Looking Into Cdl School
Topic 3411 | Page 1
There is a gentleman that works for my co that went through Stevens. According to him (and I trust his judgement) Stevens is a very thorough program and he enjoyed it. He also says that its very thorough after you go solo. Both programs are extremely strict. Either way its whichever provides what you need.
From what I have found most schools are the same. They teach you the basics to get you started. Once you get on the road solo, the learning curve takes a steep incline. The first year is pretty much the same anywhere. Good luck!
Get a piece of paper and label the left side as Stevens and right side as Prime. Now list all your positives about the company and compare the two. Prime has a very long training so make sure you'll be alright spending 4 months with a trainer. Whichever company fits your needs best is the one for you.
Thank you for all the info. Every bit helps out.
Karri/..welcome to TT !!! and we are glad to help you in any way we can.... Picking a cdl school is a big decision...why ??? cuz after you get thru school, and go solo, you will want to stay with that company for a year...to pay off your schooling, and to get a years "rep", to give any other company you want to hire on with. So picking that company school is a serious matter. Daniel's idea works well. List what your need for that first year....home time, pay, what kinda freight do you wanna haul, what kinda trailer ?? Team or solo ?? I know that CRE brow beats you about LEASING....NEVER...NEVER...NEVER lease a truck !!!! You can ask anyone on this sight, ( I'm a retired Owner Operator)..and they will all say the same thing. NO LEASE/NO BUY.... Anyway...Prime pays a little better, they give you more options, and the only teaming you do is your OTR training. CRE does alot of team.... But you live in a great area for freight !!! there are alot fo companies that run thru there regularly... And like I said...be picky !!!!
ALL cdl schools are INTENSE !!!!! You need to hit their doors with ALL the information and education you can get...so you need to start this High Road Training Program...This will help you study for your permit, endorsements..and most importantly...the cdl school you go to !!! So get to studyin' girl !!! And come on over to the Ladies of Trucking forum, and say Hi...there's other ladies there that are right where you are in their rolling future !!!
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.
Owner Operator:
An owner-operator is a driver who either owns or leases the truck they are driving. A self-employed driver.
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.
Thank you everyone for your thoughts. I have done my pros and cons. I have come to the decision that Prime is for me. I have been going through the training stuff and boy is it ever helpful. I picked up my CDL book bout 3 weeks ago from DMV and its much harder to study from that book then from this site.
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.
Dm:
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.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
Get a piece of paper and label the left side as Stevens and right side as Prime. Now list all your positives about the company and compare the two. Prime has a very long training so make sure you'll be alright spending 4 months with a trainer. Whichever company fits your needs best is the one for you.
4 months with a trainer?!?!?!!?? Wow. I was finished with both my instructor AND my trainer in just over 2 and a half months. It depends on how quickly you catch on and how long you're instructor / trainer decides to keep you driving
It depends on how quickly you catch on and how long you're instructor / trainer decides to keep you driving
Most companies have a training period of a set length. A few companies will kind of leave it up to the trainer to decide when the student is ready. But Prime Inc has a minimum standard that every student has to complete no matter how good they are.
I'll tell ya this though....I don't care how long you're running team with a trainer, those first few months running solo are brutal at times. Driving a rig alone for the first time is one of the most exciting and yet stressful things you'll ever do. It's like, "Here's the keys, here's your first load assignment, stay out of trouble and don't hit anything. Good luck." When you're sitting in the truck and you roll off the very first time without a trainer you're excited and nervous at the same time. When it really hits you that you're on your own it's like....
...and the learning curve is steep! Man do you learn a lot those first few months solo. In fact, that's when you learn more each day than at any other time in your training or your career. When people get their license they think, "Wow did I work hard to achieve this. I know there's more to learn but the worst is out of the way."
Oh no it isn't!
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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Im a female looking into schools. Ive narrowed it down to Prime Inc and Stevens Transport. I am able to find a ton of info from people on here about Prime but nit too much on Stevens. Could anyone help out here. Stevens looks great on paper and they appear to have nice new equipment. So excited to start my new adventure this next month.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: