[Oakdancer]

"..it looks like either that place in Sevierville OR the Tennessee Tech place in Knoxville will be my best shot.."

Have no idea how TTech operates, but I can give you my impression of SMTI:

Pros - It's quick. You can have your CDL and be hired in about a month. It's flexible - you can go straight through, 7 days/week, only weekdays, if you want to be home weekends, or only weekends, if you have a normal job to maintain - that's all up to you and your schedule. It's thorough - you WILL know a pre-trip from bumper to bumper, you WILL be able to back, 90, offset, and parallel, double-clutch, and make turns without eating up a curb. And finally, it's fun. They've got some really good people there.

Cons - There's a bit of an organization problem. New students come in and graduate every day, so there's not really different "classes" so much as there are a whole bunch of people there at different training levels at any given time. As a result, you can spend some time sitting around the backing yard waiting for practice trucks, and they can lose track of your progress and you can "fall through the cracks," as it were. That happened to me with road training and cost me a couple of extra days there to get my road time in.

Would I do it again, knowing what I know now? Yeah, but I'd just be sure to keep up with my own progress and training schedule.

"..I DO have some time and money left on my GI Bill..I just have to find out if that would cover the training.."

Basic tuition is $4000. Add another hundred if you want them to take care of your DOT physical and CDL fee for you. Add another $500 for lodging unless you plan to commute. Having stayed in the motel they use, I recommend the drive to and from Knox daily.

"And "WAR EAGLE" is entirely acceptable, we both despise Bama so it's all good. You just better hope Saban doesn't trump you all down there in the recruiting wars."

Thanks! Although, I do have to admit that once I nodded and smiled at somebody wearing a Florida shirt that I passed in Westtown Mall, just because it didn't say "Vols" on it! But you're right, we do have a "common enemy." As for Nikki and his recruiting, so far he hasn't been much of a factor. However, give him a year or two to stabilize the football program at "The Crapstone" and then we'll BOTH probably have to watch out! LOL

[SIR CHARLES]

Hey man do what you gotta do to survive. Do your homework on all the schools and company's. I was pretty much in your same boat. but i did find a companywith what i was looking for. Now i'm just waiting 4 my class date. It may vary from state to state but i was told i couldn't use my GI BILL due to the length of the course,but that's just it Some of the Schools have longer programs so it could work .oh yeah look into WIA at your local workforce center. Good Luck!!!

[dieselgrl]

I know the truck driving instructors at Tennessee Technology Center in Knoxville personally. Great crew over there, and you WILL graduate knowing a good bit more than many of the other schools out there.

If you are eligible for retraining funds (WIA and the like), you can use it at the school for the truck driver training. It's held next to the main campus in the tan metal building (I myself went through the diesel mechanic school there, and we worked closely with the driver training candidates in a classroom on the other side of the building.)

Send me a PM if you want to know more - I lived in Knoxville for about five years...I'm now out in the Nashville area to get on a dedicated run with a tiny company with a friend of mine.