Celebrating ATDS CDL Graduates and a First of Its Kind Milestone for Our Region
Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area (WSRCA) proudly celebrated the recent graduates of ATDS Truck Driving School, most of whom came from the Giddings area. Many completed CDL training with funding and support through WSRCA programs, turning career goals into real opportunity and long term stability.
The graduation also marked a historic first for our region.
For the first time in the Rural Capital Area, one individual from the Federal Correctional Institution Bastrop completed CDL training and graduated alongside community peers. This milestone reflected nearly a year of intentional planning, steady relationship building, and a shared commitment to creating new pathways. Through the PROWD grant and strong collaboration with the Bureau of Prisons, the Federal Government, and the staff at FCI Bastrop, WSRCA and its partners launched a workforce solution that had not previously existed in our region.
While the first cohort included a single correctional participant, the impact reached far beyond one individual. This effort laid critical groundwork to expand programming, increase participation, and strengthen workforce reentry opportunities moving forward. It also reaffirmed WSRCA’s role in the reentry space and its commitment to career pathways that include all residents.
A New Path Forward Through Partnership
This initiative showed what happens when workforce partners stay focused on solutions and long term outcomes. Local residents made up the majority of the graduating class, while federal and educational partners worked alongside WSRCA to bring a new model to life.
WSRCA staff worked persistently with ATDS and federal partners to align funding, training requirements, and program expectations. That groundwork created a repeatable framework that supports future cohorts and sustained collaboration.
How WSRCA Empowers Opportunity Through PROWD
The PROWD grant, short for Partners for Reentry Opportunities in Workforce Development, allows WSRCA to support individuals as they prepare to transition from incarceration into employment. Funded through a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Labor, PROWD connects workforce services across three stages, beginning inside a Federal Correctional Institution, continuing through Residential Reentry Centers, and extending into the community after release.
This structure creates continuity, reduces gaps, and keeps individuals connected to training, support services, and career pathways. In the Rural Capital Area, PROWD made it possible to introduce CDL training inside the FCI for the first time, reinforcing WSRCA’s focus on early engagement, employer aligned training, and long term workforce success.
Why CDL Careers Matter Right Now
Heavy and tractor trailer truck drivers continue to play a critical role in the economy. These professionals drive tractor trailer combinations or trucks with a gross vehicle weight of at least 26,001 pounds and keep goods, materials, and services moving across industries. Many roles also include unloading and local delivery responsibilities and require a commercial drivers license.
Texas Career Check data confirms what employers already know. Demand for CDL drivers continues to grow.
Employment for heavy and tractor trailer truck drivers is expected to increase by 19.37%. In Texas alone, employment is projected to grow from more than 226,000 drivers to over 270,000 by 2032. Each year through 2032, Texas expects more than 30,000 job openings due to growth and turnover.
A Lucrative and Accessible Career Path
CDL driving offers strong wages and a clear return on investment. The average annual wage for this occupation is $56,475. In 2024, the statewide average hourly wage reached $27.15, closely tracking the national average of $28.08 per hour.
This career path remains accessible. Most workers in this occupation hold a high school diploma or equivalent, according to O*Net data. That makes CDL training a practical option for individuals ready to enter the workforce quickly without pursuing a four year degree.
Where CDL Jobs Are Growing
CDL drivers support a wide range of industries, creating flexibility and stability for jobseekers. National employment patterns show strong demand across sectors, including:
- Couriers and express delivery services, employing 3.1% of drivers with steady growth
- Support activities for road transportation, employing 2.4%
- Specialty trade contractors, employing 2.4%
- Waste collection, employing 2.1% with continued growth
This diversity allows drivers to pursue local routes, regional hauling, or industry specific roles that align with their goals and lifestyles.
Removing Barriers, Creating Opportunity
Graduates entered training with different goals, but WSRCA programs helped clear a path forward. Funding support, career counseling, and employer connections made training accessible for local residents and supported a new entry point for individuals preparing to reenter the workforce.
The correctional participant’s success reinforced the value of persistence and partnership. By investing time in planning and alignment, WSRCA helped open doors that will remain open for others.
The Role of ATDS and Employer Aligned Training
ATDS Training School has served as a trusted training provider since 1982, helping thousands of students earn their Class A CDL and launch high paying careers in the trucking industry. Their program emphasizes safety, hands on learning, and real world experience, giving students the skills and confidence to succeed behind the wheel.
That long standing expertise, combined with employer aligned instruction, ensures graduates enter the workforce prepared to meet industry expectations. When training reflects real world needs, graduates gain confidence, employers gain skilled talent, and communities grow stronger.
More Than a Graduation, A Signal of What Is Possible
This graduation represented both individual achievement and system level progress. It showed how local residents can access high value careers and how intentional groundwork can expand opportunity in new spaces.
WSRCA will continue building on this momentum by expanding partnerships, strengthening its presence in the reentry space, and creating pathways into business and industry endorsed occupations that support strong wages and long term stability.
Congratulations to the Graduates
To every ATDS CDL graduate, congratulations. You committed to the work, completed the training, and stepped into a career with real demand and real opportunity.
WSRCA remains proud to support your success and committed to ensuring opportunity stays accessible across the Rural Capital Area.
