Truck Driving Training School Question
Topic 34264 | Page 1
Welcome to TT, Nathan. I'm sorry I can't help you with the company you are asking about. I've never heard of them. What kind of trailer did they say you would be pulling with them? Dry van , reefer , flatbed? And what kind of driving: Over The Road (OTR), regional , local?
I'm not sure of your situation. Are you willing and able to be an OTR driver who stays on the road for a month or more at a time? Or do you need to find something local that gets you home every night?
Depending upon your answers to the questions above, applying to several companies listed in the link will give you more companies to choose from. Most of these companies hire new drivers to drive OTR though. But you can rest assured that these companies are reputable, and not only will they train you for free, many will pay you during training.
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.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
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.
Over The Road:
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.
Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.Reefer:
A refrigerated trailer.
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.
EPU:
Electric Auxiliary Power Units
Electric APUs have started gaining acceptance. These electric APUs use battery packs instead of the diesel engine on traditional APUs as a source of power. The APU's battery pack is charged when the truck is in motion. When the truck is idle, the stored energy in the battery pack is then used to power an air conditioner, heater, and other devices
If I understand it correctly, Nathan is trying to go to a CDL school to obtain his CDL-A. The company he mentioned is not a trucking company and probably nobody here has ever heard of them directly.
Nathan, I would advise you to reconsider going to a private school. The links sent to you in the previous comment will allow you to get paid training with a large carrier that will train you for free, pay your transportation to their training, house you and feed you. They might require you to sign a contract agreeing to drive for them one year or so, but you are guaranteed a job with them if you successfully complete their training.
So, if you can, just put on the brakes with that payment and look into the paid training option before making a decision. And if you have any questions about paid training and how it works, get back on the forum with your questions and get more information.
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.
Hi Nathan, RealDiehl and BK are both correct. private cdl schools can be a very big mistake. as someone who has been rejected because of the private cdl school they went to, I am painfully aware of that. going with one of the paid options is a really good idea, and I really wish I could have done so. if the paid cdl training doesn't work for you, then talk to a few different companies that you would be willing to work for and find out what specific school they advise going to to get your cdl. In a lot of cases, some companies have specific schools they hire out of, or at least that is what I have seen locally here in Utah. Also, this school you have mentioned sounds really sketchy. they don't accept any kind of payment other than wire transfers? That is really suspicious. Your local DMV/DLD should have a list of schools that are registered with the state/FMCSA, check that for legitimate schools, though be cautious of anyone offering to do it for cheap, that was another mistake I made that ended up costing me more money than it would have if I had just gone to one of the better-known schools.
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.
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
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.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.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.
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Hello Trucking truth forum, my name is Nathan L. Thomas and I just recently obtained my Class A Learners Permit from the DPS in Amarillo Texas. My question has to do with a truck driving training facility located in Rice, Texas. The name of the company is S Bar C CDL Training. I have sent a cashier's check for payment for the classes and the training. I was informed that this company will not accept any type of cashier's check or any paper check, but will only accept bank wires. I stopped payment on the Cashier's check and so currently the funds are in my personal bank account. Should I deal with this company? They have a Facebook page. It currently isn't showing any current reviews? Should I not do business with this company? Has anyone heard of S Bar C CDL Training?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated