The State of the CDL School and why Spartan CDL Training is Rising to the Top.

A discussion with Demetra Lawrence - Compliance Coordinator. 

What is the current state of CDL training and why SpartanCDLtraining.com is rising to the top. 

Learn more and apply today: SpartanCDLtraining.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Mike Vincent, the dude. Special report from the truckheads. There we go. Yeah. I got Demetra Lawrence. Also known as D.

unknown 0:17

Hi.

SPEAKER_02 0:19

You're compliance coordinator, right?

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Yes, I am the compliance coordinator.

SPEAKER_02 0:23

Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 0:24

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 0:25

Tell some people. Tell us about yourself a little bit and what your role is at Spartan Carrier Group.

SPEAKER_00 0:31

Sure. I, as was mentioned, my name is Demetra Lawrence. Everyone here calls me D. D. Or Miss D. I'm the compliance coordinator at Spartan Carrier Group. Basically, we are a little bit about us. We are a Christian veteran-owned trucking and CDL training company based in Fort Worth.

SPEAKER_02 0:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 0:52

My role covers our compliance functions across the country, everything from carrier vetting and brokerage operations to dispatching, workflows, and regulatory compliance. So I am also the primary point of contact for our CDL school division, Spartan CDL training, which is really exciting because it lets me combine my compliance background with helping shape the next generation of professional drivers.

SPEAKER_02 1:17

I love it. I love it. Because we need it, right? Yes, definitely. The next generation of drivers are looking at the industry going, what do I do?

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Exactly.

unknown 1:27

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 1:27

Right. Who's gonna teach who's gonna show me the way?

SPEAKER_00 1:30

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:31

And it's gonna be Spartan CDL training and Miss D. She's the one who's gonna show you the way.

SPEAKER_00 1:36

We are here to help.

SPEAKER_02 1:37

I think I got the wrong camera on here. Hold on a second. Oh, that's even better. Look at that. Cool. Now it's both of us on camera, which is cool because now they can see us both talking. It's fantastic. So uh why Spartan carried why Spartan carriers decide to do a CDO?

SPEAKER_00 1:56

Well, we uh saw firsthand from the carrier and brokerage side of our business um just how much demand there is for well-trained, safety-minded drivers. Um, rather than just competing for existing drivers in a tight labor market, we wanted to help grow the pipeline ourselves and do it the right way with strong compliance foundations, um, quality instruction, and the values our company was built on.

SPEAKER_02 2:21

I love it. So I'm gonna go off script here for a second. Sure. Just for a quick second. Yes. You're personally you.

SPEAKER_00 2:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 2:30

Why are you involved?

SPEAKER_00 2:32

I have been in logistics for a number of years. Not gonna say my age, but a number of years. I've been in it for 37. Can you beat that? No, I can't beat that. Then you're all good.

SPEAKER_02 2:42

You're all good. I started when I was two. No, I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

So it's been a number of years. I've worked with uh logistics companies as a dispatcher, um, even had my own small um brokerage firm. Oh, is that right? Yes, I did. Fantastic. Yeah, a while back. And um, and then my other career that coincides with this, I am a certified paralegal. Oh, really? I yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

So I'm that's the compliance side. Because that's really super important, right? I mean, okay, so let's get into this. So I mean, because that brings us to why CDL and what you guys are building there. But let's go back on script here. So, what we want to really convey is someone who's never thought much about trucking, right? Why should they care? Why should they look into this industry, especially right now when they're looking at drivers being drunk, yanked off? I mean, the the general public sees this as, oh, they're driving down the road, somebody pulls them and goes, You can't speak English, you out of here.

SPEAKER_00 3:42

Right.

SPEAKER_02 3:42

You know what I'm saying? That ain't that's not really what's happening, but why should they be looking at this industry?

SPEAKER_00 3:48

Well, if you look around every day, you see trucks everywhere. That's how we get everything. Almost everything people touch in a day got to them on a truck at some point. Yeah. Um, the food in the in their fridge, the clothes on their back, the materials that built their house. Trucking is the um connective issue, tissue, you know, of the economy. So if trucks stop moving, shells empty out within days. And it's easy to take for granted because it happens in the background, but it's it's foundational.

SPEAKER_02 4:21

Um it is foundational. It is also a major issue. Not only the tissue, it is the issue. Remember when there was no tissue and that was the issue?

SPEAKER_00 4:30

And tell me why when we go through a small crisis, the first thing everyone grabs is tissue.

SPEAKER_02 4:37

Well, it's the same thing when a tornado comes. Let's go buy everything that is that is perishable. Just in case the electricity goes out, I'd like to have my stock with perishable items. Yes. Give me all the milk and eggs you can get, right? And raw chicken. Give me all that type of stuff. You can cook the chicken in the sun. Unbelievable. How so answer me this how big is the industry right now? And it's like kind of framing what's the opportunity out there for somebody who's looking to do a job, right? And a great job.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

Yeah, there is a driver shortage. Um it's still a real thing, even in 2026, it is. Um, though the exact number depends on who you ask. Um, the American Trucking Association has put the 2026 shortfall anywhere from about 60,000 to over 80,000 drivers. Um, and some projections show a lot of drivers. That is. And some of the projections show that gap growing toward 160,000 plus by the early 2030s. Um, yeah, if current trend holds. So what's not in dispute is the demographic pressure behind it. The average truck driver is now in their late 40s to 50s, yeah. You know, retiring and outpacing, and new drivers entering the field, roughly two to one. And the industry needs to bring in fresh people, fresh men. Oh, wow, yeah, yeah. Something like one to two million new drivers over the next decade just to replace retirees and keep up with you know the freight growth.

SPEAKER_02 6:15

So why is this such an important, important thing? Why is it so important to the economy? Because, you know, we and it's and it's interesting because in my career over 37 years, well, almost 38 years now, has been, you know, it goes in and out of favor, right? I mean, it was super cool when I was to drive around my dad and he had a CB in his in his uh uh in his in his car, right? In the 70s. They had a CBs after, you know, like 10-4 rubber ducky. I don't know if you remember, you know, Convoy and those movies and that type of stuff, right? Was and then it got kind of, you know, they were the cowboys. The Wild West was really the drivers. And it got it was cool for a while, then it wasn't so cool for a while. Now it got really important during the pandemic, and everybody's like, oh, they're the heroes of the world. And now it's kind of like, well, they kind of forgot about them again, right? But I mean, these are the unsung heroes. These are really important, important jobs, right? Right.

SPEAKER_00 7:07

Right. Very important jobs. We need trucks. We need from the boat, we need freight, basically.

SPEAKER_02 7:16

Everything we need is freight is freight. Or was at one time, right?

SPEAKER_00 7:20

So from the from the ship cargo to the to the to the port to get on a truck, to go to the store.

SPEAKER_02 7:28

Well, we're we're right next to Alliance Airport right over here, right? And you can see freighters flying in all day long. All day, right? They don't get anywhere unless a truck meets that plane.

SPEAKER_00 7:38

Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 7:39

Doesn't go anywhere.

SPEAKER_00 7:40

And then on after that, is on a van, Amazon van coming to your house.

SPEAKER_02 7:46

My little wife loves those news vans.

SPEAKER_00 7:48

I do too.

SPEAKER_02 7:49

She thinks they're so cute. She's like, I love them.

SPEAKER_00 7:51

They pass my house every day.

SPEAKER_02 7:53

They don't pass our house ever. They stop.

SPEAKER_00 7:58

Maybe I should have said that.

SPEAKER_02 8:00

They stop every day. Yeah, they stop at your house every day. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:05

So everything we need comes from off of a truck, a boat, a plane. Yeah? So that's how we get our commodities from everywhere.

SPEAKER_02 8:15

And and it's not just the commodities. It's not like the stuff that your husband or wife or child bought accidentally. Remember when that girl bought like a $50,000 thing accidentally on Lexus? Or that story. But uh what I'm saying is it's it's everything important.

SPEAKER_00 8:29

Everything important.

SPEAKER_02 8:30

It comes on a truck too.

SPEAKER_00 8:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:32

Right. I mean, it's national security is run and determined by infrastructure.

SPEAKER_01 8:38

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 8:38

That's why your best, your, your strongest companies or countries actually have infrastructure. Right?

SPEAKER_00 8:45

Just look at it, right? Exactly. Exactly. Um I do want to touch on um, you know who should be looking at this career?

SPEAKER_02 8:57

Let me ask you that. Who what kind of people should be looking at this type of career?

SPEAKER_00 9:02

Anyone who is interested in a career change or has been driving already, but not satisfied where they are, um, and just want to enhance their their their quality, I guess. Um you know, just to get that under their belt. Um, because it's a good career.

SPEAKER_02 9:22

And who tends to succeed in this type of career? What kind of personality? Are there people out there going, hmm, is this for me? Maybe it is. And they can kind of self-assess a little bit. Um, you know, is it a the veteran, do the veterans, is this a good, a good career for uh veterans specifically coming out of the forces?

SPEAKER_00 9:40

Well, someone who's discipline, values the independence, and takes safety and responsibility seriously. Um, you're often out on your own managing your schedule, your rest, your paperwork, and your vehicle inspection. So people who thrive tend to be self-starters.

SPEAKER_02 9:56

So an entrepreneurial spirit is there, right? Exactly. Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 10:01

And respect to structure and the rules because this is a heavily regulated profession. Um, also in this career path for veterans specifically, um is a great fit, honestly. A lot of the skills that transfer transfer well, disciplined, following procedures, operating and maintaining equipment, working under a chain of accountability, or things veterans already bring with them. Um that part of why being veteran-owned matters so much to us. And we understand that transition and uh we've built a culture that respects it.

SPEAKER_02 10:34

Yeah, absolutely. It's a great culture. That's why I joined.

SPEAKER_00 10:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:38

I mean, I went out of the industry for like four years thinking I'm never going back in. And then Carlos called me and said, Hey, I came here and checked things out and went, Yeah, this is where I want to be.

SPEAKER_01 10:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:47

This is where I want to be. And so we've talked about before uh you and I, and and and probably other people throughout history probably had the same conversations. Look, I can't, you can't drive home from here without following the truck that says, hey, hire on with us because you're gonna make you know 20 a quarter million dollars a year, be home every night, and you know, no weekends you're ever gonna work. And and it's just fantastic. You get a brand new truck every single day, uh, and you know, all of this stuff is unrealistic. And right now, that's under scrutiny, right? I mean, the BS meters are are very sharp in this industry. They know it because they've been fed it all day long, the drivers and potential drivers. CDL schools are closing 9,500 already.

SPEAKER_01 11:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:33

And it's more every month.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:35

Why? What makes Barton CDL training different? Why should somebody go, you know what, I want to get it to be a driver? That's the place.

SPEAKER_00 11:42

Yeah, we're not just a school bolted onto a trucking company. Um, we built by people who live in the carrier and brokerage side of the business every day. Um, our compliance team, dispatch team, and carrier vetting processes all feed directly into how we train students. Um, students aren't just learning to pass a driving test. They're learning what the industry actually expects of a professional compliant driver.

SPEAKER_02 12:10

Yeah, I mean, yeah, that means because if they're if they're looking for just uh a CDL, you get that in a lot of places. But you need to know that when you get when when it hits the fan, you know what to do. You prepare to do that.

SPEAKER_00 12:26

Exactly. Exactly. Yes, yes, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 12:30

So what does that look like for a student? How do how do they achieve that or how do we impart that to them?

SPEAKER_00 12:37

Yes, sir. So we build a structure, um, structured curriculum with a rotating instructional schedule that makes classroom learning, drive and range time, and road training um in a balanced way. Um so students aren't just doing one thing repetitively four days on the end. It's a deliberate mix that keeps students engaged and builds well-rounded skills. Um so we have a program that meets the state requirements.

SPEAKER_02 13:07

Okay, yeah, I was gonna ask you that next, right? Because that's difficult.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

It is. You gotta know what you're doing.

SPEAKER_02 13:13

You got well, and you you can't just do state requirements.

SPEAKER_00 13:16

No, you can't. Right?

SPEAKER_02 13:18

I mean, we just learned that with the $604 million nuclear verdict on C. H. Robinson, you can't just do what the government tells you to do. You got to prove you've done what you've done exactly.

SPEAKER_00 13:29

Yeah, so go ahead with that.

SPEAKER_02 13:30

How do we know that Spartan CDL training is meeting those requirements? Yes, and exceeding those requirements.

SPEAKER_00 13:38

So compliance. I like that. Compliance is baked um into everything we do.

SPEAKER_02 13:47

It better be you, the compliance director.

SPEAKER_00 13:49

Yeah. That's literally my job.

SPEAKER_02 13:52

Literally, literally D's job.

SPEAKER_00 13:54

We follow Texas Workforce Commission requirements under Texas Education Code chapter 132 and um the TAC chapter 807, um, which covering everything from admissions and enrollment agreements to advertising standards and required student disclosures, things of that sort. Um, so we have built our own internal checklists and enrollment documentation specifically to make sure every student's experience is transparent, properly documented, and fully compliant from day one.

SPEAKER_02 14:27

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 14:29

So we have to stay on that.

SPEAKER_02 14:30

Yeah, I love the I love the aspect as well that we have the ability to teach the um, or I've heard the the the the curriculum can be taught in their native language.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 14:44

But then all the testing and proficiency is done in English. So you can impart the actual concepts are are understood fully, but then when they leave, they can pass English proficiency.

SPEAKER_00 14:56

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 14:57

Right? Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 14:58

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_02 14:58

How important that's that's really that's not just important to the driver, but to the business, right? I mean businesses looking to hire should be like looking at a school like this, no?

SPEAKER_00 15:08

Oh, definitely. Yeah, we're ready. We're we're we have all kind of programs after graduation that we can assist um the graduates with. Um as far as um after graduation, you can go to work for us. Um we have um networking um companies that we network with that hire. We have a staffing company as well.

SPEAKER_01 15:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:32

Um that um we can hire them on. So it's not just so it's we're pretty much a one-stop shop.

SPEAKER_02 15:39

So I mean, right now we're darn near 100% placement into jobs, right? If not at 100%.

SPEAKER_00 15:46

Yes. Everybody who's graduated has a job.

SPEAKER_02 15:48

Has been in a job and they're just has a job right after graduation. Yeah, that is fantastic. Definitely. That is fantastic. And still there. So, okay, I'm interested. How do I enroll?

SPEAKER_00 15:59

Oh, okay. First of all, not me, Carlos.

SPEAKER_02 16:02

Not for real, I'm pretending.

SPEAKER_00 16:05

So it starts with an outreach and phone screening conversation to understand where someone is in their journey. Um, everyone has a different journey and answer, um, we can answer their initial questions. Um, from there, students go through a clear enrollment acknowledgement process. So there are no surprises about what the program includes, what's expected of them, and what it costs.

SPEAKER_02 16:26

Um speaking of that, there's different options, right?

SPEAKER_00 16:29

Yes, there's different options. We have self-pay, if you decide you want to use your credit card and pay for school. We also have where you can get financing. We um partner with a couple of financing companies that help you as well. Um, that, and really what I like about this particular company um that we finance with, it doesn't matter your credit score.

SPEAKER_02 16:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:51

So that should that will not be an issue, you know, when you apply. Um, then there's um uh work workforce commission. Um, they have a grant right now that they're implementing so that students who want to go back to school can also um go through them, you know, and see about funding as well.

SPEAKER_02 17:13

You talk about veterans. Do we do the GI Bill yet?

SPEAKER_00 17:16

We are working on that totally. Um, we're stressing that a lot. Um, our CEO Carlos is pressing that issue, you know, making sure every day he's um attaining to that so that way we can get tuned. Yes, so that we can get that as well, because uh both our um owners are veterans. Right. So they do understand the importance of that as well. So um, yeah, so I don't want anyone to fear that I'm not worthy or I don't know if I can do this. If it's something you think you want to do and believe in your heart that you want to do it, just give us a call and we'll go through the steps with you and and let you know um, you know, what the processes are so that way you can feel more comfortable in making your decision.

SPEAKER_02 18:02

I mean the Lord tells us we're all worthy.

SPEAKER_00 18:04

Exactly. Right?

SPEAKER_02 18:05

Follow your calling, follow your calling, he will give you the strength.

SPEAKER_00 18:08

Yes, and move when he says move.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 18:13

Don't go back and forth with it. If he says go ahead, just go ahead and do it.

SPEAKER_02 18:18

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because you're gonna have to do it eventually anyway, right?

SPEAKER_00 18:21

Eventually.

SPEAKER_02 18:22

It's like fighting your mom. I'm eating new I eat those beans.

SPEAKER_00 18:24

And for me, it's all but you're gonna eat those beans. You're gonna eat those beans, you might as well do it.

SPEAKER_02 18:30

Yes. What would you say to somebody who's listening or watching this going, hmm? I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 18:34

Um, I tell them the demand in the industry is real and it isn't going away anytime soon. Um, the freight has to move. Freight has to move. Freight has to move. Did I say freight has to move? Freight has to move. You did. Yes. You said that. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 18:51

But let me ask you this. Does freight have to move?

SPEAKER_00 18:53

Freight has to move.

SPEAKER_02 18:54

I got you. Yes. I got you. Who's gonna move it?

SPEAKER_00 18:57

We are trucks, trucks.

SPEAKER_02 18:59

Two, right? Trucks.

SPEAKER_01 19:02

I love it.

SPEAKER_00 19:03

The economy doesn't function without it. Um, getting trained properly with a school that treats um compliance and safety as seriously as we do gives us the best shot at a career that's stable, well-paying, and genuinely respected. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:20

It really is. It really is. Those are all fantastic points. What else you got for us here?

SPEAKER_00 19:25

Well, I would like to let everyone know that they can visit us at spartancdltraining.com to learn more about our program, our schedule, and how to get in touch with our team.

SPEAKER_02 19:34

Fantastic. You're gonna come on again and give us some updates on what's going down?

SPEAKER_00 19:38

I sure will.

SPEAKER_02 19:39

You call me as soon as that GI bill comes through.

SPEAKER_00 19:41

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_02 19:42

Right on.

SPEAKER_00 19:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 19:43

I love it. Appreciate you. Deep, thank you so much. God bless you. And God bless all you people out there, uh, drivers, or anybody watching. God bless you. Uh, stay straight on that road and uh follow the truth, man. Peace.