makes Southwest Truck Driver Training different, they'll tell you it's "the people and the environment."
OUR HISTORY
Southwest Truck Driver Training has been a family-owned business since 1999.
That year, Gary P. Williams and a handful of family members and friends got the school rolling. In the decades since, Southwest Truck Driver Training has opened CDL training schools in Tucson, Phoenix, and Las Vegas and built a program serving their students, their communities, and local employers.
Gary is no longer with us, but his sons have kept his dream of a student-focused truck driving program alive.
OUR INSTRUCTORS
Southwest Truck Driver Training instructors undergo a rigorous interviewing process, ensuring each is an excellent fit in capabilities and our school culture. Of course, they must have worked as professional drivers with excellent records. But they must also be ready to lead their students with passion, empathy, and good humor.
Trainers must also be lifelong learners, ready to move beyond "the way we've always done it" and gain new skills as they go through their teaching careers.
Many of our instructors are military veterans, some of whom have seen active combat. If you're a veteran, chances are you can find someone who understands your experiences and how they may differ from the average student's.
OUR TRUCKS
We are SO excited to tell you about the trucks you’ll be training on as a student at Southwest Truck Driver Training! While many trucking schools use vehicles older than some students or only offer the option to train on automatic transmission vehicles, we do things differently.
Our vehicles are updated every year—we get rid of the old and bring in the new. Each truck is custom-modified to ensure that a driver, trainer, and up to two additional students can safely maneuver throughout the campus and city while learning. The observing students get to sit in comfortable chairs (with seatbelts) and use a secure table to write notes.
While the trucking world is increasingly automatic, manual trucks are still used. Sometimes they're preferred by companies. Other times, they're preferred by drivers. We make sure our students have the option to train on either, so they can walk into a conversation with their preferred employer and say, "Yes, I've driven this type of truck."
Oh, we also have buses and straight trucks!
And we can guarantee that if someone sees a Southwest Truck Driver Training vehicle, they know it! Our vehicles are new, efficient, and, to say the least, unique. If you ever see us out and about, feel free to give us a wave!
Awards and Recognition
Southwest Truck Driver Training has received many awards and other types of recognition. These awards relate to our work with veterans and promotion of safe driving practices.
Meet Our Staff
Adriana Negrete
Receptionist / Career Services
Anita Lehnus
Instructor
Brady Kolenovsky
Assistant Training Dept. Manager
Daniel Lipich
Instructor
David Acevedo
Instructor
Elizabeth Enos
Instructor
Greg Flynn
Instructor / Examiner
Jahnessa Graham
Instructor
Joey Morrissette
Instructor
John Figueroa
Admissions
Ken Lacasse
Student Services Coordinator
Kristen Turgeon
Training Department Manager
Mark Henley
Director
Scott Olson
Instructor
Shane Morey
Instructor
Gayla Anne
Retired – we thank Gayla for over 6 years of service with SWTDT!
Adam Chambliss
Assistant Training Department Manager
Alexis Ullery
Career Services
Brad States
Admissions Representative
Brenton Smith
Instructor
Charles Olsen
Instructor
Chris Kulp
Admissions Representative
Darlene Weisenburger
Training Department Manager
David Cadriel
Instructor
David Staudenmier
Instructor / Examiner
Dina Hoehn
Student Service Coordinator
Demetrio Martinez
Instructor
Doug Parker
Instructor / Examiner
Edward Shults
Instructor
Erik Engdahl
Director of Admissions and Administration
Harley Steggall
Instructor
James Hancock
Instructor
John Cox
Instructor
Jorge Mejia
Instructor / Examiner
Justin Bamba
Instructor / Examiner
Ken Barton
Instructor / Examiner
Nichole McCurdy
Admissions Representative
Orin Barber
Instructor
Ray Shively
Instructor / Examiner
Rosie Lopez
Admissions Representative
Sally Feinen
Instructor
Shannon Medina
Receptionist
Tom Bragg
Instructor
Bob Johnson
Retired – we thank Bob for a great 13 years of service with SWTDT!
Alfred Collins
Instructor
Antonio Kincaid
Instructor / Examiner
Daisy Rodriguez
Admissions Representative
Darcee Honnold
Admissions Representative
David Sandoval
Instructor / Examiner
Dwayne Walker
Instructor / Examiner
Joey Pou
Instructor
Joseph Brinegar
Instructor
Malindi Stokes
Instructor
Mario Grave De Peralta
Instructor
Matthew Doucette
Instructor
Robbie Hartley
Campus Director
Ryanne Leota
Career Services
Silvia Emilan
Student Services