Yellow’s Professional Drivers Meet with President Biden, Highlight Careers in Trucking
WASHINGTON, April 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yellow Corporation (NASDAQ: YELL) on Monday congratulated the Biden-Harris Administration on the progress made in the implementation of the “Trucking Action Plan,” which aims to strengthen America’s supply chain by increasing the number of highly skilled professional semi-truck drivers.
On Monday, Yellow CEO Darren Hawkins and two of the company’s professional drivers, Alphonso Lewis and Russell Simpson, joined President Joe Biden, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Sean O’Brien and trucking industry leaders at the White House. Lewis, a 30-year driver for Yellow, U.S. Army veteran and America’s Road Team Captain, gave President Biden a tour of his truck cab, which was proudly positioned on the White House lawn. Lewis spoke with the president about trucking career opportunities for veterans.
Part of the White House’s Trucking Action Plan includes expanding careers in trucking for women and veterans.
“Our nation’s heroes will find that America’s trucking industry is one big family with arms wide open,” said Yellow driver Alphonso Lewis. “It was in the Army where I was trained and learned how to drive trucks, and it’s in this industry where I found my professional home after leaving the military. For any vet seeking a stable career path with good pay and benefits, I encourage you to look into the many opportunities that our industry has to offer.”
Announced in December 2021, the Trucking Action Plan includes a “90 Day Trucking Apprenticeship Challenge,” a public-private partnership that encourages companies to establish Registered Apprenticeship programs through the Department of Labor. Apprenticeship programs enable men and women to “earn as they learn” to become commercial truck drivers. The program also monitors the safety and training of new drivers.
Yellow’s Registered Apprenticeship Program is nearly five years old.
“Our commitment to safety and training is unparalleled in the industry, and we’re proud that government leaders are investing even more in these programs for new drivers,” said Yellow CEO Darren Hawkins.
Hawkins also recently announced Yellow’s goal of training 1,000 new drivers this year.
“We have seen the benefits that Registered Apprenticeship programs bring to companies and to drivers who enter the industry looking for a career, not just a job. What’s particularly exciting about the White House challenge is the number of companies that are following our lead, setting up their own apprenticeship programs,” Hawkins concluded.
Yellow currently has 17 permanent driving academies nationwide, each one certified as a Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Program. The Yellow Driving Academies are located in Atlanta/Marietta, Carlisle/Harrisburg, PA, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Fort Worth, TX, Hagerstown, MD, Indianapolis, Kansas City, KS, Memphis, Nashville, Pico Rivera, CA, Portland, Salt Lake City and South Bend, IN. The company plans to open additional driving academy locations throughout 2022.
For more information about Yellow’s driving academies, click here.
About Yellow Corporation
Yellow Corporation has one of the largest, most comprehensive logistics and less-than-truckload (LTL) networks in North America with local, regional, national, and international capabilities. Through its teams of experienced service professionals, Yellow Corporation offers industry-leading expertise in flexible supply chain solutions, ensuring customers can ship industrial, commercial, and retail goods with confidence. Yellow Corporation, whose principal office is in Nashville, Tenn., is the holding company for a portfolio of LTL brands including Holland, New Penn, Reddaway, and YRC Freight, as well as the logistics company Yellow Logistics.
Please visit our website at www.myyellow.com for more information.
Source: Yellow Corporation