Picking a school around Indy

Discussion in 'Trucking Schools and CDL Training Forum' started by Thesslian, May 18, 2016.

  1. Thesslian

    Thesslian Bobtail Member

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    May 14, 2016
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    The state unemployment office is helping me with cdl training. Part of their program is to research different schools and pick one to go to. I went over to their site made a list of schools near me that they work with.

    Truck Driver Institute of Indiana, Inc.
    Commercial Driver Training Consultants, Inc.
    C1 Truck Driver Training, LLC
    Roadmaster Driver School Of Indiana, Inc.
    Celadon Driving Academy
    Safe Drivers Institute of America
    Sage Truck Driving School
    Midwest Technical Institute
    Sage Truck Driving School

    Has anyone went to one of these schools? Any that were good or any that I should avoid?
     
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  3. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    What type driving do you want?
    For example, if you want local or LTL then contact Old Dominion and ask which school they recruit from.They hire new cdl grads from certain schools.

    Sodrel Transportation recruits from Safe Drivers Institute of America. Old Dominion and YRC also recruit from this school.

    About any 160 hr. school is good as long as you can pick the company you want to drive for. Many of the better jobs available the schools probably never heard of or won't mention.
     
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  4. rabbiporkchop

    rabbiporkchop Road Train Member

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    C1 school has a high failure rate since it's only a two-week course.
    half the guys are unable to shift well enough to pass their driving test after 2 weeks
     
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  5. CasanovaCruiser

    CasanovaCruiser Road Train Member

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    +1 on Chinatowns post.
    Ive also heard of ODFL recruiting through Sage occasionally.

    I went through C1 myself, rabbi is kind of right, it's 2 weeks on the range but there's a week in the classroom so it's really a 3 week school.

    It's a short time but I know first hand that I got more seat time in than my friend who went through Roadmaster.
    C1 will also occasionally let you put in "overtime". So the school lets out at 4 if I remember right but if you ask (sometimes beg) an instructor will stay late with you and you can drive around the city or drive on the range and get some valuable one-on-one training.

    I really enjoyed my time at C1, as far as driver mills go it's towards the top of the list in my opinion however if you're shooting for LTL out of the gate Chinatowns advice can't be beat, OD is huge in Indy right now and YRC is hiring pretty steadily in the area as well. There's a good shot you'd be able to get on as a student if you went through their preferred school.
     
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  6. CasanovaCruiser

    CasanovaCruiser Road Train Member

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    One last thing.
    I'd avoid Roadmaster. I spent a week there and no one was really happy with the experience. It was also $2k more than C1.
     
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  7. rabbiporkchop

    rabbiporkchop Road Train Member

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    If you still live with your parents I'd recommend a longer training course but if you have bills to pay and you're in a hurry to get in a truck then C1 might be the way to go
     
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  8. Thesslian

    Thesslian Bobtail Member

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    Well, I'm learning more all the time. I didn't realize that employers had preferred schools. I am very new to the trucking industry. I didn't even realize you could get local work out of school. I thought I would have to go OTR. All the occupation specialty forums make me wonder about the big differences between the specialties. I don't mind going OTR. I would like to see the country. As I understand it OTR pays better than local too.
     
  9. rabbiporkchop

    rabbiporkchop Road Train Member

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    You could make $35.00 per hour working for UPS Parcel without a CDL and be home every day.
    excluding oilfield work, you won't make those wages driving otr
     
  10. Indianabuck

    Indianabuck Bobtail Member

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    I graduated from Safe Drivers Institute of America and I highly recommend. Nice people, nice facilities, individual truck time, and, as Chinatown mentioned, probably your best bet if you want to go local right out of school.
     
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  11. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    Good; pick a good coast to coast outfit and see the country. Later if you tire of it there's plenty of local jobs such as Old Dominion linehaul.
    Submit job applications during the first week of cdl school:

    Abilene Motor Express
    Magnum Ltd.
    Dynamic Transit
    These hire from 160 hr. schools.
    Plenty more to choose from. Submit several applications.
     
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