Best truck driving schools in British Columbia?

Hi there,

I am new to this forum but after reading many of the informative posts from people who know the business, I thought I would join and ask a few questions of my own.

I am interested in obtaining my commercial drivers licence and entering the trucking industry after working for many years at a well paying but ultimately very stressful and no-longer-enjoyable line of work. I used to spend lots of time on the road but now am pretty much stuck behind a desk and a computer. Not my idea of fun.

I have given this career move a great deal of thought and am not going in completely blind as I already have my air brake endorsement and was a journeyman automotive mechanic for ten years before giving that up to enter my present career. At 45 years of age, I have decided that it is time for a change again, and time for me to do something I want to do for a living.

I live in lower mainland BC and we have several schools in this province which have good reputations including Valley Driving School, North Shore Driving School and Mountain Transport Institute.

MTI appears to be one of the better choices out there and they have a program called "earning your wheels" which is a bit spendy but appears to be very comprehensive. They also have a mentoring program where you are assigned to drive with a coach from one of the larger carriers for your final 4 weeks.

I am hoping to stay based out of lower mainland and work Western Canada and/or US once I have completed my training.

Just wondering if anyone out there has had any experience with any of these trucking schools in BC and also wondering what the employment situation is like for new drivers with minimum experience right now?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks for the solid advice guys.

Just passed the exam for my Class 1 learners permit this morning and will check around with some local companys to see what they suggest as far as training programs.

My cousin drives a cement truck on the Island and I think his advice was also pretty good... He said that no matter what school or program I take, ultimately, any prospective employer is gonna put me in the drivers seat and I better be able to show him that I know how to drive.

The adventure continues...