Bill Nichols of Bainbridge, Ga., is earning his Commercial Driver's License through Southern Regional Technical College's Bainbridge campus.

BAINBRIDGE, Ga. — 77-year-old Bainbridge native Bill Nichols is a college student for the first time in his life. 

Forty-two years ago, he studied under a flight instructor to earn his pilot’s license and went on to enjoy a 35-year career as a corporate pilot. Seven years after retirement, he decided to pursue his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) because he heard about the 18,000-person driver shortage on the local news. He reasoned that he could help fill that gap and enrolled in the CDL program at SRTC-Bainbridge.  

Nichols said that he likes to stay busy. Currently, he lives and works on the 122-acre farm that his father bought in 1949, trains new pilots as a flight instructor, and restores classic automobiles in his spare time. 

He said that his wife of 48 years and the rest of his family are “tickled to death” that he is attending college. 

“My grandson calls me every other day to see how class is going!” he said.

He said that he regrets not earning his CDL sooner. 

“I think that older folks like me should consider coming to college and starting a new career,” he said. “It is a challenge and it is interesting. This college has fine instructors, and CDL is an amazing course. I would highly recommend for anyone to look into this! The pay is good, you get to see the country, and a company pays you to do it!”

Nichols is excited to take his busy life on the road soon. 

“I have seen the United States from the air. Now I am going to go see it from the road.”