I just made the decision to get my class A and I live in the Palmdale/Lancaster area.

The only school i can find that is currently in business is the High-Desert Truck Driving School and it seems legit but they don't offer financial aid and my credit is shot so getting a loan is probably out of the question.

I was hoping someone out there knows of a good school that I could attend locally.

Thanks in advance.

Is that the one off Ave M & 5th, or near there? The one thing I didn't like about them, if it's the one I'm thinking of, was the truck and trailers for training. The trailers were flatbeds and the trucks were single axle day cabs. I wanted to learn in what I would be working in and not train in something smaller then be lost in a bigger truck.
I couldn't find a school there and ended up moving to Texas and had plenty to choose from. Good luck.

Stay Away from High Desert , they are a rip. instructors quit regularly, the owner is an ass. bad equipment, if you don't pass your drive test they will charge you like 600.00 to retest using there trucks. run from this place.

Stay away from western trucking school. They only give their students 1 hour of driving

Hey Skinniman, I used to live just south of you in Santa Clarita, about 2 minutes from Magic Mountain. How's the yearly wind festival up there in Palmdale? I hear it blows. LOL.

Anyway, if you are still looking for a good truck driving school in So Cal, this directory has a ton of truck driving schools listed in Cali. As far as not wanting to take out another loan for school, I don't blame you there. Whats your financial situation like? If your in the lower income bracket, you might qualify for some truck driving school grants that will pay for most and posibly even all of your cdl training. Don't give up! Where there's a will there's a way.

About the High Desert Truck Diving School: STAY AWAY -Very bad experience, this school is after your money only - I did get my license but without their help, money are the only thing they are interested about...for $1800 you get to watch videos and test yourself on the parking lot...NOT RECOMMENDED TO ANYONE - I paid $950 after I pass myself the writing test and was looking to learn about pre-trip inspection and skill practice, was supposed to be 9 hours, spent a good 4 hours in front of a video screen, no help at all, you just are on your own- then forgot to sign out after one hour waiting for an instructor to help me and got penalized for 4 hours that I paid but got lost in penalty!!! and had basically 3 hours on behind the wheel practice with a great guy (The only one that is a real teacher) his name is Ken, very useful and nice guy that saved me. I really study on my own with no help and the day of the test thay came 15 minutes late with the bus, claiming that it was a mistake...2 hours before the test I was in their office asking to drive the bus to the test, They refused and it was very well noted that my test was at 1:00PM but I think they play a game, I called and screamed to get the bus at the DMV ASAP, as I was about to be rejected and scheduled for another date (6 weeks later) and if it was not for a nice clerk at the DMV who was willing to wait 10 more minutes I will have been rejected, finally the bus came and I was able to pass the test with success BUT NOT BECAUSE OF THEM, ALL THEY DID IS STRESSED ME and I suspect that their intention was for me to fail so I will spend more money. The worst person there that I had to deal with, his name is Moses and this guy is NOT to be trusted whatsoever, be extremely careful of what you sign with him and check every other schools before you sign with them... my claim of very bad business is backed up with proof. DO NOT HAVE ANY BUSINESS WITH THEM