Looking for a school near K-Zoo Michigan - Truckers' Trucking Forum | Message Board

milesofun · **^ Top** #1 11.21.2007

Hi all- I really enjoy all the good info on the posts here. I have passed my paper test and medical, but now am finding that, as is well noted on this forum, without a year experience, it's tough to get started. That leaves me with the option of the one year contract deal.
Does anyone know of a decent company based near Elkhart, South Bend, or Kalamazoo area?
Thanks in advance--

IUfanforever · **^ Top** #2 11.21.2007

Driver Solutions has a school in Fort Wayne, IN. I think that’s about 2 hours from where you live. I think that is as close as you’re going to get.

IUfanforever · **^ Top** #3 11.21.2007

I just went to Mapquest. Fort Wayne is 1 hour and 49 minutes from Kalamazoo. 116 miles.

milesofun · **^ Top** #4 11.21.2007

I'll look them up. I also spoke with a school in New Buffalo, I believe called West Michigan, offering 3 week course one on one instructor and placement for 3700. I like that I will not have the contract for a year, but don't have info on the school itself. Anyone know of it? I'll get the name and post it. ------I checked, it's called Professional Drivers Institute. Please let me know if you or someone you know has gone there, and how it went.
thanks

heyns57 · **^ Top** #5 11.21.2007

I have been aware of Professional Drivers Institute in New Buffalo. My employers have sent student drivers for testing at PDI, etc. Your statement about "one on one" is news to me. I think of the place as an ordinary truck driver school. Perhaps, there are employers in this economy willing to front the tuition at PDI.

I believe you will find better training on better equipment at Lansing Community College, or West Michigan CDL in Grandville.

Burky · **^ Top** #6 11.22.2007

Lansing Community College runs a very good CDL program at the old Custer Air Force Base on M-96 located about 15 miles north of you. Just drive up through Augusta, and about 4 miles beyond town is the school location. West Michigan CDL in Grandville also gets high marks, and our member Keelady graduated from there earlier this year.

As for the New Buffalo school, they are affilliated with Swift, so if you deal with them, resist the pressure they may put on you to take one of the "opportunities" they are offering. The Semi Academy in Lawton, just south of Paw Paw would not get my approval. They are very much a 'take your money and run" level of training, and I would not recommend that my very worst enemy train with thm.

IUfanforever · **^ Top** #7 11.26.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by milesofun

I'll look them up. I also spoke with a school in New Buffalo, I believe called West Michigan, offering 3 week course one on one instructor and placement for 3700. I like that I will not have the contract for a year, but don't have info on the school itself. Anyone know of it? I'll get the name and post it. ------I checked, it's called Professional Drivers Institute. Please let me know if you or someone you know has gone there, and how it went.
thanks

If you go with them, make sure they have lifetime placement and ask them UP FRONT what companies they place people with.

milesofun · **^ Top** #8 11.26.2007

I am aware of their affiliation with Swift, but they also claim many others, some of which have had good reports here.
thanks again,
Matt

Burky · **^ Top** #9 11.26.2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by IUfanforever

If you go with them, make sure they have lifetime placement and ask them UP FRONT what companies they place people with.

Just out of curiosity, why worry about lifetime placement? If you get your first job, and run it a reasonable amount of time with no problems, then you have a record to fall back on and will be able to find work on your own, without having to resort to going back to the school. I could go anywhere I wanted to right now, merely supplying my experience with my current employer, and be eligible for hire at just about any trucking company in the country. Lifetime placement may sound well, but in an industry with a shortage of workers, do you really neeed to worry about having it abvailable?

TBigLug · **^ Top** #10 11.29.2007

I went to ABC Training & Testing out of Horton, MI. We did our training out of the Travel Lodge in Jackson. Small family owned and operated company. Lots of one-on-one instruction. Maximum class size of 4 students so you'll never be lost in the crowd. There main focus is on teaching you how to drive the truck and be safe doing it. I wished they had spent a little more time on paperwork and such but was still a great school. Scott and Joe are the instructors, real nice guys.

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