Community Colleges vs Self-Paced/Self Study

Getting the permit is not that hard. If you don't have a problem with taking test just study the material. You can do that on you own self pace. Read the book and do practice test until you really know your stuff. There are practice test on the Truckers report and I really like CristCDL.com In Virginia the DMV has practice test also so your state might have it as well. I paid a tech school and wish I would have went to community college. We were in class a week and they told us you go down to the dmv and take test. I have no compliant about the training I got, I just would have liked to save the dough.

 

Depends on where you go. I'm at Southeast Community College in Lincoln Nebraska. Tuition for out-of-state students is about $1300 and housing on the Milford Campus is about $775 (that's with a roomie)...that's about $2100 and you get your permit on your own either from Nebraska or your home state. That's before you step into the classroom. We were pre-tripping and hooking/unhooking on the third day. By week two we were driving around the track and I've been out three times already driving around Lancaster County and outskirts of Lincoln city limits for the last three days in three different trucks - a Volvo, a Mack, and a Sterling (9-speed and 10-speed). The start of week 3 (next Monday) we should be driving downtown Lincoln, etc.

(Actually I'm not too sure about driving downtown week 3..that might be a little too soon. I think maybe we just keep on practicing driving, turning downshift, upshifting etc a little more before we get into the downtown stuff)

 

I guess the point I was trying to make is ...if you are able to expand your field and can travel you may find a better deal or something that fits your expectations and pocket book a little better.

 

ok i see ... Illinois. Yeah when I was doing research Illinois had their own set of rules. Best of luck to you.

 

I went to NC Truck Driver Training School at Johnston Community College in Smithfield, NC. The tuition was less than $1000. I rented a room in nearby Goldsboro, NC for the two months of the school. With food and gas, my out of pocket was about $3000.

This school is very rigorous, You must have your CDL learner's permit before you start class, and they do pre and random drug testing. Lots of time on the range and lots of driving and maneuvering practice. It was invaluable in getting me successfully through training and through my first year on the job. You are really preparing yourself to survive that difficult first year of trucking, so get the most in-depth and rigorous preparation you can afford. Otherwise you are setting yourself up to fail.

 

Go to school in the suburbs. Trust me you want some time in the open areas before you try to drive on Chicago streets. Driving time is One on one at all of the schools in the area no one else in the cab . also there is really no reason to pull all those ddifferent trailers in school. You will have enough to learn, just focus on the basics, you will get any specialty training whom you get a job.