A trucking business which has been in Salina for nearly 50 years is establishing a scholarship at a Salina college.

According to Salina Area Technical College, in an effort to bring more drivers into the industry, Doug Bradley Trucking is establishing a scholarship fund.

The Doug Bradley Trucking Scholarship Fund will pay full tuition for two students in each of the college’s four Commercial Truck Driving classes each year.

Salina Tech’s Commercial Truck Driving class is eight weeks long, and tuition is $3,459. The next two scheduled classes begin August 19 and October 18.

In recent years, Bradley Trucking has donated semis and trailers to Salina Tech for use in the Commercial Truck Driving program.

“That equipment is being put to very good use” said company President Jamie Bradley. “In our industry, one of the struggles we face is to find qualified drivers, to find competent, safe drivers that we can put behind the wheel. For us to give up a couple of trucks to help create those drivers is a good decision for us – and these new scholarships are another way to help us secure the drivers our company depends on.”

Larry Pankratz, Director of the Salina Tech Foundation, said partnerships such as this new scholarship fund, benefit the college, the employers and future students.

To learn more about Salina Tech’s Commercial Truck Driving program, or to enroll, call 785-309-3100, or visit salinatech.edu and click “Apply Now!” at the top of the page.