More students are getting behind the wheel of trucks as dozens of high schools across the U.S. offer classes to help them obtain their Commercial Driver’s Licence.

According to FreightWaves, the driving force behind the trucking classes is the desire to expand career opportunities for high schoolers and bolster the professional driving field.

The American Trucking Associations reports the industry will need to recruit 1.2 million drivers over the next decade to meet demand, though some in the industry dispute whether there is a truck driver shortage.

Lindsey Trent, president and co-founder of the Next Generation in Trucking Association, works with high schools across the country that want to offer CDL classes. Since the nonprofit trade association’s founding in 2021, Trent said the organisation has met with some 300 high schools interested in launching a programme. About 50 schools across 15 states now offer classes.

Trent said the nonprofit’s goal is to build up the reputation of trucking and make it a first-choice job for students and just as competitive as other career and technical education classes.

“This generation, they want a job that is more than just making a dollar and helping people make money,” she said. “They want something that makes an impact on the community and they know being a professional driver is an essential job, and if we don’t have drivers, we don’t have medicine, we don’t have food in restaurants or grocery stores.”

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that about 240,000 openings for driving jobs are projected each year on average over the next decade. Many of these jobs are expected to be open due to retiring drivers. About 73% of the nation’s freight by weight is moved by trucks.