BURLINGTON — Tate Van Winkle, a student semitruck driver at Taylor Driving School, leaned out the window of his big rig Monday morning as he backed up a lengthy trailer.
Instructor Dave Rome looked on as one of the rear tires clipped an orange cone.
“At least I didn’t crush it, right?” Van Winkle says with a grin after pulling forward.
Van Winkle’s training doesn’t end with backing up 53-foot box trailers.
Further along in training, students at the commercial driving school deliver loads of produce to local food banks.
Head instructor Ed Taylor schedules the deliveries.
“I’m putting fuel in those trucks every day whether we deliver (food) or not,” Taylor said. “We might as well do something good with that fuel.”
Making deliveries to food banks is something the school has been doing for 1½ years.
Taylor said the deliveries give his students valuable driving experience while also allowing instructors and students to give back to the community.
The school ferries food to Helping Hands Food Bank in Sedro-Woolley and to Volunteers of America Food Bank Distribution in Everett.
Each donation of produce — usually potatoes or squash — is picked up by students at local farms. The accompanying instructor guides the student through the entire process, all the way to backing up the trailer at the food bank.
Chad Sturtz, who graduated last week from the driving school, took eight pallets of potatoes to the Everett food bank.
“It helps out the community a lot,” he said. “It’s really nice to also get something and haul it. You can see what it’s like to have some weight in the trailer when you are in the school.”
Taylor said his school is one of the few in the county capable of making these deliveries because he uses box trailers. Other schools have only flatbed trailers, which are not suitable for delivering goods.
During peak months, Taylor said the school delivers about 80,000 pounds of produce. That’s about four truckloads.
He said the students enjoy the deliveries, likening them to field trips.
Taylor wouldn’t mind expanding his services.
“If someone needs something done for charity, that I can do, I’m willing to do it,” he said. “If it’s a simple 50- to 100-mile jaunt, we’ll do that.”
He doesn’t foresee giving up the food bank deliveries. He said he would even make the deliveries on his own time if students weren’t available.
“I plan to continue doing the food bank deal until they don’t want me anymore,” Taylor said. “I don’t see that ever happening.”
Instructor Dave Rome looked on as one of the rear tires clipped an orange cone.
“At least I didn’t crush it, right?” Van Winkle says with a grin after pulling forward.
Van Winkle’s training doesn’t end with backing up 53-foot box trailers.
Further along in training, students at the commercial driving school deliver loads of produce to local food banks.
Head instructor Ed Taylor schedules the deliveries.
“I’m putting fuel in those trucks every day whether we deliver (food) or not,” Taylor said. “We might as well do something good with that fuel.”
Making deliveries to food banks is something the school has been doing for 1½ years.
Taylor said the deliveries give his students valuable driving experience while also allowing instructors and students to give back to the community.
The school ferries food to Helping Hands Food Bank in Sedro-Woolley and to Volunteers of America Food Bank Distribution in Everett.
Each donation of produce — usually potatoes or squash — is picked up by students at local farms. The accompanying instructor guides the student through the entire process, all the way to backing up the trailer at the food bank.
Chad Sturtz, who graduated last week from the driving school, took eight pallets of potatoes to the Everett food bank.
“It helps out the community a lot,” he said. “It’s really nice to also get something and haul it. You can see what it’s like to have some weight in the trailer when you are in the school.”
Taylor said his school is one of the few in the county capable of making these deliveries because he uses box trailers. Other schools have only flatbed trailers, which are not suitable for delivering goods.
During peak months, Taylor said the school delivers about 80,000 pounds of produce. That’s about four truckloads.
He said the students enjoy the deliveries, likening them to field trips.
Taylor wouldn’t mind expanding his services.
“If someone needs something done for charity, that I can do, I’m willing to do it,” he said. “If it’s a simple 50- to 100-mile jaunt, we’ll do that.”
He doesn’t foresee giving up the food bank deliveries. He said he would even make the deliveries on his own time if students weren’t available.
“I plan to continue doing the food bank deal until they don’t want me anymore,” Taylor said. “I don’t see that ever happening.”
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