Smith earns CDL examiner certification after two years of training
After two years of training, Micheal Smith has earned certification as a third-party commercial driver’s license examiner for Meridian Community College, expanding the college’s capacity to administer CDL skills exams.
The achievement adds a new responsibility to Smith’s role as an instructor in MCC’s Commercial Truck Driving Program. In addition to preparing students for careers behind the wheel, he is now qualified to evaluate the skills required to earn a CDL.
“This has been a lengthy process that required a lot of training, time, and commitment on his part,” said Jimmy Rigdon, MCC Commercial Truck Driving Program coordinator and Industrial Technology Division chair.
Rigdon said Smith’s certification gives MCC another examiner and will benefit students as they work toward earning their licenses.
For Smith, mastering the precise testing limits and specifications was the most challenging part of the certification process. Completing it was both a personal goal and an opportunity to help the program move forward.
As an examiner, Smith also hopes to help students feel more comfortable during the inspection, maneuvers, and road portions of the exam.
“I hear the words ‘test anxiety’ too much,” Smith said.
His goal is to create a relaxed testing atmosphere while students demonstrate their skills.
Smith brings decades of driving experience to his work. He began driving on dirt roads in 1990, and his background includes construction and land clearing, 17 years of over-the-road driving, and more than 1 million consecutive safe miles. He has also driven a church bus and dispatched nightly bread routes.
He said watching students build their knowledge and seeing their excitement when they pass the exam are among the most rewarding parts of teaching.
MCC’s eight-week Commercial Truck Driving Program combines classroom instruction with road driving. Students study safety, U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, shifting, logbooks, trip paperwork, map reading, and cargo handling.
A truck driving simulator helps students prepare for road training, and each student logs at least 20 hours behind the wheel with different loads and driving conditions. Students must pass the DOT commercial driver written examination and obtain a CDL. Those who complete the initial training can enroll in an internship, working under a company trainer for up to eight weeks.
Smith encourages prospective students to ask questions, consider how truck driving fits their goals, and give the training their best effort.
“When you look back years from now, be able to be proud of your decisions,” he said.
For more information, visit meridiancc.edu/truckdriving.