RichmondCC to Offer Pilot Vehicle Operator Certification Course

Hamlet, N.C. (Feb. 9, 2021) – Richmond Community College will offer a Pilot (Escort) Vehicle Operator Certification course on Friday, Feb. 26, at the Hamlet Campus. Class will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This one-day course is designed to meet the training requirements set by the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to certify Oversize-Overweight load escort vehicle drivers. Course components consist of escort driver requirements, skills training and an exam.

Individuals who successfully complete this training will be qualified to work in different sectors of the trucking industry. The course is a prerequisite to become certified in escort operations, which are required for oversized and over-dimensional loads traveling on North Carolina’s highway systems. Local companies contract with pilot car contractors to assist with the transport of mobile homes, swimming pools, farming equipment or transportation equipment.

This course fulfills the NCDOT requirements for the certification of drivers of oversize/overweight load escort vehicles, as mandated by G.S. 20-119 and detailed in 19A NCAC 02D.0644. Students taking the course will need a valid driver's license without restrictions other than for the use of corrective lenses, as well as a copy of their driving record showing they have not received a citation in the previous 12 months for operating a vehicle in a reckless manner or driving while impaired.

About the Instructor

Tonny Sipe has an extensive background working in the trucking industry. He has 42 years of experience working in the transportation industry, has been the owner of his own trucking company for the last eight years and is a state certified pilot vehicle operator. He is currently the owner of two escort car services, Palmetto Pilot Escort and T&L Transport, LLC.

For more information about the Pilot Vehicle Operator Certification class, contact Leighton Bell, Program Development Director, at (910) 410-1775 or lwbell@richmondcc.edu.