A National Recruitment Campaign to Accelerate Training, Meet Demand for New Truck Drivers
SARASOTA, Fla. and BRADENTON, Fla., Aug. 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — FleetForce Truck Driver Training, the nation’s fastest-growing commercial driver’s license (CDL) training program, today launched Next10,000, a national fall recruitment campaign aimed at training the company’s next 10,000 CDL professionals. The launch celebrated the graduation of FleetForce’s first 10,000 graduates and honored its 10,001st student, Drexyl Eitniear, who received an on-the-spot job offer from Swift Transportation, one of the largest full truckload carriers in the United States.
“Ten thousand graduates means 10,000 new careers and answers to a deficit that touches every American who buys anything delivered by truck,” said Tra Williams, president and CEO of FleetForce. “We’re not slowing down. Next10,000 is our commitment to find and train the next generation of professional drivers until we’ve resolved the national driver shortage.”
Next10,000 is a new FleetForce campaign that, through its partnership with Swift, guarantees job interviews for every qualified student at any of its locations across the U.S. Calling on other businesses to participate, the campaign comes as federal oversight of CDL licensing and training tightens, increasing demand for qualified truck drivers among carriers and other businesses that depend on them.
The campaign launched at a ceremony at State College of Florida, FleetForce’s office headquarters, which hosts weekly CDL training. Supporters at the event included Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Deputy Administrator Jesse Elison; Florida Senate President Designate Jim Boyd; Florida Trucking Association President Scott Perry; Heather Cunningham, chief of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ commercial vehicle and driver services bureau; and other local officials.
Drexyl Eitniear, a Sarasota resident, was surprised to be named the 10,001st graduate by FleetForce during the event. He chose to obtain his CDL after feeling defeated by several unreliable gig jobs over the years. Eitner’s new employer, Swift Transportation, offered him an immediate contract to work for the carrier, which he accepted.
“This career path is the best thing to happen to me and my family,” says Eitniear. “My grandfather had a successful truck driving career, so with faith, I believe I can do the same thing.”
Graduates like Eitniear enter a job pipeline built on FleetForce’s employer partnerships, and dozens of carriers like Swift Transportation subsidize enrollment costs to access its qualified, job-ready graduates. The partnership expanded in June, when Swift began hosting on-site FleetForce CDL training at its Mobile, Ala., terminal to help meet driver demand across the Southeast.
“Our business operates on safe, well-trained professional drivers, and FleetForce consistently delivers them,” said Kort Chase, vice president of recruitment at Swift Transportation. “Expanding this partnership through Next10,000 was an easy decision for us. When we can offer a graduate a job on the spot, that tells you everything about the quality and expectations of this program.”
Williams credited FleetForce’s milestone to the public-private partnership model it was built on—a network of colleges, companies, and municipalities—that supports students from CDL enrollment through employment. “It takes a village, and 10,000 graduates is proof of what that village can do,” he said.
Aspiring drivers who are interested in joining FleetForce’s campaign, and organizations interested in partnering with FleetForce can visit www.fleetforcetruckdrivertraining.com to learn more.
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SOURCE Fleet Force
