May 3—SANBORN — A new workforce development program for truck drivers at Niagara County Community College has been put on hold due to its partner shutting down.
The National Tractor Trailer School, which ran a location on Katherine Street in Buffalo, was shut down by its parent company last week. It was going to work with NCCC to bring a Commercial Truck Driving School Licensure program to the main campus.
Brian Michel, assistant to the vice president of economic development at NCCC, said the program was going to start on June 1 but had to be delayed until this summer. The college has to bid to find a new partner to work with.
"There is an opportunity for a viable program," Michel said. "We have the pieces ready to go."
No students had registered for the program yet.
A press release NCCC put out said the program would provide a combination of hands-on instruction and class-based lectures. Program requirements include possessing a high school diploma or equivalent, being 21 years or older, passing a Department of Transportation physical and drug screening, having a driving record suitable for industry employment, meeting DOT requirement for employment, and have proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
Program tuition costs $7,870, which includes books, permit fee, a road test fee, drug screening and physical.
NTTS started teaching drivers in 1971, operating campuses in Liverpool, New York starting in 1977 and Buffalo starting in 1990. In 2019, NTTS was acquired by Phoenix-based Swift Transportation, a subsidiary Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings. it added The Swift Driving Academy in Phoenix was made a branch in 2021.
The school's website says it is not accepting new enrollments as of April 27.