'Truck Rodeo' hopes to inspire future truckers
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) - There's a rodeo coming to town. No, it's not the Adirondack Stampede coming to Glens Falls in November. Instead, this rodeo is all about trucks - and about encouraging more people to get Commercial Driver's Licenses to operate them.
The first Saratoga-Warren-Washington Counties Truck Rodeo is set for this Saturday, Sept. 24, at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. The rodeo is a chance for companies and organizations to send truck fleets into competition with one another, to show off different types of trucks and highlight the profession to visitors looking for a change in career.
Representatives from the Saratoga-Warren-Washington Workforce Development Board will be onsite to educate the community on all of the ins and outs of the industry. The rise of e-commerce and the COVID-19 pandemic have both pushed the number of needed drivers higher. According to estimates from the American Trucking Association, it is likely that 160,000 new drivers will be needed by 2028.
The rodeo is a collaboration between the Workforce Development Board and area truck businesses. Information will be available for those who want to learn more about acquiring a Class A or Class B trucking license.