Truck Driving Schools
Topic 5748 | Page 1
I live in the Spokane area, presently have a Class B need to get my Class A CDL , when looking at truck driving schools there are not many choices in the area, actually only 1, DTS Driver Training Solutions, they have a coarse for upgrading from a B to an A. Does anyone know of them? how do you know they are a reputable school? What can a person expect to pay for this type of training? They charge $2725 for a 2 week coarse, is this the norm?
John
Hey Jon, welcome
I'm guessing your in Spokane, wa?
Have you taken a look at Company-Sponsored Training or of your wanting to pay your self Truck Driving Schools
I know swift has a school in Lewiston, ID. They are a good company to start with to get your career under for as a CDL driver.
Company-Sponsored Training is a great way to get your CDL and ensure employment after completing their course. Most if not all of the companys listed on that page will transport you via greyhound to their school.
I would take a look at all the companys there and pick several, call recruiters and find out who will hit from your area.. Being in Washington, you really shouldn't have much of an issue getting to a school from a company sponsored course.
The thing with private schools is, if your wanting to get into driving trucks, you need 160hrs of verified training.. If you device to go this route, make sure it's 160+ hrs of training and you get a certifacte of completion.
David
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.
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
Welcome aboard John!
David makes an excellent point that you have to be aware of when choosing a school:
The thing with private schools is, if your wanting to get into driving trucks, you need 160hrs of verified training.. If you device to go this route, make sure it's 160+ hrs of training and you get a certifacte of completion.
Now you already have a Class B but I'm afraid that's about as worthless at toilet paper to Class A companies. And I don't just mean the license itself, I mean the driving experience also. They don't consider Class B driving jobs as driving experience. Only Class A jobs, and often times only Class A jobs that have you leaving your home state. Even local Class A jobs aren't considered as driving experience by many of the Class A OTR companies. It's odd that they designate only certain types of driving as driving experience, but that's how a lot of companies do it.
Dave is also right about Company-Sponsored Training Programs....that's a great way to go. But you can also go to a Private Truck Driving School if you prefer a more relaxed learning atmosphere and your choice of companies after graduating. But make sure that before you commit to a school you get some pre-hires from companies you're interested in. If you're not familiar with the pre-hire process we have an excellent article that will help you with regard to Understanding Pre-Hires.
Basically what you'll do is apply to trucking companies and they'll review your background and experience. They'll tell you whether or not you qualify to work there. If schooling is required (which it will be in your case) they'll tell you which schools they will accept students from and what the course requirements will be. Trucking Companies will not just hire from any school. They tend to have a list of approved schools and they'll let you know which ones you can attend.
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.
Pre-hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
Pre-hires:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
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.
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I live in the Spokane area, presently have a Class B need to get my Class A CDL , when looking at truck driving schools there are not many choices in the area, actually only 1, DTS Driver Training Solutions, they have a coarse for upgrading from a B to an A. Does anyone know of them? how do you know they are a reputable school? What can a person expect to pay for this type of training? They charge $2725 for a 2 week coarse, is this the norm?
John
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
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