Ground Up: How Pineland Turned a Wild Idea Into a CDL Career Pipeline for Rural East Texas
- Rita Shipp
- Nov 5, 2025
- 2 min read
PINELAND, Texas — When Nathaniel Sessions scrolled Facebook and saw an ad that said “Free CDL class — apply now,” he assumed it was a scam.
“A free CDL class? There’s no way this is real.” — Sessions
Eight weeks later, the young man from Lufkin held his commercial driver’s license, a full-time job, and a plan to grow his family’s small trucking business.
Stories like his are becoming common in Pineland (Sabine County), where a new Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training program — operated by Lamar State College Port Arthur and housed at West Sabine ISD — is quietly reshaping the future of work in rural East Texas.
The program has:
Graduated its first cohort
Launched a second
Already placed every graduate into employment
Some students went to work for Prime Inc., some are working for counties or regional companies, and others — like Dylon Fruge — stayed local.
“I’m driving a dump truck… I’m home every night and get family time. Once you see that paycheck, it’s all worth it.” — Fruge
A Real Career Path — Without Leaving Home
Paychecks are the headline:
Local drivers can earn $40,000–$60,000/year
Regional routes: $50,000–$80,000/year
Experienced OTR drivers: $100,000+
Owner/operators can reach $200,000/year
And yes — that’s coming straight out of an 8-week training program held behind a high school in a town of 800 people.
“When the students see that big truck parked outside, they light up.”— Dr. Carnelius Gilder, Superintendent, West Sabine ISD
High school seniors are already asking when they can start. The district is exploring a pathway to let students earn CDL training hours before graduation.
“Families want to stay — they just need economic opportunity to make it possible.” — Dr. Gilder
How It Started — Collaboration, not politics
This didn’t happen because of one agency or a grant. It happened because a group of people looked at a workforce problem and refused to shrug.
West Sabine ISD said: “Use our campus.”
Lamar State College Port Arthur said: “We’ll train the students.”
Communities Unlimited & T.L.L. Temple Foundation said: “We’ll put up the match money.”
USDA said: “Here’s the truck and trailer.”
Georgia-Pacific’s $240 million mill expansion created the demand signal — the jobs waiting on the other side.
By the numbers:
$99,000 USDA Rural Business Development Grant
$51,000 in local matching funds
1 semi-truck parked behind a high school
Dozens of residents now trained and working
No excuses. No red tape. Just collaboration.
What’s Next: A Permanent Workforce Training Site
A permanent CDL training pad and facility is now being planned on Pineland’s proposed career site.
Moran has requested $1.4 million in federal funds to build it.
And here’s the kicker — a permanent site could expand into:
carpentry
HVAC
concrete / trades
stacked workforce certifications
That means kids don’t have to leave to build careers.
Homegrown. Rural. And working.
“We didn’t impose a solution — we empowered one.”— Dr. Ben Stafford, Lamar State College Port Arthur
What started as a “free CDL class” post on Facebook is now a regional workforce engine.
This program proves something powerful:
East Texas doesn’t have to wait for opportunity. We can build it.
.png)
