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 and Phoenix 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

Bobbie Carroll
Instructor

Brady Kolenovsky
Assistant Training Dept. Manager

Chandler Shaw
Admissions Representative

Daniel Lipich
Instructor

David Acevedo
Instructor

John Figueroa
Admissions Representative

Kristen Turgeon
Training Department Manager

Luisa Kirkbride
Instructor/Examiner

Mark Henley
Director

Shane Morey
Instructor

Thomas Allen
Instructor


Gayla Anne
Retired – we thank Gayla for over 6 years of service with SWTDT!

Greg Flynn
Retired – we thank Greg for over 8 years of service with SWTDT!

Alexis Ullery
Career Services

Brad States
Admissions Representative

Charles Olsen
Instructor

Darlene Weisenburger
Training Department Manager

David Staudenmier
Lead Instructor

Dina Hoehn
Students Services

Demetrio Martinez
Instructor

Erik Engdahl
Campus Director

Gilberto Gomez Perez
Instructor

Ivan Marruffo
Instructor

James Hancock
Instructor

Jorge Mejia
Instructor / Examiner

Justin Bamba
Lead Instructor

Ken Barton
Instructor / Examiner

Lori Guzzetta
Instructor

Rosie Lopez
Admissions Representative

Shannon Medina
Receptionist

Tabitha Baxter
Instructor

Tom Bragg
Instructor

Warren Zeigler
Admissions Representative

Bob Johnson
Retired – we thank Bob for a great 13 years of service with SWTDT!

Ray Shively
Retired - we thank Ray for his years of service with SWTDT!