The staff at Extra Mile CDL Academy have a long history of training new recruits, and with the new ELDT requirements saw the need for a comprehensive program where new drivers could learn the roads with an experienced team and walk away ready to carry their first load.
With this knowledge we launched our CDL A & B Training program in September 2022. Our program includes theory as well as range and road programs to best prepare you for your first over the road trip!
About Us
Our Team
BRET ATKINS
LEAD CDL INSTRUCTOR
Bret Atkins is our lead CDL instructor. Bret comes to us with 35 years of teaching experience ranging from grade school to adult education. His adult teaching is specific to the transportation industry and includes safety training and coordination along with CDL-A and B instruction and training. Most recently, Atkins was employed at Southeast Technical College as one of their CDL-A and B instructors.
Atkins has endorsements in triples and doubles, tanker, and passenger. He has many years of accident-free on the road experience as a CDL-A driver doing dry-van, reefer, and box truck, and that doesn't count the many years he spent helping his father and brother with their trucking companies.
Atkins meets and exceeds the requirement of Part 380.301 of the Federal Regulations.
DON KNOWLER
CDL INSTRUCTOR
Don Knowler is a CDL instructor at Extra Mile CDL Academy and one of the leaders in developing our curriculum due to his experience writing curriculum for MCT's Training School in the past. Knowler started trucking in 1977 and has been around trucks in some capacity all his life. He currently works as a dispatcher for a trucking company, giving him a unique perspective on the big picture of the industry.
Knowler has accumulated over 2 million accident free miles and been to all 48 states and all major cities. He has trained around 100 student drivers over the road while he drove, and around 5,000 in his time with MCT.
Knowler has completed training in several defensive driving courses over the years including the Smith System, the National Safety Council, Value Driven Driver, Protective Driving Course, and Liberty Mutual's skid pan course. Knowler is an experienced trainer having attended two nationally recognized train the trainer courses.
Knowler meets and exceeds the requirement of Part 380.301 of the Federal Regulations.
CODY POWELL
CDL INSTRUCTOR
Cody Powell is a CDL instructor at Extra Mile CDL Academy. He comes to us with several years of driving experience as a CDL B and A driver including experience with training on side dump, belly dump, heavy haul, and over the road LTL. Powell is passionate about CDL training and loves the satisfaction of helping a driver understand backing concepts.
Powell currently works as the Director of Business Development for a trucking company which gives him a unique perspective on how the industry works as a whole.
Powell meets and exceeds the requirement of Part 380.301 of the Federal Regulations.