[dollarshort]

Originally Posted by Ford390pwr

I have read and searched all through these forums and read everything I could find about the companies that I am looking at. I am trying to decide between two training companies, and I know that neither one will be perfect but this is the hand that I am being dealt without having a CDL from a private school.

So Central Refrigerated seems to have a good program for a newbie. The school is short at 17 days, then 4 weeks with a trainer on the road. Is this enough time to turn a green horn into someone who can drive on their own?

I am also looking at Prime Inc just because if you stay for a year the schooling is free. The classroom is only 4 days, but then you spend 6 months with a trainer and it takes about 4 months before you even have your CDL. This seems like a very long time, and I am afraid the trainer is just doing it to reap the extra pay from a rookie for 6 months. How much time will that trainer actually spend "training"?

I really would like some response from people that know one of the two companies, but I would also like to know what is said of these carriers at the truck stop......

I just thought that maybe someone knows of a TRAINING company that is better that I am missing. Please let me know if there is!

Trying to decide between these two is like deciding whether to cut your arm off above or below the elbow.

[Ford390pwr]

Originally Posted by dollarshort

Trying to decide between these two is like deciding whether to cut your arm off above or below the elbow.

So who would you suggest that I could go with?

[sportster65]

Originally Posted by Ford390pwr

So who would you suggest that I could go with?

These guys are going to do whatever they can to make you feel like bad or uneasy about your decision. About a year ago I was in your shoes, and got some good and bad advice, I went the company who I felt best fit me. It worked out fine I got some good experience and really liked OTR driving. I left OTR to have more time with my family, but otherwise would be on the road. Central was one of the outfits I had on my short list, but decided on another company who ran dry van. I would have gone to Central had the other not worked out. I also had Swift and Watkins-Shepard offer me CDL training.

Really no training company is ideal, but unfortunately most of us have no choice because of experience. I know drivers from both Prime and Central, and they have the same complaints that all drivers have. I don't think one is really worse than the other. I know one Prime team who absolutely love it and have been with them for over a year.

Go with your gut and make the best of it. Just remember, deliver on time, trip plan well, get plenty of rest on your 10 hr break, log legal, drive safe, and have good communication with your dispatcher. Focus on the last one, it can be a eal pain if you do not get along with a dispatcher, like living hell. I had a good relationship with my dispatcher and always got home on time, got good loads, and rarely sat and waited on an assignment. I learned real quick, if you work hard and don't whine, you will be fine.

PM me if you have any more questions, driving a truck is not hard, and there are things you can do to make your life on the road good. I loved my time OTR and will probably go out again when my kids get out on their own.
Good Luck.

[Ford390pwr]

Originally Posted by sportster65

Central was one of the outfits I had on my short list, but decided on another company who ran dry van. I would have gone to Central had the other not worked out. I also had Swift and Watkins-Shepard offer me CDL training.

So who did you go with for your training?

Just to let you know, I have done a lot of research and i too have found that most of these training companies all have the same issues. I have all but made up my mind on Central and I am really looking for other Central drivers who can give me some more insight on the company.

I know the recruiter is just a salesman who is trying to get me to commit so they can make a quota. Anything I ask them will probably be answered in the companies favor.

I know that I am not the typical student that goes to these schools expecting everything to be fun and easy. I am not afraid of hard work, and I know how to get along with just about anybody. I am going to be prepared for school as I already have the CDL manual and will be ready for the test before I even get there.

I really do appreciate any information that is offered here, good and bad, it will all help me be better prepared when I know exactly what to expect!

I do plan on staying active on the forums throughout my training. I promise not to write any books, but I will try to give a recap of all the training to help those that will come here after me.

[sportster65]

Originally Posted by Ford390pwr

So who did you go with for your training?

I actually went with Schneider, I felt they offered the best training program. I had almost commited to Watkins-Shepard, but they did not have any training after CDL school. They just basically put you in a truck by yourself after school, and I did not feel comfortable with that set-up. If it had not worked out with SNI, I would have gone with Central Refer., I felt comfortable enough with them to do so.

School will definately not be fun and easy, it was a lot of hard work. We were up at 4:45 am to be ready for pick-up by 5:30 am, It was then in class or the trucks until 5:30 or 6:00 pm. After I did homework for at least 3 hours a night, could have got by with less, but i wanted to be at the top of my class. I was able to do that with a 97.8%, there is really no time for personal time, you must concentrate on class all the time. Even with the schedule I did enjoy it, and was glad I went. The two weeks will fly by, it will be over before you know it, and then the real work starts.

[Ford390pwr]

Originally Posted by sportster65

I actually went with Schneider, I felt they offered the best training program. I had almost commited to Watkins-Shepard, but they did not have any training after CDL school. They just basically put you in a truck by yourself after school, and I did not feel comfortable with that set-up. If it had not worked out with SNI, I would have gone with Central Refer., I felt comfortable enough with them to do so.

Yeah I did look at Schneider, but they are not taking anyone that does not have a CDL at this time. I did talk to Watkins-Shepard also, just never felt very comfortable with the recruiter, then they just stopped talking with me altogether.

I am very comfortable with Central Refrigerated, and they have answered every question I have asked so far. The program is going to be just what I need with 1 week in class, 1 week in trucks and getting the CDL. Then out on the road with a trainer for 4 weeks. I am a pretty fast learner, so I think this program will work out really well for me.

[sportster65]

Originally Posted by Ford390pwr

Yeah I did look at Schneider, but they are not taking anyone that does not have a CDL at this time. I did talk to Watkins-Shepard also, just never felt very comfortable with the recruiter, then they just stopped talking with me altogether.

I am very comfortable with Central Refrigerated, and they have answered every question I have asked so far. The program is going to be just what I need with 1 week in class, 1 week in trucks and getting the CDL. Then out on the road with a trainer for 4 weeks. I am a pretty fast learner, so I think this program will work out really well for me.

You will do just fine with Central, just listen to your trainer, work and study hard, and drive safe.

[thbogle]

It seems as though you are pretty set on Central and If I had the choice between the two Id go to Central and learn all I could. Best o luck there

[matcat]

Honestly, 4 weeks with a trainer is a very short time. The length of the school really doesn't matter, you won't really learn anything anyway until you get out on the road for real. Just make sure that your trainer trains you! Back up EVERY TIME that truck needs to be backed up, make sure your trainer is there and up front with you while you do it, and make sure he explains WHY you need to do what you need to do, not just telling you what to do. Also try not to have him spot you that much either, because if you get to used to backing with a spotter, it will only be that much more difficult to learn to backup on your own. If anything practice GOAL, especially when you first start out, if you GOAL you get to see the whole picture of where the rig is, what it is doing, and get a good mental picture of how it will respond, a spotter isn't going to give you that insight.

Sounds silly, but when I went to school, the best advice the instructor gave me was to go and buy a toy rig, and practice maneuvering it, it might be a toy, but the physics work the same, and it really gives you valuable insight into how that trailer reacts.

Backing isn't everything though. Try to get in that driver seat in all weather conditions, all sorts of different terrain, etc.

One of the most valuable lessons my trainer taught me was to take me to a big abandoned parking lot that was iced over, and had me practice skid recovery. Believe me what he taught me came in handy many times.

[sportster65]

Originally Posted by matcat

Sounds silly, but when I went to school, the best advice the instructor gave me was to go and buy a toy rig, and practice maneuvering it, it might be a toy, but the physics work the same, and it really gives you valuable insight into how that trailer reacts.

Yes it does sound silly, but my instructor told me the same thing. Ya know he was right it did help, it gave me a view of the truck that I did not have otherwise. Two other things he told me, first was get a plunger, this was while I was still in training, memorize the speeds for each gear and sit down with that plunger and practice double clutching. That worked for me very well for me, the next thing he told me was always remember, you are not driving a truck, you are pulling a trailer. Those things may sound dumb at first, but your trainers, if they are good, are trying to give you tips on how to learn to drive and how to always be able to improve your driving.