‘Truck yeah’: Gov. DeSantis boosts big rig driver training

Gov. Ron DeSantis talked truck driving Thursday in Bowling Green, with the double Ivy League graduate endorsing the freedom of the open road.

“This is not the first time we’ve addressed this issue,” DeSantis said, announcing the award of $2.3 million to six institutions around the state to support commercial drivers’ license and nursing instruction.

The Governor said that money for driver training would go to the State College of Florida ($930,000), Manatee Technical College ($550,000), South Florida State College ($415,000) and North Florida Tech ($100,000). Money for nursing training would go to the College of the Florida Keys ($150,000) and Florida Gateway College ($135,000).

The Governor made the remarks at South Florida State College, highlighting the aforementioned trucker training, which has become a priority in the wake of supply chain issues in recent months.

Behind DeSantis were people in orange shirts, holding signs saying “Truck Yeah” on them. Saying he was “sick” of the high price of education, DeSantis again lamented those pursuing “zombie studies” degrees, extolling “career and technical education” and “high-demand fields” as he has before. The trucking industry, he said, offers real opportunity.

“As people retire out of that industry, you’re going to have huge, huge demand,” DeSantis said, noting the aging truck driver workforce, with an anticipated need for 1.1 million truck drivers in the next decade.

Signing bonuses from companies, DeSantis said, offer new graduates additional opportunities.

DeSantis noted this was part of a larger commitment to workforce education from his administration.

“Florida is here. We see the problems going on nationally, particularly from Washington. And we want to be part of a solution to those problems,” DeSantis said.