The new Petroleum Safety and Technology Center will be training people for a job as important to oil and gas companies as the workers out in the fields, people that if they didn't have they wouldn't be able to get supplies in and out of the area.

These people are truck drivers with Commercial Drivers Licenses.

A new commercial drivers License (CDL) course will hold its first class beginning Oct. 5 at the center.

According to Commercial Driving Instructor David Hudson, the CDL course is a three week course designed to prepare drivers for their commercial drivers license tests at the Department of Motor Vehicles. It ends Oct. 23.

"For three days we go over all the regulations. Then there are five days set aside for backing skills and four or five days going through Department of Transportation regulations," said Hudson. Hudson said the course is a 120 hour course and also consists of 200-400 miles of defensive driving out on the road.

"We go out on the road and they'll learn things such as going up and down hills, shifting up and downshifting. It's to help prepare them for what they'll be experiencing on the job," said Hudson.

Hudson said major topics in the classroom portion of the course include defensive driving, information on hazardous materials and DOT regulations. One of the main things they need to familiarize themselves with is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations manual, which is a few hundred pages long.

"A lot of this is so they're ready for when they apply somewhere for a job they'll have the skills and knowledge they're required to have," said Hudson.

The class size is small, having only three students. Hudson said this is because they have to go through a very large amount of material quickly and a small class size is necessary to help students one-on-one.

Hudson said this also helps when everyone gets into one of their two semi-trucks or two semi-trailers to head out on the road in terms of teaching and space.

"We'll have a student driver, the instructor riding in the passenger seat and the other two students sitting in the back," said Hudson.

Hudson said the CDL training was a very common-sense course to offer at the Petroleum Center because it fills a need. He said all of the companies in the region need drivers and it makes sense for the center and Williston State College to collaborate on filling such a need.

One thing he said, from past experience, is that drivers tend to be surprised when they realize how much more complex the course is than it seems.

"I've had a few hop in the cab and are kind of surprised when they see realize it's not just backing in and out of places, putting the truck into gear and driving," said Hudson.

Hudson said from courses he's taught in the past, the majority of drivers do quite well and pass the class. However the occasional person does come up short.

"If they do fail, they can come back and try again. Every now and then we will have someone who just doesn't have the skills or mindset to handle it and we have to tell him that after three or four tries," said Hudson.

Hudson said the work to bring a CDL course to the Petroleum Center began about three or four months ago. He said it took until October to start the class because there was a lot of paperwork to go through and supplies to gather.

"We had a lot of paperwork with the DOT regulations, insurance, and then we had to get the trucks, equipment and instructor. This kind of thing doesn't happen overnight," said Hudson.

As for how frequently the class will be held, Hudson said it'll likely be starting out slow.

He said ultimately he'd like to see it being taught once a month at the Petroleum Center, but as of right now they're looking at doing a class in Minot in November and then in Dickinson or elsewhere soon after that.

Until the demand begins to build more in Williston, Hudson said they'll teach a course wherever they can pull together a full class.

But he said with all the oil activity in the area and with the need for qualified drivers, he believes the course will become a solid asset to the center.

"I think it's going to do pretty well. There's a lot of people in the area I think who could do this job," said Hudson.

The Commercial Drivers License course is taught at the Petroleum Safety and Technology Center, located at 421 22nd Ave. East.

For more information on the course or on upcoming courses, call (701) 572-2834.