Producing Road-Ready Drivers with Ed Kimes and Darrell Spitzer | A Trucking Podcast

What if CDL training wasn’t just about passing a test but preparing drivers for a lifetime on the road?

In this episode of Miles and Mentors: A Trucking Podcast, Ed Kimes, CDL Program Director, and Darrell Spitzer, Dean of Workforce Education at Eastern Wyoming College, share how their college-based CDL program is setting a new standard for entry-level driver training.

From mechanical foundations to mountain road readiness, Ed and Darrell explain why their students don’t just graduate. They roll out as professionals. This isn’t your typical truck school. With high instructor standards, mentorship-driven learning, and a focus on career readiness, they’re building more than drivers. They’re building industry leaders.

If you’re passionate about elevating driver education or considering a career behind the wheel, this episode offers a powerful roadmap on how mentorship, community, and tough love training can change the game.

Like what you hear? Be sure to like, subscribe, and share the show with others in the trucking world.

🎧 Episode Timestamps

📍 00:00:49
Why mentorship matters in driver training
📍 00:02:15
Ed’s family roots in trucking and transition to teaching
📍 00:03:06
The North Dakota winter that changed Ed’s career path
📍 00:05:14
The real-world difference between fly-by-night CDL schools and college programs
📍 00:07:18
“We don’t push students through.” Holding high standards in CDL testing
📍 00:08:29
Training in Wyoming weather and why it produces stronger drivers
📍 00:10:04
What orientation looks like for new CDL students
📍 00:12:01
Tech in trucking: Forward-facing vs. driver-facing cameras
📍 00:14:21
Do simulators really help? When to use them (and when not to)
📍 00:17:08
Using mobile simulators to educate the public and promote trucking
📍 00:20:19
“Trucks are for Girls” and supporting women in trucking
📍 00:22:19
Why most students already have jobs lined up
📍 00:24:10
A future owner-operator curriculum in the works
📍 00:25:15
Ed’s financial advice for first-time owner-operators
📍 00:26:49
Factoring companies. The good, the bad, and the ugly
📍 00:28:12
Clean trucks, good impressions, and building long-term broker relationships
📍 00:31:36
Post-grad mentorship. Staying connected with students
📍 00:34:19
Personal stories of mentors who made a difference
📍 00:39:39
Why relationships, not rates, move the industry forward

🎙 About Our Guests

Ed Kimes is the CDL Program Director at Eastern Wyoming College, with over 35 years of experience as a mechanic, driver, owner-operator, and educator. His mission is to produce road-ready, confident drivers, not just graduates.
Darrell Spitzer is the Dean of Workforce and Career Technical Education at EWC. With a deep background in industry and education, Darrell champions career readiness and believes truck driving is one of the most direct pathways to economic opportunity.
https://ewc.wy.edu/cdl-program/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-kimes-8b3a55294/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/darryl-spitzer-35786496/ 

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