Duck Hill’s Commerical Trucking School is underway, and the owner, Willie Adgerson said he plans to open by Jan. 2, 2023, if he can get it together by then. If not, it will open by July 4 and the inquiries for the classes are already coming in.
Adgerson told the board he was 65 percent of the way finished, but there were a few steps he was still completing. He told the Duck Hill Board of Aldermen that he’s working on accreditation, which means making sure his instructors are certified.
“If I can’t get them certified, then I’m spinning my wheels and wasting everyone’s time,” he said.
He said he was also working with Wallace Madison on finding a building to rent.
“I can’t do it out of a personal residence, so I have to have someone to rent it to me,” he said. Adgerson also said he was working on obtaining the business license for the trucking school. Adgerson told the board he was looking at the old baseball field to hold the classes.
“Because it’s open, and it’s out of the way,” he said.
Adgerson said he has about 250 people who have already expressed interest in the school.
“Can you house that many people?” Alderwoman Shernell Everett asked.
“No, we can only have between eight to 15 people to a class due to COVID,” he said. “But, we’re going to have three classes. There’s going to be morning class that will be four weeks that will be from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., there will be an evening class for those who work but want to get their CDLs [Commercial Driver License], from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. and there will be a weekend class for those that can only come on the weekend that will be eight weeks long.”
Adgerson said they want the school to cover everyone and for those who may have children and do not have childcare, they are working with the local daycare in Duck Hill, Little World, to provide childcare.
Everett asked if it would be leased to Adgerson and could he put a structure there.
Board Attorney Adam Kirk said the town would have to lease it to Anderson, they couldn’t just give it to him. He couldn’t place a permanent structure there, but he could place a temporary one.
“Oh no, I don’t want to put a permanent structure. There will be trailers there, three at the most. Two for classes and one for a break area,” he said.
Adgerson also held a small question and answer Tuesday afternoon from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. to answer any questions the public had about the trucking school.
