By Jaime Crespo
Across the country, the trucking industry is facing a major labor shortage. With more than 240,000 projected job openings each year and a median annual wage of $57,440, commercial driving offers stable, sustainable employment opportunities. For correctional leaders searching for ways to prepare justice-impacted individuals for careers that are accessible, high-paying, and in demand, earning a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) represents a clear pathway to reentry success.
Why CDL? Why Now?
The trucking industry is known for its flexibility in hiring formerly incarcerated individuals. Unlike many other professions, trucking employers are less concerned with tattoos, gaps in employment, or past convictions. What matters is reliability and the ability to get the job done. For justice-impacted individuals that Orijin reaches,, this creates a unique opportunity to build a viable career that doesn’t discriminate against their past, but rewards their work ethic and determination.
Orijin’s CDL Prep Program
Recognizing this opportunity to break the cycle of incarceration, we recently launched the CDL Prep Program. Developed by correctional education expert Dr. Amy Lopez, the program is designed specifically for incarcerated learners. It gives them the chance to explore trucking as a career while building the knowledge and job skills needed to prepare for the written portion of the CDL exam.
Through engaging lessons, videos, and quizzes, learners build confidence in areas such as vehicle inspections, trip planning, safety protocols, and even human trafficking awareness. The program includes videos and vignettes from drivers who are formerly incarcerated—providing relatable role models and realistic career guidance. While it does not replace the federally required Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT), the program equips learners with the foundation they need to successfully take that next step.
Beyond the nuts and bolts, what makes this CDL job skills program so powerful is its placement alongside programs and coursework on the Orijin platform that are crucial to earning and sustaining employment. When learners gain technical job skills in addition to employability soft skills (communications, time management, professionalism, etc.), basic academic skills, and establish a practice of personal growth & development, they are well equipped with a solid baseline for employability.
“Education is the first step toward transformation,” says Dr. Lopez. “This program gives learners the confidence to see trucking as more than a job — it’s a career pathway that can sustain individuals and families.”
Spotlight: Keidrain Brewster
The power of trucking as a second chance comes to life in the story of Keidrain Brewster. After serving 13 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Brewster returned home determined to rebuild his life. He earned his CDL, started with one truck, and grew his company Brewster Logistics into a thriving business employing more than 15 people. He also founded the Big Reform Movement, a national initiative focused on reentry, entrepreneurship, and mindset transformation.
“When I came home, trucking gave me a chance no one else would,” Brewster says. “They didn’t care about my felonies or tattoos. If I could get a load from point A to point B safely, I could earn a living. That’s why I tell others: CDL is the way to go. It provides you an opportunity to earn a good living.”
Brewster will join Dr. Lopez on August 13, and other recidivism specialists, at Orijin’s upcoming webinar, Driving Reentry Success: CDL Training for Sustainable Second Chances, to share his journey and insights with correctional educators and administrators.
Join the Webinar
For current Orijin customers, the CDL Prep Program is already available on your platform. For prospective partners, this is an opportunity to see how Orijin is opening new career pathways for justice-impacted learners — while strengthening facility safety, motivation, and long-term outcomes.
The webinar will take place on August 13 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST.
Register now for the webinar to learn how to integrate CDL Prep into your facility and help justice-impacted individuals take the first step toward high-paying, sustainable careers.
