Sage Salt Lake Student Finding Freedom Behind the Wheel

Dean Tracy had already passed his written DLD (Driver License Division) exam for truck drivers when the test proctor pulled him aside.

“She said, ‘Hey, can I tell you something? I’ve never seen anyone score that high on that test,'” Dean said. “That really made me feel good.”

That good feeling came from all the work he’d put into preparing for the test. Dean spent weeks working through practice tests and classroom instruction at Sage Truck Driving School in Salt Lake City, setting himself up for a career change that would soon put him behind the wheel of a semi-truck for the first time.

“I really credit that to the system Sage uses,” he said.

Now preparing to complete his CDL training, Dean said he chose truck driving because it aligns with both his personality and the goals he has for his young family.

His pursuit received a boost recently when he learned he was selected to receive a $1,000 Howes Truckers of Tomorrow Scholarship, financial assistance that will help him finish school and begin pursuing local or regional driving opportunities.

Looking for More Independence

Before enrolling at Sage, Dean worked as a utility technician for a natural gas company. It was a good job, he said, but he was ready for something different.

Trucking appealed to him partly because of the independence it offers.

“I love the freedom of trucking. That’s my number one thing,” Dean said. “I love being out there on my own. I’m very much an on-my-own type of worker.”

It’s a working style that goes back to his childhood. Dean spent his early school years in a Montessori-style environment that emphasized hands-on and independent learning.

“The independent aspect is the number one thing that lines up,” he said.

Trucking also wasn’t unfamiliar territory. Several of Dean’s friends have CDLs, and he’s spent much of his life around cars, trucks, and trailers. In fact, he’s such a car guy that he and his dad have a YouTube channel called “Geek and Son,” where they document their work rebuilding a 1969 Dodge Charger.

As he considered his next career move, trucking offered a chance to take that interest in vehicles and combine it with the independence he enjoys.

“You may have a boss to answer to. Everybody has a boss,” Dean said. “But you’re picking up a load, driving to Idaho, dropping it off, and coming back. There’s no one in that truck with you usually. That’s what I like.”

Dean lives in North Ogden, Utah. He researched his options extensively before deciding the extra driving distance was worthwhile to attend what he considers the best truck driving school in his area.

“It really was the one-on-one, one-teacher, one-student type of environment,” he said. “And then the quality.”

He’s particularly enjoyed learning from instructors with years of firsthand trucking experience, including Gary Turner, a former owner-operator.

“Hearing his side of life through his career is really cool,” Dean said.

So far, that approach seems to be paying off. Along with passing his written exam, Dean has completed classroom instruction and spent time on the range working on skills such as parallel parking and pre-trip inspections. His next milestone is taking a manual transmission truck onto the road.

Dean also plans to earn tanker, hazmat, doubles and triples endorsements to give himself more options once he begins looking for work.

Earning the Howes Truckers of Tomorrow Scholarship

Dean learned he’d received the Howes Truckers of Tomorrow Scholarship through an email from Sage.

“We are proud to recognize Dean Tracy as a recipient of the Howes Truckers of Tomorrow Scholarship,” said Rob Howes II, President of Howes Products. “His excitement and commitment to pursuing a career in trucking embodies the very spirit of this program and we look forward to seeing him succeed as part of the next generation of trucking professionals.”

“I was very happy about it,” Dean said. “It’s definitely helping me financially to be able to cover the cost of school.”

For a student balancing tuition with everyday family expenses, Dean says $1,000 goes a long way. He pointed to something as simple as the cost of driving his truck to school, which amounts to around $150 each time he fills the tank.

“I still have a family to feed and two dogs to feed,” he said. “The scholarship helps me out more than I can tell you.”

When Dean shared the news with his family, they decided the occasion deserved a small celebration.

“We actually went out to dinner because we were like, ‘Hey, we can afford to go get a bite to eat now,'” he said.

Dean has been married for only a few months, and one of his biggest goals is to save enough money for him and his wife to put down a deposit on their own property.

As for trucking, he’s keeping his options open early in his career. Local refrigerated freight interests him, as does regional work in the oil fields. He’d consider over-the-road driving, too, though that isn’t his first choice.

“Overall, I want to stay local for now,” Dean said. “I’m open to the possibility of doing over-the-road, but having that time away from my family would be rough.”

For now, he’s focused on finishing what he started and gaining experience in a field he believes can open plenty of doors.

“You have to go into it with the right mentality,” Dean said. “Go into it like, ‘I’m going to make this happen.’ You have to show up, learn and be prepared. It’s not as easy as you think.”

For Dean, earning his CDL will be one more concrete step toward the life he and his wife are working to build.

“I think it’s such a good milestone to have in my life,” he said. “It’s like a mile marker: ‘Hey, I got my CDL.'”