Private School In GA?
Topic 10597 | Page 1
Anyone with experience in Private schools in GA? Online info is cluttered with random info. It would be nice to have some personal insight form people that went through one. Thanks for the time in advance.
I went to Georgia Northwestern Technical College.
I have also heard great things about West Georgia Technical College.
Hey TruckingTruth,
I recently graduated from Georgia Northwestern Technical College on February 25. Here is a link to the program for those interested:
I started school on January 7. It was an eight week program that ran Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 1:15pm. Before registering for the class I needed the following:
~DOT Physical $38
~DOT Drug Test $35
~Motor Vehicle Report $8
~CDL AP Learner's Permit $45
In Georgia, we have what is known as the HOPE Grant. It helped fund some of the cost of the program. The school is also provided money from the government to help lower the cost of tuition. The approximate cost is $1,200-$1,300, and I paid $839 out of pocket. Most starter companies have tuition reimbursement up to $6,000, so I should not have a problem getting my money back. I spent an additional $32 on books. They included an hours of service book, two log books, and a road atlas. The main book for the class ($50) was provided by the school. They have copies in the class paid for by trucking companies. They lend them out, and we turn them back in at the end of the 8 weeks. At the end of the class, I had to pay $50 for my road test. It was given by a third party tester. He is a retired CDL teacher from the school.
I chose this program for a couple of reasons. The main reason was because it allowed me to keep my full time job while going to school. It also allowed me to keep my job options open after graduation. On the first day of class, I went in and noticed only one other student. AWESOME! It was only me and him for the whole 8 weeks. I had my own truck the whole time and ended up with 526 miles and 16.5 hours OTR behind the wheel. There where some days I was able to be OTR behind the wheel for 2-3 hours at a time. During my class, we went over the basic pre-trip, maneuvers, and road driving. One thing that really helped me out was I had the chance to do a full pre-trip on the truck everyday for 8 weeks. There where some days later on in the program that we just did a shorter version. We also learned log books and trip planning during my class. I have heard some other students in various programs say they were not taught this.
It was a great experience and I am very happy with the choice I made. I understand everybody's situation is different. I encourage you to do your research and find out which route is best for you. There are many different options for schooling out there. I am sure I have left out some information here so if you have questions please feel free to ask. I am always glad to help.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
I highly recommend truck driving Institute unfortunately it was my 2nd and should have been my first. All the instructors at the Forsyth site went above and beyond the call of duty. Equipment was good. They are always up for questions. There passingredients rate is extremely high. There job placement is off the chain.
I went to a school in Georgia but it was in '93 so the info might be a little dated.
I'm going to throw this out there though to help people out. We have a lot of resources to help people choose the right school:
Truck Driver's Career Guide Chapter 4: Choosing A Truck Driving School
What You Need To Know Before Choosing A Truck Driving School
Category Of Articles: Choosing A Truck Driving School
Directory of Georgia Truck Driving Schools
Truck Driving School Directory By State
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
@All: Thank you for the time to answer!!
@Brett: Yeah, I was not even born in 93'... nah, I think we are the same age, Bro, only I took a different path :-) Looking forward to catch up in miles soon!!
Im attending chat tech in acworth, ga the end of October...
Hey where did you get the dot physical n drug screen for that price im Located in Cobb County.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Im attending chat tech in acworth, ga the end of October...
Hey where did you get the dot physical n drug screen for that price im Located in Cobb County.
Im in Northwest Georgia, Walker county. I went to Physicians Care which is a walk in clinic in my area.
Follow this link to find a medical examiner in your area who is certified by the FMCSA to perform DOT physical exams: https://nationalregistry.fmcsa.dot.gov/NRPublicUI/Drivers.seam
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.New Reply:
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Anyone with experience in Private schools in GA? Online info is cluttered with random info. It would be nice to have some personal insight form people that went through one. Thanks for the time in advance.