Pinnacle Truck Driver Training, Inc.

10/01/2026

As most of you know, the Pinnacle slogan is "just don't hit nothin". We're thinking of one last shirt. Joie likes "go ahead, call HR". Any suggestions?

10/01/2026

I haven't gotten any pictures lately but we're still training drivers and they're still graduating. We've gotten a ton of emails from our friends out there in truck driving world. We've even gotten them from people we don't know. Other training schools who think that Pinnacle was one of the best when it comes to this kind of stuff. While I think that's true, people we respect actually think that as well. Professor Herweyer and I were just talking at lunch about this. Who would have thought that a bunch of pi**ed off truck drivers would build something like this? All I can say is WOW! Thank you to everyone who believed in us. It truly humbles all of us. But, we're not dead yet!

10/01/2026

https://ruralradio.com/rrn/news/faq-what-nebraska-farmers-need-to-know-about-dyed-diesel-under-pillens-executive-order/?fbclid=IwY2xjawUrHCtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMXk1d0xNVG5jaDVJaVFrWEtzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeH_O56DVkwkI5OIZy_Et-lznE0I7Op_-prT6aI9B2Zo6ixDp_Tb2TtP9wIuQ_aem__09aHDCLBXa--0Y8ZbTdWQ

Nebraska farmers, ranchers and agricultural haulers have new guidance on when they can use dyed diesel in highway-registered vehicles under Gov. Jim Pillen’s 90-day agricultural fuel emergency.

09/15/2026

Well, Joie has been on me all week...Did you make your post yet? No, I have not. I don't know what to say or how to say it. Let's just say an opportunity came up, I turned 65 and we're all tired. The property has been sold, the equipment is being sold and Pinnacle will go out on top. We have almost full classes and the rumor is out. People are calling all day long! We haven't been this busy in a while! I did fail at selling the business as an entity but the parceling out of what remains and the memories of all the good we have done makes retirement possible for me and Mrs. Baker. She turned in her paperwork and we will be unemployed sometime around Christmas. I've been blue collar, long work weeks and being gone from home for most of my working life. Pinnacle is still a blue collar place and we're very proud of that! We also are a mission that have changed countless lives for the better. We've trained almost 2000 new drivers and our reputation is, well, surprising. Other schools actually respect us! I never even gave that a thought. We just trained new drivers the best way we knew how and it worked. We've had a bunch of DOT, VA and a ton of other inspections and audits and we've passed with flying colors. We did it all the way we thought it should be done and now it's time to go home. Everything ends so it would be arrogant of me to think this could go on forever. The partners who started this whole thing, the employees who worked for free in the early days, the students who trusted us, YOU are what made this work. I'll be posting photos later and we're still training for a while longer but time is quickly running out if you have dreams of becoming a Pineapple. This isn't goodbye yet but I can see it from here. We have some great memories and hope you do too. Be safe everyone!

08/13/2026

I'm not sure if any of you have been paying attention to things but CDL schools are getting shut down all over the place for some kind of infraction. It's mostly record keeping items but the DOT and VA are deathly serious about this stuff. Pinnacle has passed both with flying colors and we're very proud of that! We're also aware that Joie Kennard made sure that we were good. I just wanted to point out that when she says "we can't do it that way" she's not being obstinate. She protecting Pinnacle like mother bear. Maybe say thank you for a job well done the next time you see her!

08/11/2026

If you have a CDL and are looking for a change, give us a call or send us a message.
There at least 5 very good "rides" looking for the right driver(s).
OTR, Regional & Local.
Big trucks, little trucks and everything in between.

08/03/2026

https://freedomhaulers.dot.gov/

Freedom Haulers, as I understand things, extends the "eligibility time" to sign up for a CDL (if your MOS qualified you for this) from 12 months to 24 months to sign up. This means that if you qualify then you don't need to take a CDL training class to get a CDL. It sounds great until you try to get a job. Just because you have a brand new CDL-A doesn't mean that a company will hire you. It's been our experience that they will not! It simply means that there is a difference between the vehicles that the military drives and those that civilians drive and the rules are different. The good news is this....we can take ALL of that military experience and turn that into civilian knowledge so you can benefit from a custom course at a lower cost. It may even be covered, check your VA benefits for details. Freedom Haulers...I like the name!

07/29/2026

We've been to a bunch of job fairs but this one was about the biggest and most vibrant that we've been too. This was Four Winn's, RBH, GB, whatever.....it doesn't matter who they are because they are no more. ALL of this talent in one room looking for a new place to call home. I did notice that much of the workforce has been there 25-30 years. They have friends and families there. There are generational employees here! Here's what I will say to all of you who have been hit hard by this (because I've been there)...Maybe truck driving isn't what you thought you would be doing at this stage of life but here we are. Call us and ask questions. Driving a truck isn't aways about being gone from home. To be honest, you'll probably make more money driving a truck than you did working here. For all of you in your 50's, use this opportunity to bump up those soon to be social security payments. See the country on somebody else's money, pay off your home before you retire, buy that pontoon that the wife says you can't afford....yet! I know this sucks but Pinnacle is offering an opportunity for you to actually make a change. Yes, it's not the same as where you thought you would retire but it's pretty good and it probably pays better! Give us a call or stop in. We'll answer your questions and if this isn't for you then we wish you the best of luck in your journey. If you do think that this is something you might like to try then let's get started. Call Michigan Works and tell them who you are and that you want to come to Pinnacle. After that, all you have to do is learn to drive a big truck. This is the part where we earn our money! I know that many of you are upset so use that emotion in a positive manner. Come and see Pinnacle and we'll teach you how to focus that anger for good! Hey, it's how we got started!

07/13/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1EdfVQV6K2/

There are a bunch of companies stepping up and we have a couple more who are looking for some great talent as well. Thanks everyone for stepping up!

07/13/2026

McBain Building Products is looking for someone to join our team. We offer a positive working environment and the opportunity to learn about the building industry.

We offer competitive wages, paid health insurance, paid holidays and vacation, and a pension plan. We have a consistent schedule with overtime and no Sundays.

The position is for a delivery driver/ warehouse worker. This consists of delivering building materials to the customer’s job site. It also involves loading the truck, unloading the trucks that bring us the products, putting products away in the warehouse, and helping customers load their purchases. It requires a Class B with airbrakes or a Class A CDL license and being in our drug testing program.