Citing long and inefficient commutes, Flathead Valley Community College has expanded a fledgling Commercial Driving License program at its Lincoln County Campus in Libby.

The college’s Board of Trustees approved sending a vehicle to Libby to bolster the driving program, which certifies students to be truck drivers.

Chad Schilling, director of the Lincoln County Campus, said the move was a welcome one for locals.

“We have had a truckdriver coming from Kalispell for about a year,” he said. “It was a real hit and miss thing; it was hard to plan for.”

The driver was able to help teach one section a semester, approximately. Each section had three students. The truck the Kalispell campus is sending over should allow for several sections of four students each semester.

“They are sending us a hand-me-down truck and we’ll be able to maintain it up here,” Schilling said. “We’ll hire a teacher up here to cut back on commute.”

Some Lincoln County students would travel back and forth to Kalispell for their courses. The truck and instructor in Libby will save gas money, maintenance fees and allow more students to take the course.

“There are CDL opportunities here and we are missing out if the students can’t take classes for them,” Schilling said. “We’re anticipating the classes to start this fall, but we haven’t firmed up the dates.”

The truck should arrive by the end of August, he said, and classes will begin in September.