DALLAS ,Texas Newbie Need Help :)
Topic 4504 | Page 2
Well, just to toss this out there.... there are many really good company sponsored schools out there. There are advantages and disadvantages to the different schools. By going through a non company sponsored school, you have to put a lot of cash out of pocket. You may get it reimbursed after you get hired over many months. You will not make any more money either way. You will still have to go out with a trainer for the company you choose after school either way. Many of the company sponsored schools will pay for your trip to the school. I started with Roehl. It was a great school and they have treated me great. Just don't want you to discount company sponsored training with out researching them as well.
Great stuff. I appreciate that. Each time I lean one way I hear from someone else to go the other lol. I was thinking private so I can go to whatever company I want but I don't just have that kind of cash laying around. So looks like school will be it for me. I def appreciate everyone's opinions. Decisions decisions decisions.
If you want a GREAT school in Texas, talk to Amarillo College Truck Driving Academy in Amarillo, Tx. They have housing and everything. They train you for your CDL , you get your license with all endorsements, including school bus/ passenger, with option for your hazemat. You learn to drive city, OTR (600 miles of road training) (with 10% downgrade), they train you in a tanker, no baffles, 3/4 full, then when you take your test you drive a 28ft flatbed with a day cab and automatic transmission (not limited to driving automatics because you do all your training in 10 speed). The course is 8 to 10 weeks...pay as you go. They have some scholarships also. I think you get it free if you are a veteran! They have a lot of recruiters come in at the end of the course that beg you to work for them too ! It is on the list of qualified schools at every trucking company I have ever looked at also. The only thing I did not like was double clutching , but I think everyone should know how to do it ! It helped me several times to get out of difficult shifting situations when I was floating gears. Good luck to you. Let us know how it goes.
Oh.....believe it or not.....Covenant has a great school in Chattanooga, Tn. They pay your way up and everything then hire you.
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.
Floating Gears:
An expression used to describe someone who is shifting gears without using the clutch at all. Drivers are taught to "Double Clutch" or press and release the clutch twice for each gear shift. If you're floating gears it means you're simply shifting without using the clutch at all.
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.
Day Cab:
A tractor which does not have a sleeper berth attached to it. Normally used for local routes where drivers go home every night.
Baffle:
A partition or separator within a liquid tank, used to inhibit the flow of fluids within the tank. During acceleration, turning, and braking, a large liquid-filled tank may produce unexpected forces on the vehicle due to the inertia of liquids.Double Clutch:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
Double Clutching:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
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.
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.
Quality Companies/Quality Drivers School is good and has a good reputation. They are Celadon Trucking. However, according to information you have to drive team the first year, before going solo. If you graduate from a different driving school you can drive solo immediately. Do your research.
Check also Raider Express.
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
Thanks everyone. I'm leaning towards KLLM in Ft Worth, Tx. Also does Brett only answer to those who've been apart of this forum for a long time? I know he's busy but I'm just curious?
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
I am receiving lots of High Road emails. I guess he is busy. He replied to my posts and I am a newbie as well.
Ya'll Brett is a very busy man, however he replies to everyone. No matter newbie or experienced he treats everyone alike. If he's side tracked may take a little longer. He also gets up early and goes through the forums. Be patient.
Unless you've got access to a test vehicle,how would you take your road test? Thats the reason I hired a school, because I didn't have a truck to take to the DMV. But after starting school I'm more inclined to say the training is better than going it alone. Keywords JOB PLACEMENT.
What's better to do? Get my cdl or just go off to a school? And if I get my own cdl who will hire me after? Which school is best?
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.
My school is a certified school, so once i graduate i am considered to have 1 year experience with some companies who acknowledge and accept it. it is a 240 hour school here in IL, and its great. I already have job offers from local companies that i have contacted. And not just OTR offers, some are home everyday if I want to be.
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.
New Reply:
New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features
Preview:
This topic has the following tags:
Choosing A Truck Driving School Company Sponsored CDL Training Getting Your CDL High Road Training Program
Why Join Trucking Truth?
- The High Road Training Program
- The High Road Article Series
- The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
- Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted
Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth
Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:
TT On Facebook
If you want a GREAT school in Texas, talk to Amarillo College Truck Driving Academy in Amarillo, Tx. They have housing and everything. They train you for your CDL , you get your license with all endorsements, including school bus/ passenger, with option for your hazemat. You learn to drive city, OTR (600 miles of road training) (with 10% downgrade), they train you in a tanker, no baffles, 3/4 full, then when you take your test you drive a 28ft flatbed with a day cab and automatic transmission (not limited to driving automatics because you do all your training in 10 speed). The course is 8 to 10 weeks...pay as you go. They have some scholarships also. I think you get it free if you are a veteran! They have a lot of recruiters come in at the end of the course that beg you to work for them too ! It is on the list of qualified schools at every trucking company I have ever looked at also. The only thing I did not like was double clutching , but I think everyone should know how to do it ! It helped me several times to get out of difficult shifting situations when I was floating gears. Good luck to you. Let us know how it goes.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Floating Gears:
An expression used to describe someone who is shifting gears without using the clutch at all. Drivers are taught to "Double Clutch" or press and release the clutch twice for each gear shift. If you're floating gears it means you're simply shifting without using the clutch at all.
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.
Day Cab:
A tractor which does not have a sleeper berth attached to it. Normally used for local routes where drivers go home every night.
Baffle:
A partition or separator within a liquid tank, used to inhibit the flow of fluids within the tank. During acceleration, turning, and braking, a large liquid-filled tank may produce unexpected forces on the vehicle due to the inertia of liquids.Double Clutch:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
Double Clutching:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
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.
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.