Signing up for Driving school, need some help from you vets!
 

Can some of you help me out and fill in this questionaire? I am getting my CDL using the Trade Act, so I have to prove that I have contacted other drivers in the field to learn from their experiences. I appreciate any help you can give me.

Business Name:



Address:



City:

Name/Job title:


How did you choose this line of work?


Where did you get you training?


What are the common duties connected with this occupation?

Most interesting aspects of your job?

What skills, personal characteristics and educational requirements did you need to do this job?

Does your company offer opportunites for advancement?

Inhouse training opportunities?

Outlook for work in your field?

How does technology affect your job?

What changes do you see for your job in the next 5yrs?

Is there anything else you feel I should know about this occupation?

send you a pm with the info

The main thing that you need to know is that trucking schools and trucking companies are two different things, you need to stop piddling with the schools and get yourself cleared/pre-approved to go to WORK. Some of these schools are a waste of time as they are not approved nor certified enough to be accepted by some of the trucking companies! Do not listen to the schools when it comes to your future.

Sabine, thanks for your help!

If you are seriously interested in become a driver, you need to read Fozzy's post again....and do what he says.

If you are trolling for personal identification information.....go away.

No...thats not the case at all. I looked into 4 schools 1 company sponsored school, 1 PDTI endorsed school, a community tech school and a CDL mill. The company sponsored school was RDTC(ROEHL) I was approved to go there but that course is only 4-5 weeks. The PDTI and the mill are the same, they only teach youwhat you need to know to get your CDL, thats it. The community school is 12-16 weeks and really covers alot more than just driving and how to pass the test. Its a good school, I am confident in my choice of schools, Ihave talked to a few former students and they all recommended this school.

stay away from the mill. you should look into a company(s) and see what they require regarding CDL school. than you can decide which route is better for you to take.

you best bet is probably the community college and could get a better experience than a CDL school

You are falling for a bit of the salesmen BS from the publicly funded schools. MOST if not all of the CDL phase of training is going to be similar in all schools, the difference is that most people entering the industry do not have the luxury of riding around in a truck unpaid for weeks and even months. As for "covering a lot" again, a lot of this is skipped and CAN be skipped to get you to work. Most training fleets are going to train you to do the job you are hiring on to do, using the equipment you will be using. Learning how to do something that chances are you'll never need or soon forget is a waste of valuable time if your family is starving to death. I do not automatically "knock" some of the shorter schools as CDL mills, We were PTDI certified and were a 15 day school. It's all how you use the time. We mimicked the HOS to a point, you ought to have heard some of the students bellyaching when they had to work all weekend or the day following night driving.. turning on an "eight" is a real shock to some people.

First let me say that I am all for learning all you can about driving a truck before you take the wheel solo....BUT think about this: A PTDI school ( mill ) and a CDL "mill" are the same thing in the eyes of the trucking company if the "mill" is a 160 hr school. ( Just make sure with some of the companies you plan to apply with before hand to be safe ). Even Crete (and others )says on their web site only PTDI school grads. excepted. Funny, they ALL excepted my school and it was NOT a PTDI school.

Now let's do some simple math. CDL mill = 3 weeks; Community College = 12 to 16 weeks. That is a 9 to 12 week difference. Depending on how long you are out with a company trainer let's just say you average $400.00 a week ( and you should do better than that ) for those 9 to 12 weeks. That's $3600.00 to $4800.00 dollars. How much money did you really save by going to a community college?

Going either way what you will wind up with is a CDL Class A that you CAN'T use until a training company puts you with a trainer to TEACH you how to drive a truck.

I have yet to see any trucking company that posts a higher pay rate for a new trainee that comes from a Community College, a PTDI certified school or a CDL Mill ( 160 hr course ).

Just some thoughts to ponder,

Ridge

P.S. Does anybody know how many actual hours in involved in a "college" course? I would be willing to bet if you take out " The History of Trucking" type classes and counted only the classes that teach the skills part they would come close to the same amount of hours.

Hi Ridge,

Mid Florida Tech in Orlando is 160 hrs / 4 weeks / M-Th (10 hr days) and the only school in FL Crete accepts (unless PTDI checksheet if verified by instructor - ?). Some schools are 320 hours / 8 weeks / M-F. Watkins Shepard takes most any community college technical school in FL, 4 to 8 weeks.

Not only are the community colleges in FL about $2K (no living arrangements though), but you can get WIA, and other assistance which may be up to $5K. So 4 weeks + 2 weeks (good) company training and ready to make good wages.

Compared to a $6K loan with 18% and assigned to a company 8 months to 4 years with graduated earnings starting at $375/week, its not a reasonable choice (down here in FL imo any way).

BUT, I'll have to move up to where you live to get a reasonable demand level job. Need to stay where I can get financial aid first. I didn't see any links to your school and if you work with Crete, you are already better than only '1' commercial school chain investigated. And even that was not bad, as long as don't pay 18% loan and if could get a good company.

I'm a newbie and just learning, so if I said anything wrong, its the only way for me to learn: show how dumb I really am. Please don't throw me off because I don't know any better, yet :oops:

Re: Signing up for Driving school, need some help from you v
 

OK, NN... I relooked this, and since I don't have to give any "personal" information I'll answer the questions. :D


Like any job working with "hazardous materials" there are inherent risks associated with it. Safe operations and conduct on the ground and while driving are paramount.

ddog,

Don't worry about being thrown off. This site is where I learned about the industry before I went to school and started driving. You are doing the best thing you can, and that is research FIRST. I guess a little more information on my part might have been in order.

1) The school I went to was not a "chain". It is private owned. The cost then ( 2005 ) was 4k. Paid for it out of pocket.

2) The school was only 5 miles from my house. :lol: The school was a 3 week ( 160 hrs ) but I got my permit before starting and did it in two weeks. They still made me take all of the "in-house" tests they give that first week, that they keep on file for a number of years. ( More on this later ).

3) By doing things this way I was able to keep my regular job ( and pay check right up til the first day of school. I got my CDL on a Friday and was in USX paid orientation ( three days ) on Monday.

4) No, I did not go to work for Crete. I was just pointing out that of the 5 or 6 companies that I had narrowed it down to that I talked to, ALL of them accepted my school even tho some said PTDI only.

You brought up some good points that I failed to adress. LOCATION All states may be different but:

In Georgia if you open a truck driving SCHOOL you will be regulated by the state. They are very strick and do audits on a regular basis and the requirments are higher than PTDI. That may be the reason I had no problems with the better companies accepting my schooling.

The funny thng is I work ( local now ) with two guys that found a local guy with a truck that for $1000.00 he will help you get your CDL. You go get your permit on your own, work with him in the eveings on backing, driving and shifting and pre-trip and in a couple of weeks he takes you to the DMV in his truck and you test out. With a CDL in hand they came to work at the company I work for as a spotter on the yard. After 6 months without crashing or tearing anything up they can drive inner-city and then local. Now they have enough time in to drive OTR if they so choose.

BTW: The company I work for is a fortune 500 company, not some cheap fly-by-night operation.

That's enought for now. Keep asking away and learn all you can.

Ridge,

Wow, thanks for the detailed reply. Wish I was a Georgia resident near you now, but I intend to move there after get cdl. My parents live in Marietta and there are at least 2 nice companies in that area I would be privilaged to get on with either. I'd like to be avaliable for regional, road, and/or local, so planning to move when get approved.

After living in TN and FL, GA taxes might be hard to stomach but North GA to Chattanooga to Greenville is where I want to live.

Again, thanks for your detailed and timely response. I love your site and the company matrix alone will save me man-days in making my own company evalutation spread sheet.

:D

ddog.... If I remember correctly... the Pinellas VoTech has a CDL-A training course. The yard where they keep their equipment is on US-19 south of downtown a bit...about halfway between Central Ave and the Skyway.

I have no idea what they charge or how long the course is.... its just a lot closer to Sarasota than Orlando is.... 8)

This is a link to a list of schools in FL

http://www.infoporium.com/truckschools/Florida.shtml

and here's an even better one.....and it covers the whole country.

http://www.truckinfo.net/trucking/tr...s-by-state.htm

Skywalker,

Thanks, that must be St. Pete 320 hr 8 week class.
But the key for me is PTDI and the only one approved in FL for ALL companies. Maybe the 122 miles distance will help my WIA grant value with motel and mileage rates out to help ends meet better. Like Ridge said, 4 weeks for class, 2 weeks orientation, so about 2 months to start getting paid. At least I'll have 3 day w/e's to work 3 - 12 hr days if can get it. Its tough down here in paradise. When local jobs go up Sunday, immediately 120 illegal aliens (predominantly) put applications in and they stop accepting applications almost immediately.

I want to get the heck away from here as soon as get cdl. And St. Pete is a tough neighborhood too, real tough. 57 miles away for 8 - 5 day weeks in slums or 122 miles away for 4 - 4 day weeks at FL's best driving school. If its going to work for me, it will best work with the 2nd choice with 4 - 4/3 day weeks vs 8 - 5/2 day weeks. Plus driving 122x2 miles up and back once a week by staying 3 nights, versus driving 114miles 5 times a week may cost near the same, except 2.5 times longer travel time PER EACH WEEK (total of 5 times longer since 8 weeks long)! Heck, I can live in car and shower at school gym in mornings if they have one, lol. I'm easy. If could sleep in tractor, I'd slip-sheet clean it every morning.

By that time I may be living in car anyway though, since use po box address. Jobs and careers in FL is like their freight. They only flow one way. As an Engineer, I've lived in every state in SE. As nice as it is 80 degrees +/- year round here, I like it least of every state around and including GA.

Ridge,

I just found out MFT Class A course also says 320 hours. Page 126 of following pdf catalogue:

http://www.reinventme.net/images/catalog.pdf

So evidently they count getting cdl class a learners test and other stuff needed to take the course as 160 hours. St. Pete tech school's 320 hr 8 week course must have included the learners written exam. So running around about 2 days worth on DOT physical/tests, cramming over weekend for test, and taking test counts for 160 hrs at St. Pete Tech school. I think St Pete's 8 week class is the type of hand holding 'wasted time' you were referring to.

That's good for MFT so they can teach more people the skilled driving requirements classes every 4 + 1 weeks. It also weeds out the people not motivated enough to remember laundry lists on their own.

Now if I could just find a fair pay per load lumper job in the meantime. I can strip some trailers fast, lol. If you got any ideas how to network locally for those type jobs, let me know.

I may be asking the same questions as NHHunter later. But right now, I have to plan on eating and paying rent :)

While I can't say how other schools do it but where I went some students satrt with their permit already. That cuts the school time by 1 week. You still watch all the safety films and take you DOT physical and drug screen but by day two you go straight to the trucks.

I wish I could help you with the job situtation but I don't have any idea how that works. I guess that is why a lot of people go with the a company that will send them through school for a set time of employment afterward. Just be careful if you start thinking about this option. There are a lot of bad deals out there BUT there are some good ( fair ) ones too.

Ridge,

My 'student theory' assumptions were all wrong. I went to MFT today and here's the facts to the best of my knowledge talking with the instructor at least a couple of hours before, during, and after orientation.

1. MFT is 8 week 4 days/week 10 hrs a day.

2. St. Pete's Pinellas Tech school is MFT's sister school 10 weeks 5 days/week 7 hrs per day and an excellent school in an excellent location.

3. MFT is only FL's only PDTI, although our orientation instructor said its mainly investing in qualifying time/cost and didn't say that was a big deal; although he's very proud of his school.

4. Why I thougt 4 week school, was start classes every 4 weeks, but actually 2 groups: school and on the road.

a. 1 instructor/First group has 7 loaded tractor-trailor back-up setups from docking to jack knifes practice. 3 reps of each station and rotate. Trucks were from city no-sleepers to mid size sleepers to double sleepers - all trailers were loaded. Guys in 4th week looked like pros: every one of them including a lady. I couldn't tell skill level's between them for the most part. They were like robots, lol. The instructor was driving around in a covered golf cart inspecting/coaching different students in different situations.

b. 2nd instructor/First group has one person riding around a 3/4 mile track 'by themselves' getting used to gear patterns, with various truck configs I assume. This instructor was riding around town with another student their first road experiences - Orlando is busy and packed with cars, and screwey FL signs that's hard to ride in 4 wheeler. FL designs roads to be confusing with no/switched ids and impossible to read signs if there at all in the cities.

c. 3rd instructor/Second Group - after get license 5th week (and if get permit for tanker, double/triple, and haz mat, they will test/give license for that then too), they convoy 4 or 5 loaded trucks around at 250 miles per day up to the 8th week taking a wide assortment of tricky routes. 1200 miles per student if they're there every day, and requires 1000 miles to graduate. And this also includes every thing to do with flat beds, tarps, and loading different types of cargo as well as riding with those different loads.

_________________________________________________


8 weeks time is going to be a challenge to finance, but the constant repetition, wide range of well maintained vehicles, and various constant driving experience seems invaluable. A 98% placement rate! I found some 'dive' hotels can probably get good rate for 3 nights a week too.

I have to do some serious juggling now for rent, Lawyer, Accountant, and school. It may be delayed indefinitely, but if can stay afloat in FL, that will be my school (for now anyway). Of course I may have been excited going to any school, but have been around trucks and drivers enough to have a real good feeling. But I'm still an old lumper, so consider the source! :wink: