Earning a commercial driver’s license (CDL) can be the first step into a wide variety of connected careers, from driving to owning a trucking company, becoming a driver trainer and more.
As a professional driver, Tom Gilliam has done his share of driving and of training other drivers — and he’s parleyed that experience into his own training business, The CMV Tutor LLC.
Gilliam offers a variety of levels of training, from introductory classes for people who are brand-new to trucks and trucking to specialized courses that help established drivers obtain a new endorsement, get rid of an automatic transmission restriction, or receive carrier-mandated safety training — in addition to tailored courses for carrier clients. Training for passenger endorsements and school buses is also available.
Gilliam, of course, is the CMV Tutor; in fact, Gilliam is the entire company. There are no employees or other help. That doesn’t stop Gilliam, who trains drivers for Allied Van Lines using carrier facilities in Rochester, Minnesota, and Onalaska, Wisconsin, for training. While he uses “borrowed” training facilities, the trucks used for the training belong to the school.
Gilliam says he likes keeping it small.
“I’ve had people ask me about coming in, but when you start interjecting other people into the process, that’s where you start coming up with problems,” he explained, adding that by doing everything himself, he can control the quality of the curriculum.
For many students, mastering this curriculum and the skills required to earn a CDL means launching a new career, or perhaps advancement in a career they’ve already started.
Gilliam hopes that for some students the training could mean much more. It might mean a home.
The CVM Tutor offers a CDL training course free of charge for people who are currently without a home. Gilliam stresses, however, that the program is NOT free.
“Nothing’s free,” he told The Trucker. “They’re earning this. They have to put in the hours and the effort, do the work. That’s their investment.”
Gilliam says the training is not funded by government grants or programs.
“This is out of my pocket,” he said. “I see it all the time — people camped out by the river or in the ditches. I can only help one person every few months, but at least that’s getting somebody on their feet again.”
Operating The CMV Tutor’s homeless driver training program involves more than simply opening the door to a classroom.
“A lot of (homeless people) don’t have drivers licenses, not even for a car,” Gilliam said.
He requires students to earn a Commercial Learners Permit (CLP) before entering his program — and that requires access to online study materials. There are fees for the written tests, and transportation is needed to the correct state testing facility.
In addition, applicants must be vetted to verify their status as “homeless.”
“We get a lot of sad stories, like the call from a parent who said their son was sitting at home and needed a life-changing career. But he’s at home; that’s the issue,” said Gilliam.
Once a student is approved for training, there are more issues to work out, such as meals and lodging, work boots and clothes, and more.
“That’s why I’m working with homeless shelters,” Gilliam explained. “They’ve worked with the people and know them. They can help filter out the ones that are having issues with drugs or mental illness. They can refer students who are most likely to benefit from the training.”
While Gilliam and the shelters he works with are working through the details of the homeless training program, he continues to provide driver training for more traditional students.
“I train for several carriers, and I deal with students directly, too,” he said. He’s licensed to train in Minnesota and Wisconsin and has equipment with manual transmissions for students to learn on.
Gilliam has earned Senior Master Instructor and Senior Master Safety Instructor certifications from the Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA). He says he’s committed to using his 40 years of driving and teaching experience to help prepare others for their best career in trucking.
His offer to potential students that are currently homeless extends to their choice of Class A tractor-trailer, straight truck or bus licenses. Currently, he plans to train three to four students per year through the homeless program.
Interested individuals should apply through their local homeless shelter or advocate. Representatives of homeless agencies interested in working with the program can contact The CMV Tutor at [email protected] or 608-358-3143.
Cliff Abbott is an experienced commercial vehicle driver and owner-operator who still holds a CDL in his home state of Alabama. In nearly 40 years in trucking, he’s been an instructor and trainer and has managed safety and recruiting operations for several carriers. Having never lost his love of the road, Cliff has written a book and hundreds of songs and has been writing for The Trucker for more than a decade.
