Edenton-Chowan, North Carolina — Thanks to the generosity of a local lumber company, students enrolled in Truck Driver Training at College of The Albemarle (COA) Edenton-Chowan now have additional equipment to use for the driving portion of the program.

The 1994 Fruehauf flatbed trailer, valued at $5,000, was gifted to COA by J.W. Jones Lumber Company, Inc. A family-owned and operated business, J.W. Jones Lumber Company was founded in 1939. The Elizabeth City-based company is a manufacturer of Southern Pine Specialty Lumber.

Robert Pippen worked as a vice president for J.W. Jones Lumber Company for 28 years. Mr. Pippen also serves as a member of COA’s Board of Trustees and as president of COA’s Alumni Association. He shared, “J.W. Jones Lumber Company has always supported the community and College of The Albemarle. We hope the gift of the flatbed trailer will add another dimension to the CDL program by providing a trailer that could be loaded with a product, giving the students the experience of driving the truck and trailer with added weight.”

“The generosity of our local businesses is what has built this program from the beginning,” stated Scott Breon, instructor/program coordinator for Truck Driver Training at COA. “Several of these folks have stepped up to help us get our new program going with minimal out-of-pocket expense for the college. We cannot possibly thank them enough!”

The Truck Driver Training program at COA – Edenton-Chowan is currently offered as a 10-week, day program from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Future plans for this year include expansion to an evening/weekend program. The next training session will start in May. Learn about the program’s schedule and enrollment requirements.