Trucking Careers · Iowa · November 1, 2026

Iowa College Opens a New CDL Skid Pad to Train Future Truckers on Its North Campus

By Big Rig Daily Staff

A community college in southeast Iowa has opened a new place for future truckers to learn. Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa unveiled a CDL skid pad on its North Campus, KCCI reported on Oct. 27.

What is new

Students in the college's commercial driver's license program used to train on a gravel lot and on nearby roads. The new skid pad gives them a dedicated space built for driving practice. A skid pad is a controlled, paved surface where students can practice handling a truck.

The cost and the funding

The project cost about $1 million, and federal lawmakers helped fund it, according to the report.

The program

The college offers a six-week CDL certificate program. KCCI reported the skid pad is part of an effort to help address the shortage of truck drivers.

Where graduates go

College President Matt Thompson told KCCI, "Ninety percent of our students stay right here in the 10-county region that we serve after they graduate."

For anyone thinking about a CDL

Big Rig Daily has step-by-step guides on how to get a CDL and a CDL general knowledge test study guide. For federal rules on training, see the report on FMCSA's training hours rule for new truck drivers.

A look at the program

The college offers a six-week CDL certificate program, which is a short path compared with many career training routes. A skid pad lets instructors set up the same exercises again and again in a controlled space away from public traffic, which is the main reason schools build one. The report did not say how many students use the program each year or when the pad opened for classes, and Big Rig Daily is not guessing at those details.

Quick facts

• Where: Indian Hills Community College, North Campus, Ottumwa, Iowa.
• What: a new CDL skid pad, reported by KCCI on Oct. 27, 2026.
• Cost: about $1 million, helped by federal lawmakers.
• Program: a six-week CDL certificate program.
• Graduates: 90% stay in the college's 10-county region, according to its president.

FAQ

What is a CDL skid pad?

A controlled, paved space where students practice handling a truck, in this case for the CDL program.

Where did Indian Hills CDL students train before the skid pad?

On a gravel lot and on nearby roads, according to KCCI.

How long is the Indian Hills CDL program?

Six weeks, according to the report.

A question for readers

What would a space like this have meant when you were learning to drive a truck?

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