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.
JOHN HALL
CDL INSTRUCTOR
John Hall is a CDL instructor here at the Extra Mile CDL Academy. He has 10 years OTR (Over The Road) Long Haul CDL Class-A experience, and is still an active driver with K&J Trucking when not training. From Washington to Florida, and from California to New York, John has just about seen it all, in all conditions!
He also brings 25 years of previous corporate experience (American Express, Gateway, Blackboard) in Classroom Training, Instructional Design, and Adult Learning Theory. John also helps us in the office with scheduling, IT support, fleet management, and records retention & compliance.
Mr. Hall meets and exceeds the requirement of Part 380.301 of the Federal Regulations.
Ken Audette
CDL INSTRUCTOR
Ken Audette leads the Extra Mile CDL Academy in Rapid City. He brings over ten years of professional truck driving experiences as an owner-operator and company driver hauling heavy equipment, roll off dumpsters, reefer trailers and doubles. Ken’s endorsements include: doubles/triples, tanker, passenger, school bus and HAZMAT.
Ken worked for Western Dakota Technical College as a CDL instructor, in a part-time or full-time capacity, for six years . While there, he was a Lead CDL instructor, Class B instructor and a backing instructor. Ken has a wealth of experience with one-on-one training and excels at evaluating an individual student’s needs. He is willing to offer additional time to anyone who is struggling to learn the necessary skills!
Audette meets and exceeds the requirement of Part 380.301 of the Federal Regulations.