Truck Rodeo coming to SPAC on Saturday

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga-Warren-Washington Workforce Development Board (SWW WDB) is joining forces with local trucking companies to host the first Truck Rodeo on Saturday, Sept. 24 at SPAC in Saratoga Springs.

The event will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be multiple categories of vehicle classes, highlighting the variety of truck fleets across the region, according to a press release. The event will provide “a realistic job preview of roles and responsibilities of drivers,” the release states.

The event will also include a Touch-a-Truck corral and will have representatives from the Workforce Development Board on hand to discuss the industry. 

Truck driving “encompasses a variety of skills and responsibilities that provides options for driving vehicles of various sizes across diverse business sectors,” according to the release. The event is being held to help combat a regional shortage of CDL truck drivers.

Estimates from the American Trucking Association say there will be a need for 160,000 truck drivers nationwide by 2028. Federal training dollars and other funding opportunities are available to those seeking financial support, the release says, also noting that the qualification age to obtain a commercial driver’s license was lowered from 21 to 18 in May.

“The perceptions of driving a truck for a living are changing. We want to educate and inform our communities, demonstrate the skill level and professionalism of our trucking community, and highlight the regional opportunities and significant earning potential of this career path,” states the release.

For more information, contact SWW WDB Executive Director Gretchen Steffan at gsteffan.sww.wdb@gmail.com or 518-824-8883.