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Dot Transportation, Inc., the trucking affiliate of Dot Foods, Inc., North America’s largest food industry redistributor, has partnered with the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in McMinnville to provide free truck driver training to those interested in starting a new career. DTI is currently hiring Class A CDL drivers in preparation for the opening of Dot’s 13th U.S. Distribution Center later this year in Manchester.

“We’re excited about joining the Manchester community and developing great partnerships like the one with the TCAT driver training program,” Anthony Soto, Dot Foods Manchester general manager, said. “We love hiring experienced drivers with all the road knowledge they possess and are actively recruiting for those applicants, but if you are not experienced, don’t let that deter you.”

The driver training program allows a student driver to earn their CDL at TCAT while DTI pays for tuition and provides a weekly paycheck while learning. After licensing and training, applicants can move into a job at Dot Transportation Inc.

Following fleetwide raises for its drivers earlier this year, DTI drivers earn an average salary of $105,000 annually. DTI pays drivers for every part of the job they complete, rather than just mileage.

“Our drivers play such an important role in our business,” Jeremy Nelson, director of transportation at Manchester, said. “They are literally the face of our company to our customers every day. We know we have the best drivers in the industry and are committed to keeping and recruiting the best, so, we stay as competitive as possible with consistent pay increases and a best-in-class benefits package.”

DTI has hired seven drivers to date and Dot and DTI have begun assembling their leadership teams to prepare for the opening of the Manchester distribution center later in 2023. DTI looks to hire 50 more drivers over the next year. During late summer to early fall, Dot and DTI will begin hiring for warehouse, admin, maintenance, garage, and additional leadership positions. To learn more about careers at Dot Foods, visit Careers.DotFoods.com and follow @DotFoodsCareers.