Blairsville, PA

About Blairsville

In 2023, PGT opened our new Driver Training and Orientation Facility in Blairsville, PA. The dedicated training center is located within the New Village Institute Blairsville campus and is less than one mile from PGT’s Blairsville Operations Terminal. The expanded training facility is designed to equip incoming drivers with the necessary skills, knowledge, and hands-on experience required to build safe and successful careers in transportation.

All truck driver candidates attend PGT’s Orientation at the Training Facility, a week-long program consisting of classroom instruction and hands-on activities. Each week, a new class of PGT truck drivers prepare to become Proud Professionals, learning the basics of flatbed trucking, load securement, safety and the PGT way. Following their Orientation week, experienced flatbed truck drivers will be ready to get their first load, and new trainees will go out on the road with a Certified PRO Trainer to gain real-world experience before driving solo.

PGT Blairsville Training has three full-size classrooms, additional staff offices and a 16,320 sq. ft. open bay with loaded trailers for securement training.

What to Expect at PGT Blairsville Training

PGT handles all travel arrangements, including any airfare, ground transportation and hotel accommodations. Driver candidates will be ready to start their Orientation each Monday promptly at 8 a.m. Lunch is provided every day, and our Training Coordinators will ensure everyone’s paperwork is complete. All drivers will spend the week learning from our Training Instructors and Safety Managers, many of whom are experienced truck drivers as well. On Tuesdays, every new class of truck driver candidates is introduced to the PGT family on our all-staff video call, and throughout the week, candidates will meet with our Corporate Chaplain, members of PGT Senior Leadership, and other PGT Operations and Safety staff. Everyone at PGT Blairsville Training is on hand to support our Proud Professionals, answering any questions they may have along the way.

Candidates will receive their own copy of PGT’s Loading and Securement Manual and review PGT’s extensive safety and securement policies. Our Training Instructors will also go over the Smith System® (defensive driving methods), DOT and FMCSA requirements, trip planning, tablet operation, and more, preparing our candidates to be successful flatbed truck drivers at PGT.

Most of the time will be spent on the trailer decks in our Training Bay, where PGT’s Training Instructors will review load securement in detail. All candidates will physically chain, strap, and tarp mock loads, ensuring that they can safely secure all commodity types. Our Training Instructors and Safety Managers will be on hand to answer any questions and offer tips and tricks for success.

Candidates will also get behind the wheel to complete a road test, showcasing their safe driving skills and practicing close quarter maneuvers. For truck drivers with less than one year of commercial driving experience, more time will be spent in the truck to help prepare them for life over the road.

Owner-operators, lease purchase operators and experienced flatbed truck drivers will be ready to seat their first week, with company drivers receiving the keys to their truck at our PGT Blairsville Operations Terminal. They’ll set up their first load with their Fleet Manager and then be on their way, earning a quality paycheck with our percentage pay model. Company drivers with less experience will go over the road with a Certified PRO Trainer, spending time with an experienced professional to learn advanced driving and securement skills in real world situations. PGT’s Certified PRO Trainers are experienced, safe drivers committed to teaching our newest flatbed truck drivers how to succeed at PGT. The Certified PRO Trainer and their trainee will share the cab and the workload for a few weeks until the trainee is ready to drive solo. After graduating from Training, our new flatbed truck driver will seat in their own unit and hit the road.