Orange Cove Launches Tuition-Free Truck Driving Academy to Create Local Jobs

More than 60 community members gathered March 19 at a former Sunkist Growers packing house on Center Street in Orange Cove for the ribbon-cutting of a program that city leaders are calling a turning point for local workforce development. The OC Truck Driving Academy is the product of a partnership between the city, the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation, and vocational institute Custom Training Solutions CVSJ Inc., which is bringing its CDL training program to Orange Cove for the first time.

Orange Cove residents can earn their Class A commercial driver's license through the academy with free tuition, a distinction that sets it apart from the broader commercial driving school market. While programs offered through Custom Training Solutions typically cost at least a few thousand dollars, Orange Cove residents will go through the program for free thanks to an EDC grant. The project received a $135,000 grant through the Fresno EDC, which is just the initial grant and could be extended to a higher amount in the future.

The school is located at the former Sunkist fruit packing facility, which has been unoccupied for about 15 years, at 700 Center St., and covers 214,000 square feet on approximately 10 acres. The academy's eight-week curriculum includes class instruction and behind-the-wheel driving experience, along with job placement partnerships with regional logistics companies and coursework aligned with federal commercial and safety standards.

The OC Truck Driving Academy is led by local Jacob Del Bosque, who also sits on the Orange Cove City Council and has worked as an instructor with Custom Training Solutions and its Fresno-based training program since 2019. Del Bosque had been talking with Custom Training Solutions Executive Director Jaime Castillo about expanding for years and finally made it happen after connecting with Fresno County EDC President and CEO Will Oliver; about six months ago, Custom Training Solutions applied for and received a Good Jobs Challenge grant through the EDC, which made expansion into Orange Cove possible.

The academy had been in operation for about a week at its grand opening, with 14 students already training on the trucks, and a waitlist of about 20 for the next cohort. The location in Orange Cove will serve Eastern Fresno County and the Eastern Valley, including Tulare County. The facility has already created about four permanent jobs, and the addition of a night program would add two more positions.

The funding traces back to a $23 million federal investment in the region. The funding comes from the Good Jobs Central Valley program the EDC created after it received a grant award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration in 2022. The award supports training, hiring, and job placement in four regionally significant industries across Fresno, Kings, Madera, and Tulare counties, including Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics. Good Jobs 4 The Central Valley aims to place 2,500 people into high-quality jobs through demand-focused programming.

"The Good Jobs Challenge is about building resilient regional economies through partnerships that create real opportunities," said Will Oliver, president and CEO of Fresno County EDC. "This launch reflects what is possible when workforce development, industry, and community partners come together with a shared vision for growth in our rural communities."

Oliver noted that the EDC has long recognized that many workforce development programs are concentrated in Fresno and Clovis, while residents of smaller, rural cities across the county cannot always access those opportunities. The OC Truck Driving Academy is a direct response to that gap.

Del Bosque noted that new federal regulations regarding drivers' immigration status and language requirements have intensified demand for qualified drivers. In his remarks at the event, Del Bosque said, "We are committed to building a workforce that is not only skilled but also compliant with the highest safety standards," adding that the academy aims to help "residents transition into high-paying, in-demand careers that support our vital logistics industry."

Del Bosque said the Central Valley is a hub for truck driving, particularly given its agriculture and manufacturing industries, and has plans to expand: "Eventually we want to add other trades [training programs] for forklift operations and want to add an ag mechanic class here. That's our two-year plan."

Del Bosque also emphasized the local economic ripple effect of keeping trained workers in the community: "You can park the trucks here, live here still and then go drive, but you always come back here, live here and pay taxes here, so it just helps out in that direction."

Residents interested in enrollment can contact the OC Truck Driving Academy program coordinator at (559) 393-0843.