APSU partners with Armored Trucking Academy to expand Clarksville’s CDL training options
By: Ethan Steinquest April 20, 2026
Armored Trucking Academy is a commercial truck driving school in Clarksville, now offering expanded CDL training through partnerships with APSU and the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System. | Contributed photo
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University’s Professional and Workforce Development Center has partnered with Armored Trucking Academy to offer expanded commercial driver’s license training for adult learners and support a first-of-its-kind CDL program through the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System.
The partnership combines Armored Trucking Academy’s training programs and equipment with Austin Peay’s ability to offer federal financial aid, helping learners connect with a cost-effective, in-demand career pathway.
“There are 80,000 jobs in this country open for truck drivers right now, and it’s a great field to go into,” said Jeff Walton, director of the Professional and Workforce Development Center. “Most truck drivers make between $65,000 and $75,000 straight out of school, and every industrial plant in town needs them. So do the city, the county, and Austin Peay.”
The four-week program costs $6,800, and a new class starts every two weeks. Classes are held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students can use 529 savings plans and Pell Grants to pay for CDL training starting in July, when House tax bill provisions take effect.
“Austin Peay will be able to help change the face of trucking here in Clarksville,” said Kris Grempler, owner of Armored Trucking Academy. “Financing is very hard right now for everybody, and Austin Peay will have a tool to essentially help these individuals get a CDL license for free.”
Grempler has worked in the trucking industry for 23 years and built Armored Trucking Academy with military service members in mind. The school is certified for Fort Campbell and other installations across the country, and learners from any background are welcome.
“I understand what the companies that hire these students are looking for, so I’ve put that in our training,” Grempler said. “We’re teaching them logs, we’re teaching them weights, and we’re teaching them the rules of the road outside of just getting a permit … it’s a guaranteed job for life, no matter who you are.”
According to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Armored Trucking Academy trained 213 students in 2025 with a 97% success rate. Enrollment is increasing due to the partnership with APSU, and Grempler said 52 students started classes by mid-February this year.
“We have a list of people who are interested in taking these classes, and registration is trending upward,” Walton said. “Our partnership with Armored Trucking Academy is going to be very successful.”
Opening doors for students
The partnership also supports a groundbreaking initiative within the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System, where Austin Peay's ability to accept Tennessee Promise and Hope Scholarships will help remove financial barriers for high school students seeking their CDLs.
Through Ѱ䳧’s program, 18-year-old seniors on early dismissal or late arrival can attend Armored Trucking Academy during a nine-week semester. This marks the first time a U.S. school system has offered CDL training to high school students.
“We’ve got some very intelligent kids taking this route,” Grempler said. “Some of them want to be linemen, and to do that, you also need a CDL license. If you can get your CDL prior to lineman school, which for these high schoolers is free, you just cut out a huge chunk of the next piece.”
Ethan Hilburn, a senior at Northeast High School, said having a CDL will help him build a career immediately after graduation.
“They talked about this program in emails from CMCSS, and it seemed like a great opportunity to get my CDL and open up a new path in life,” he said. “We’re learning a lot about how to control the trucks and what it feels like behind the wheel. I’m looking at working for Clarksville Gas & Water after I graduate, and maybe I’ll move forward to going cross-country.”
Staff Sgt. Victor Bonilla, a Fort Campbell soldier using DoD SkillBridge to complete the program before attending lineman college, said its hands-on approach prepares learners for real-world challenges.
“Anything that life’s going to throw at you out there while you’re driving a big rig, you can put to work here,” he said. “Even if I don’t end up going to a lineman school, I can still find a job as a truck driver. It opens up more bridges for me.”
How to get involved
Adult learners interested in the program can contact the Professional and Workforce Development Center at 931-221-7816 or visit Armored Trucking Academy at 1490 Dunlop Lane. CMCSS students can speak with their school counselors about eligibility.