This story was originally published by CityView.
Fayetteville Technical Community College broke ground Monday on the first phase of the Regional Supply Chain Management & Logistics Center, a $21.2 million facility to train truck drivers and repair technicians.
The project is designed to meet regional workforce demands in the transportation, distribution and logistics industries, FTCC said. The transportation industry is in an ongoing national truck driver shortage, the school said. In August, the American Trucking Association predicted a shortage of 115,000 drivers this year.
The training facility will be built on 58 acres in western Fayetteville on Old Raeford Road, across the street from the Department of Veteran Affairs Fayetteville VA Health Care Center. It will lower enrollment waitlists and streamline the training-to-workforce pipeline across the region, FTCC President Mark Sorrells said at the groundbreaking ceremony.
“This facility will serve as a hub for truck driver training, supporting Fayetteville Tech, Bladen Community College and Robeson Community College,” Sorrells said. “The transportation industry urgently needs more qualified truck drivers to strengthen the supply chain for our state and nation. Our current programs are at full capacity, constrained by limited space for essential maneuvering training, with Fayetteville Tech facing a six-month waiting list.”
FTCC has partnerships with Robeson Community College and Bladen Community College, which allow students to undergo the classroom portions of the course at their community colleges before beginning the driving portion at Fayetteville Tech.
“This new facility will significantly expand training capacity across all three colleges, enabling us to produce more graduates to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in the transportation sector,” Sorrells said.
FTCC’s 10-week Commercial Driver’s License Program trains dozens of students each year with a 100% job placement rate, the school said. But limitations around space and equipment at the old training area on the Fayetteville campus have led to an enrollment waitlist that keeps students sidelined for as many as six months, according to FTCC.
The training center will be built in two phases.
Phase I is a truck pad spanning 600 by 900 feet, which will provide training space for students in the Commercial Driver’s License Program. It will allow for up to 14 tractor trailer trucks, as well as a shifting track and skid area. The first phase is scheduled to open in December 2025.
Phase II is a 5,000-square-foot building to accommodate classrooms, offices and a two-bay garage for vehicle maintenance. The facility will also house FTCC’s Fleet Maintenance Technician program. The second phase will go out to bid in early 2026, FTCC said.
The construction project is funded through $20.7 million from the state and a $500,000 grant from Golden LEAF Foundation. The Cannon Foundation Inc. and Charles A. Cannon Charitable Trusts also provided FTCC a $400,000 grant to purchase trucks, equipment and supplies, the school said.
“Fayetteville Tech extends heartfelt gratitude to Cumberland County’s delegation to the North Carolina General Assembly, particularly former Rep. John Szoka, for their leadership three years ago in securing critical funding to build a state-of-the-art regional truck driver training facility,” Sorrells said. “We also express deep appreciation to our valued funding partners, including the Golden LEAF Foundation, the N.C. Community College System, the Cannon Charitable Trust, and others, whose support made this vision a reality.”
“Every single dime we ever voted for to come to FTCC has been put to great use, without a doubt,” Szoka said. “That didn’t start with me in the legislature. That started well before, with people bringing money to FTCC — not just because it’s our local community college and we love it, but because FTCC gets the job done.”
Cumberland County Commissioners Chair Kirk deViere, who was serving in the state Senate when the legislature approved the $20.7 million in funding, said the new trucking campus is the result of a “shared commitment” to prepare students for the workforce.
“In today’s competitive economy, being career ready means more than just having a diploma. It means hands-on experience with tools, technology and real-world challenges that employers demand,” deViere said. “This state-of-the-art center will ensure that our students graduate, not just educated, but career ready and more importantly, job ready.”