Harley Wilkinson enrolled in the Accelerate program in August of 2022, hoping to obtain his forklift certification and CDL-A license. He was nothing short of exceptional; from the first day he enrolled, he knew what he wanted and what it took to turn things around in his life. He displayed a great amount of hope and determination by asking questions, explaining his concerns, and being vulnerable because he was stepping into a new career field.

Harley was a wonderful individual to work with. He has confidence like no other that carried over into his training and to him ultimately finding employment. Harley stated, “I have always thought about being a truck driver but didn’t know where to start or the resources I needed to get over the hurdles I had throughout my life. When I learned about the Accelerated program, the staff was very welcoming and open to my situation. The Accelerate team has allowed me to challenge myself in areas I haven’t thought of, and because of that, I am thankful to have been with this program. Now I have my CDL-A and am headed in the right direction.”

Harley obtained his CDL-A in late September of 2022. He is a driver at Quality Transport Company in Freeport, IL, and will begin driving on the road in the coming weeks.

Ivan attended the first "Let’s Talk Trucking" informational session that the Accelerate program facilitated at the end of January 2022. He was very engaged in conversation with the speakers; he asked many questions and discussed the things he already knew about the trucking industry. Ivan enrolled in the Accelerate program in February 2022, started the 160 Truck Driving Academy by the end of February 2022, and obtained his CDL-A certification and license by March 2022.

Ivan stated, “I appreciate the staff at the Accelerate program. Thank you all for believing in me and making me feel like I can accomplish my goals”.

Now that Ivan has obtained his CDL-A, he will work with his father in the trucking industry.