“A lot of people think truckers have to go over the road and be gone from their families and their homes,” said Ken Walker, owner of Custom Diesel Drivers Training. “The truth is that they can be home every night while earning way above average income.” Local jobs are available at food and beverage, sanitation, concrete, and road construction companies.
Operators of heavy equipment need a CDL (Commercial Driver’s License). Custom Diesel Drivers Training is a private post-secondary school that trains people to operate heavy equipment.
“We focus on our clients, and after they complete the program, we help them get placed into a job if they want some assistance,” Ken explained.
The CDL requires 160 hours of training. The full-day training program takes five weeks, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Part-time training takes eight weeks, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Night classes (two and a half hours) meet in the evening for 16 weeks.
All of the classroom training takes place in Gretna.
Custom Diesel Drivers Training
20227 Husker Dr.
Gretna, NE 68028
402.894.1400
cddt.us
This profile originally appeared in the 2024 FACES of Omaha, presented by Omaha Magazine. To see the full book, see our flipbook here.
