Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Love for trucking runs deep
WEST CHESTER >> Driving is in his blood.
Cleveland resident Chris Radvilavicius wondered what took him so long to learn to drive a big rig.
Radvilavicius is training to drive tractor trailers at the A. Duie Pyle yard on Westtown Road.
“I saw these young guys driving and I wondered why they can do it and I can’t,” he said.
Following an early morning classroom session, Radvilavi-
“I saw these young guys driving and I wondered why they can do it and I can’t.”
— Chris Radvilavicius
cius and seven fellow students took turns following a checklist, while inspecting a cab and trailer.
Radvilavicius talked about a childhood spent sitting in the rear facing seat of his parents’ ’72 Buick station wagon.
As semis rolled down the road he’d pump his arm and have the truckers blast their air horns, the student said.
“I even liked smelling diesel fuel,” he said with a smile.
But his love of riding on 18 wheels goes deeper.
“If you got it, a truck brought it,” he said.
One of the first things a student learns during eight weeks of formal training is how to safely climb up and into a cab, according to A. Duie Pyle director of loss prevention Pete Dannecker.
About 15-to-20 percent of the eight-week course is composed of classroom instruction. Time
is then split between exercises in the yard, and out on the road, in a truck marked “Student Driver.”
“The road route is very well defined, they’re not just driving around,” Dannecker said. “Each route is a different skill set. The first couple of times it’s pretty simple.”
The eight-week training program is followed by two weeks on the road with one-on-one instruction. As part of a controlled environment, for up to a year, drivers are trained to en- counter angry motorists, congestion, unusual situations and sudden changes in weather.
Prospective drivers typically earn their Commercial Driver’s License while in training and spend at least three months working on the dock.
While working the dock, students learn how to properly load a truck, what kind of freight is handled and the expectations of customers.
Rules posted in the classroom include, “#3: Keep your eyes moving” and “#5: Make sure they see you.” Students also learn to check their mirrors every eight to 10 seconds.
A. Duie Pyle trains about 40 students per year in West Chester, with the capability to train about 100 students yearly nationwide.
Bill Rundle, manager, said graduating students are certified through the Professional Truck Drivers Institute.
“We follow the institute’s standards,” Rundle said. “It’s our way of hiring and releasing drivers to drive.”
John Forgione, driver instructor, said he enjoys teaching. Student Robert Tobin of Rhode Island is thankful Forgione is there to lend a helping hand.
“It’s fun,” Tobin said about driving. “The first time it was a little bit of a challenge. It’s bigger and I have to watch for the trailer. I never forget I’m in a truck.”
Dannecker said the industry is short of drivers. With attrition and industry growth, trucking companies will need to hire 10,000 drivers during each of the next 10 years to meet a growing need. Pyle’s cost is about $20,000 per student for training.
“It’s expensive for us and we get no government funding – we’ve created a tangible, active program to add drivers to the work force,” Dannecker said. After training, students are not obliged to stay with A. Duie Pyle.
Most Pyle drivers work four 10-hour days and spend every night at home, while earning an average of $68,000 per year versus the industry average of $49,000, according to Dannecker.
About 125 Pyle drivers are based in West Chester, along with 300 administration staffers. There are about 800 A. Duie Pyle drivers nationwide. The company owns 700 to 750 trucks.
Dannecker was proud to say that the third generation helps manage the business and a fourth generation member of the 90-year-old family business is working for the company.