Here at Advanced Career Institute, we value each student that walks through our doors. From the time they enroll, we want to help our students put the best foot forward toward their new career. We help our students earn a variety of endorsements in hazardous materials, air brakes, and tankers. Now imagine that your CDL tanker endorsement leads you to deliver key ingredients for rocket fuel at a well-known launch site. One of our graduates, Logan, got the chance to live this moment for himself after graduating from ACI, and we want to tell his story.
Logan attended both our Visalia and Fresno campuses earlier this year, graduating just a few months ago. Before getting his tanker endorsement with us, Logan was doing something else exciting – loading helicopters. Working with the agricultural community, he helped prep helicopters to crop dust fields. Although, this wasn’t the job he wanted to have for the next 30 years, he wanted something more reliable.
A New Path with Purpose: Why Logan Chose a CDL Career
“I wanted a more reliable and steady income. Acquiring a CDL makes you employable in the 49 continental states,” he states, “I wanted to always have steady employment to help raise my kids.”
After multiple people recommended Advanced Career Institute, Logan chose to enroll at our Visalia campus.. When asked about his experience at both the Visalia and Fresno campuses, he had nothing but kind things to say about the staff members. From start to finish, there were staff members and instructors that helped him to succeed.
“Melissa was so perfect at the pre-trip and wouldn’t allow anyone to cut corners, she didn’t want to make us unsafe drivers.”
More Than Just a Job: Driving Toward Rocket Launch Sites
In the short time following his training with ACI, Logan found himself employed quickly. Logan started to drive tanker trucks with a lot of different contents. One of these deliveries being calumet – an inactive ingredient in rocket fuel. While it’s considered a non-hazmat material, Logan is working toward getting his hazmat endorsement. This is so that he can deliver more materials to popular launch sites. This would include hauling hazmat and doubles, so that he can haul all the materials needed for rocket fuel.
While rocket fuel is not the only delivery Logan makes, his contract doing so has helped others. Most notably, he delivered materials to a launch station preparing to retrieve Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station in March of this year.
Eyes on the Horizon: What’s Next for Logan in Trucking
“Since graduating, I’ve hauled tankers, pneumatics, low beds, flatbeds, as well as bottom-dump and side-dump trailers – all for the same company.” He explained, “I’ve already got to haul eight different types of trailers over the course of two months.”
Logan has been working hard from the beginning to give himself every opportunity in the trucking industry. He actively pursued his hazmat certification and licenses as a bulk milk hauler and sampler. This helped him gain valuable experience with each haul he completed. By making himself skilled in so many parts of the trucking field, he’s been able to assists companies like Kinder Morgan and Harris Ranch in transporting their products.
We asked Logan what he would tell any future students at ACI. His best advice for future CDL drivers: apply yourself.
“Don’t let any personal distractions come in the way of your future goals,” Logan recommends, “Once you get your CDL and find your place of employment, it’s a major relief.”
He also mentions how important your driving record is for success in the CDL industry. He even made a comparison between a drivers performance and their resume. ACI is here to help each and every one of our students understand the importance of driver safety. Logan got to experience that first-hand at our Fresno campus.
“I 100% know that Fresno will create a safe driver, and it will help them to acquire their CDL without fail if they attend that campus.”
If you’re ready to launch yourself into a career in trucking, reach out to us today to get started! To learn what the California requirements are for tanker endorsements, click here.
