Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic many considered long-haul truck driving to be the ultimate in social distancing. There was freedom to be found in wide open spaces and winding roads amid stifling lockdowns and theoretical flattening of curves. In 2021, tractor-trailers are still king of the road, despite a growing nationwide shortage of drivers numbering in the tens of thousands. Steven Strong, campus director at Southwest Truck Driver Training (STDT) in Phoenix, Arizona, said few occupations today offer the romantic allure of long-distance truck driving, or the promise of a high-paying job after a brief training period. STDT, which has two campuses in Arizona and one in Nevada, currently boasts hundreds of new students this year who are seeking to earn their Commercial Driver License (CDL) and get straight to work after graduation. Total enrollment at STDT this year exceeds 1,400 compared to 1,200 a year ago, Strong told The Epoch Times. …