CDL truck driving simulator debuts
The Trucking Association of New York (TANY) recently debuted its truck driving simulator at Tamarac High School.
Fit with a wheel, pedals, a clutch and a seat that shook if the driver jumped the curb, the threescreen simulator had three TV-screen-sized monitors that provided nearly a 180-degree view — and speakers playing road sounds to boot.
“When you’re driving, this is what you see so you’re getting the full driving experience,” said Steve Bobarakis, manager of TANY’s Shay Legacy Foundation which provides scholarships to people pursuing truck industry careers. “The only thing you’re not getting is the ability to turn (your head) around.”
TANY and their simulated truck — which is a CDL Class A — joined other vendors at Tamarac for their Trades & Career Fair, showcasing fields like construction, auto mechanics and other trade industries. Parked outside in a custom-built trailer to house it, students came out in staggered groups to give it a shot.
The simulation runs several scenarios but the standard Thursday was defensive driving — guiding
students around roadside car crashes, unusual construction set-ups or avoiding cars that ran through stop signs. Bobarakis helped them through the first turns and obstacles, giving them pointers and markers to look for.
For example, when making a left turn, students should wait to start spinning the wheel until their left mirror looks like it’s in the middle of the street they’re turning on to. Or when turning right, wait until their right side mirror lines up with the edge of the street’s curb.
These are real guidelines that some truck drivers use, said Bobarakis, as the inaugural student junior Emmaline Martin took a spin in the seat. Martin compared it to a realistic video game and said it almost felt like driving a manual just much bigger.
“It’s just crazy how real it looks,” she said mentioning how the screens moved in sync as she turned and how the chair shook like a car would. “I walked in here and I was like ‘Oh my gosh, what did I just sign myself up for,’ but it was definitely a lot of fun and interesting to take.”
Right now, she plans to go to SUNY for education but said she could see herself driving a truck too. This simulator and the career fair in general, Bobarakis was a way to show students what truck driving would be like without them needing CDL training.
Truck drivers make up a little more than 4% of all jobs in New York State with around 90% of New York communities relying on trucks to deliver goods, according to statistics from TANY. Bobarakis said, however, that the current workforce leans older; having something like the simulator at a career fair aimed at young students helps to bridge that gap.
The average annual salary for truck drives in the US is $62,442 with some large companies like UPS paying drivers upwards of $100,000, Bobarakis said, which can be more money than fields that require four-year degrees. There can also be flexibility with truck driving, with some routes being more shortterm and allowing drivers to sleep in their own beds each night and others being long drives across the country.
Bobarakis listed those long drives as an incentive, noting that there are young people who drive across the county without making any money as a van lifer — a lifestyle popularized by videos on social media platforms showcasing people living and traveling in vans, motor homes and even renovated school buses. To add to it, Martin said she’d seen simulations like TANY’s on TikTok.
“Gen Z are dropping their jobs and traveling the country,” Bobarakis said. “It’s something I think about often. You can get paid to do that.”
The simulator is a way to show them what it could look like, he said, and they will be taking it across the state to schools and regular job fairs as well. Thursday night it was available to all ages and Cohoes High School, which had their February event with the simulator canceled due to weather, will get a chance to try it out on April 18, Bobarakis said.
They are also using this opportunity to showcase other careers related to the trucking industry like a diesel technician or a dispatcher, Bobarakis said. The industry can be a fit for anyone looking to make a shift in their career.
The simulator is stopping off at Board of Cooperative Educational Services
(BOCES) programs statewide too, where they’ll meet with students who are in a CDL or heavy equipment program. The simulator can’t be used for actual training hours, Bobarakis said but can give the students a feel for the vehicle.
It’s been a few years in the making, Bobarakis said, and they had to wait the longest for the simulator’s trailer which makes it easily accessible and movable with a standard pick-up. Troy was the first of many, he said.
“We already have something booked for Long Island all the way out to like Buffalo, Western New York,” Bobarakis said. “There are amazing possibilities and there are a ton of jobs out there.”