Currently Going To Truck Driving School But The School Isn't So Great
Topic 32707 | Page 1
Luis, the information you gave about your school is not detailed enough for anyone to help you. You have only worked on the outside of the truck pre-trip in 6 weeks? What do you do with the rest of your time? No driving instruction or practice? How long is the program supposed to last? The name of the school?
I’m sure someone here will post information and links about company sponsored training. That is what you should be looking for, but without knowing more about your current school, there is no way to give you sound advice.
Company Sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
Exactly the reason why we advocate company sponsored training 99.9% of the time.
By week 6, you should already have your CDL and road training with a company.
Click these links:
Apply to every company listed in these two links. Give them ONLY the information they ask for, meaning do not volunteer that you’re 6 weeks into a private school and you’re not happy.
Apply!!! Someone will pick you up.
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.
Company Sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
I'd like to know what area of Cali you're in/from Luis. Almost sounds like the 1st "school" I went to in the High Desert, near home LOL. WIOA paid for it, but it was a joke in the end, and a big waste of my time.....They were, (name starts with, "Sky") lol
I ended up going with CRST in Riverside after the other place, even though I wasn't keen on team driving. Which didn't turn out that bad, eventually, just took 4 tries to find a partner, who was on the same page, and same work ethics as myself.
WIOA:
WIOA - Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (aka WIA)
Formerly known as the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), the WIOA was established in 1998 to prepare youth, adults and dislocated workers for entry and reentry into the workforce. WIOA training funds are designed to serve laid-off individuals, older youth and adults who are in need of training to enter or reenter the labor market. A lot of truck drivers get funding for their CDL training through WIOA.
Certainly not an expert, but IMHO CDL schools are nothing but certificate mills. I learned very little in 4 weeks.
There were 4 students per instructor. We spent one week in the class and 2.5 weeks in the yard.
The yard time was broken into two shifts. During one shift we drove on the roads. Each day we each got one turn that lasted about 30-35 minutes. The instructor pretty much said very little while we drove.
The other yard shift was spent backing up. You did one straight backup, one offset backup and one alley backup. If lucky we got 4 turns per day depending on proficiency of others in your group. Many times you only got 3 turns per day.
I didn’t really learn anything until I got with my trainer. My employer required me to ride with a trainer for 60 days. It sucked being with a trainer that long, but I did learn quite a bit more than if that training time would have been shorter.
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.
I am an older mature adult who decided to pursue a cdl , however, any "school" I considered worth attending had a full time schedule, where thereby prevented me from attending since I had to work full time, and did not have nearly enough vacation time to cover the school programs. So, I did the next best thing. I looked at the 'schools' that offered flexible part time arrangements. A couple hours this week, a couple hours next week, etc. I found lots of those in my area, most of which used pup trailers with older tractors. All well and good but I had a hang up about that so I finally settled on a place that offered this type training but used 40-48 foot trailers, a little more like what I'd be using with my (existing, I was a dockworker) employer. They spent a LOT of time on the pre-trip. The argument was that if you fail the pre-trip your test is over. So, they are not training you to succeed as a driver, they are training you to pass the CDL road test which is comprised of the inspection pass/fail, if pass then the parking maneuvers pass/fail, if pass, then you get the actual road test. Soak it all up, get your CDL, then go from there. If like me you cannot afford for whatever reason to attend a full time program, take EVERYTHING you can from the program you end up in, and ensure you pass your test and get the CDL.
I remember complaining about the program I settled on, but in hindsight, the instructors were very helpful, and I learned a lot of good stuff that is helping me regularly now as a daily delivery driver of a 48 footer in the greater NYC area.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
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Like I said I am currently going to truck driving school but the school isn't so great. I applied to some companies that offer cdl school and talked to two recruiters and they told me i would not be able to qualify for there program since I am in school. Does anyone know any company's that don't mind ? I am currently going to school i saw the reviews but i really thought it wasn't going to be so bad. I Have been there for a month and a half and i Have been taught is my outside pre trip inspection. I don't know if i am being impatient or not its because i see other schools advertising getting their cdl in 4-5 weeks. I want to start my trucking career I am 21 years old and from california.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: