ROADMASTER TAMPA

I wanted to give a summary of what I experienced and my perceptions recently attending Roadmaster Tampa School.

Roadmaster like everyone else providing a service in trucking gets hammered on the internet primarilly from people who had negative experience and thus had motivation to take the time and post on the subject.

I was assisted in my payment of tuition by WIA (a goverment grant to retrain the unemployed). They paid $3500 upfront making me one of those who didnt have to struggle with poor credit or no credit. Some of the negativity I saw seemed to center around Roadmasters unwillingness to allow students who could not get financing or had financing fall through the ability to continue the program. It was painful to see a couple guys you had gotten to know over the first couple weeks get sent home for inability to pay. I wished they had been just allowed to continue and that Roadmaster just assumed the risk as there seemed little to lose after midway through the program. But maybe that was unfair to the guys that paid $7000 upfront out of pocket or secured financing at 18% interest. Also where do you stop once you make exceptions in a program like Roadmaster that starts new classes every week of the year? The guys that I was most hurt about, actually got through 2/3 of the program but so I assume if they got that far, they know what its worth going forward and will find a way to get it done if it means that much to them.

Roadmasters personnel in Tampa, whether it was the recruiter, the placement coordinator, the office director or the instructors and examiners for the most part are people like the rest of us with their unique personalities and strengths and weaknesses. Some were hardened and not all that accomidating but there were enough softer, fun and accomidating others to make it pretty much representive of any organization. They all for the most part wanted you to succeed. I never did see where anything became easier for anyone in the face of loud, angry or frustrated responses from instructors and that may be something the school may want to monitor. But do you really appreciate the challenges that come through a school door in this industry every week? Despite what the recruiters or counselers may have told us, not everybody is right for trucking.

I can appreciate those that felt the first week spent on e-treads that could have been done at home wasnt worth much, or that the seats and computers could be upgraded, but beyond those complaints, I have nothing but pretty positive feelings about the Roadmaster 160 hour program. Our student to truck ratio was no more than 4 students to a truck for the most part, the trucks were not as new as the trucks we will be going to work on, but they were 9 and 10 speeds and you really were expected to develop your base skills before they would graduate. I know personally that they will not graduate you if you havent obtained an average ability to handle the rig safely. And they will be the first to say that everybody gets it at different times and if you have to stay an additional week (on their dime and at the expense of upcoming classes, its not a big deal to them).

Barring any issues with driving record, employability, or criminal record we all had offers for jobs when we graduated. Now many of us had some junk in the closet that we have to get through with whoever we go to work for so we cant really blame anyone else for that. But if you are lucky enough to have a clean slate, every company whos hiring students out of school is going to want you.

I had a wia counseler tell me that everyone that goes to Roadmaster through their agency gets a job. Now looking around the unemployment office, I find that hard to believe. But if you are an average person with not to much personal baggage, you can expect to be trucking once you complete the school.

The hotel: i didnt stay there, but everyone I know said it was a nice hotel. La Quinta. Downside was that you ultimately have the cost tacked on your tuition.

My recruiter was Pat Felty. Hes a likeable guy and I never caught him in a lie or even an exaggeration. I would recommend calling him in Tampa, and be sure you ask him anything and everything you can about the benefits and risks for you.

Finally, I hope this helps you. Maybe it helps the school too but in my mind they deserve it. I got what they told me I would and they let me go three additional days to get my over the road driving down. I am still a clutz kinda with double clutching and finding gears, although I was perfect in my manuevers. USxpress road tested me with an automatic by their choice, and all I can say is that Roadmaster made it so I could pass anyones pre-employment roadtest, manual or automatic.

David