Jordan Truck Sales recently donated a 2007 Freightliner truck and 53-foot trailer to the West Georgia Technical College Foundation for instructional use in the Commercial Truck Driving program at the WGTC Carroll Campus in Carrollton.

The tractor-trailer will be used to instruct students in the high-demand career program on how to drive big rigs safely.

Ronnie Jordan, owner of Carrollton-based Jordan Truck Sales, said he’s proud to donate to a program that gets students ready to hit the road safely in about two months.

“I see the need of recruiting students to this program every day,” Jordan said. “There’s a very high demand in our nation for truck drivers, and I wanted to do my part in ensuring that students have some more modern equipment to train on. I obviously have a passion for truck-driving, and I see this as being a mutually beneficial partnership.”

The truck is now the newest piece of equipment in the Commercial Truck Driving program at the Carroll Campus.

Jordan also serves as the chair of the Commercial Truck Driving advisory board, a group of interested business leaders who gather twice yearly to discuss the needs of the college program and how they can address those needs.

“I want to personally thank Jordan Truck Sales for this generous donation, which will serve as a valuable resource for our automotive technology program,” said Kim Learnard, WGTC Vice President of Institutional Advancement. “Partnerships with local business and industry are vital in order for us to fulfill the mission of providing our students with the necessary instruction and skills as they enter the workforce.”

West Georgia Tech Commercial Truck Driving instructor Judy Doggrell said that the donation would have a significant effect on the program.

“The trucking industry is constantly introducing more and more innovative ways to insure the safety of the driver and the general public,” Doggrell said. “At WGTC, we strive to inform and prepare our students to enter the industry with as much knowledge as possible so they can be safe and effective employees from day one.”

Doggrell said the new addition to the program’s fleet will enable students to become familiar with, and have hands-on experience with, some of those innovations.

“The new equipment will also enable us to train more students, more effectively on newer technology involved in the trucking industry,” Doggrell said. “We are honored to have the ongoing support of the community and the industry leaders. Personally, I want to thank Jordan Truck Sales for all that they do for our community and for thinking of West Georgia Tech.”

West Georgia Tech’s Commercial Truck Driving program offers a certificate in Commercial Truck Driving and offers classes during both day and night sessions at the Carroll, LaGrange and Coweta campuses.