Demarious Hixson, Sr. of Plains was the first student to complete South Georgia Technical College’s new Log Truck Driver Safety Training program. He is currently employed with Sumter Trucking Company, Inc. in Americus, GA.
The South Georgia Technical College Log Truck Driving Training program is designed to reduce accidents through enhanced driver training and to recruit new, safety-focused drivers to deliver a sustainable wood fiber supply chain. It teaches drivers Team Safe Trucking and how to safely drive log trucks. The program is endorsed by major forest products insurers.
In the first Team Safe Trucking module, driver condition, qualification, loading and unloading, vehicle condition and introduction to Team Safe Trucking are covered. The second module discusses clearances, distracted driving, preventing rollovers, and speeding.
Other course work includes: speed and space management, rural driving and how important health and rest are for drivers and how to avoid stress and tailgating. The drivers also receive accident training and prevention and learn about what to do, what to say, and what pictures to take in the event of an accident. They also discuss hazards in the mills, and in the woods.
Drivers undergo training involving pre-trip inspection, coupling and uncoupling, and log hours in a log truck simulator as well as driver training on the road which includes two lanes, four lanes, and wood roads. The final portion of the course involves a ride along with potential employer, CPR/First Aid and DOT inspection. Once every aspect of the course has been completed, the drivers are awarded a certificate.
For more information about this program or to sign up for the course, contact Tami Blount at 229-931-2040 or tblount@southgatech.edu.