AMERICUS — Ryan Barton of Cordele has joined South Georgia Technical College  (SGTC) as a part-time commercial truck driving instructor, announced SGTC President John Watford, Ed.D. He will be assisting SGTC full-time CDL instructor Robert Cook and adjunct instructor Edward Greene. The CDL instructors report to SGTC  Academic Dean Raymond Holt and SGTC Vice President of Academic Affairs David Kuipers.B
Barton is a graduate of the SGTC commercial truck driving program and he has worked as a regional CDL driver covering the southeastern United States as well as the Utility Treatment Plant operator for the City of Cordele. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Cordele.
“We are pleased to be expanding our Commercial Truck driving instruction team,” said Watford. “Commercial truck driving is one of Governor Nathan Deal’s Strategic Industries Workforce Development Grant programs that provides HOPE grant eligible students with an extra $1,000 toward their tuition and fees. Our program has grown significantly over the past two years and we plan to continue to expand with more specialized and evening classes in both the Americus and the Crisp County area.”
The SGTC commercial truck driving program was ranked as the 9th best in Georgia by the Best Trucking Schools.com, which ranks truck driving schools across the nation and provides information about each school. South Georgia Tech’s CDL program is also ranked 35th in the South and 95th in the nation. Over 214 different colleges and private commercial truck driving training programs were evaluated by The Best Trucking Schools.com.  South Georgia Tech has a 100% placement rate for its Commercial Truck Driving licensed graduates.
South Georgia Tech provides its CDL students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitude to enable them to become safe, professional commercial truck drivers. It is anticipated that many of the graduates will also launch their own small truck driving businesses.
Students enrolling in the SGTC Commercial Truck Driving program must be at least 18 years of age, achieve a minimum score on a placement test, provide a Motor Vehicle Report showing no more than eight points or four moving violations on the Georgia Violator Scale in the past three years and no DUI in the last five years, have a valid Georgia Driver’s License, have a valid AP License (CDL Learner’s License), provide Department of Transportation drug test no earlier than 30 days prior to class, and provide a DOT Physical Exam.
For more information contact SGTC Commercial Truck Driving Instructor Robert Cook at rcook@southgatech.edu or contact the SGTC admissions department at 229-931-2760 in Americus and 229-271-4051 in Cordele.