The largest commercial driving school in the country has new locations in Buffalo, Liverpool and Rochester. 160 Driving Academy is continuing its expansion plans in the Northeast in an effort to put more truck drivers on the road. The company says it will train 35,000 new truck drivers next year.

What You Need To Know

  • 160 Driving Academy has CDL training schools in 48 states
  • The company says truck driver pay has increased by 18% with the average driver earning $69,000 a year
  • Specialized truck drivers can gain skills and endorsements in a specific field resulting in higher salaries and a larger selection of jobs

Self-employed in general contracting for 24 years, Dave Howell is making a big move south to start a site development company and needs his CDL to it. He's learning to drive big rigs safely at 160 Driving Academy in Rochester.

“Right out of the gate, on our second day, we were lane changing and doing straight-backs, and the third day we were doing parallel parking already,” said Howell.

He'll get 120 hours of training behind the wheel and 40 hours of classroom instruction to earn his CDL. 

“Practice — that’s what we’re in school for," said Howell.

The demand for truck drivers remains high. The American Trucking Association estimates the industry is short some 60,000 drivers.

“We are all over from New Hampshire all the way down the East Coast and then throughout to the West Coast over here in [California],” said Ashlie Smothers, general manager at 160 Driving Academy.

160 Driving Academy has schools in 48 states and recently acquired the former Professional Driving Institute in Rochester and The National Tractor Trailer School in Buffalo and Liverpool. 

“We have seen an uptick in our student population,” said Smothers. “People are wanting to become CDL drivers. They want to help the economy and get goods where they need to go.”

The academy can help students land a gig right out of trucking school. For Howell, he's already feeling right at home in an 18-wheeler and knows it's safety first on the road.

“Regardless if you own that truck or not, you are still responsible 100% for that truck and the load and everything else,” said Howell.

The cost involved in obtaining a commercial driver's license at a driving school varies anywhere from around $4,000 to $7,000 and up, depending where you live and what driving school you choose. Some trucking and transportation companies will sponsor CDL training.