The Veterans Education Career Transition Resource (VECTR) Center in Warner Robins recently received a federal grant for more than $100,000.
People are already taking advantage of this grant, which should give them a commercial driving license in two months.
Some of those students at the VECTR Center spend their day learning about the 'ins and outs' of driving an 18-wheeler. One of those students is Melvin Jones; his father served in the Vietnam War.
Because of his dad's service, Jones qualifies for training to get his Commercial Drivers License.
"What interested me the most was bettering myself [and] better life for myself and my family," Jones said.
Jones is one of five people taking these classes for free this year. It's funded by a federal grant to get veterans and their dependents driving trucks.
"It supplies the funding to come to this program completely free, so it pays their tuition and their fees. We even give reimbursement for their driver licenses...they have to get it to go to their second course," said COO Patrica Ross.
Course program instructor Scott Wheeler says it's needed because of a national shortage of drivers.
"The average age is 60 years old, so a lot of the new people are not coming into truck driving. We are trying to find a way to get these people to come into this and teach them what truck driving is all about," Wheeler said.
Ross says the grant incentive is growing their numbers.
"We have quite a list of folks signed up for January, we have a waiting list to get though folks enrolled," Ross said.
While folks continue to sign up, Jones is already thinking about his future since the class is only eight weeks long.
"I'm going to weigh my options out and see which way I want to do. [I'll] talk it over with my wife and we will take it from there," Jones said.
The VECTR Center first starting offering the CDL program in 2016, but the new grant will allow them to welcome 35 students through next summer.