I live in Utica and I'm trying to find the best school close to where I live. Maybe I'm an arrogant fool, but I think I'm a quick, smart learner and would rather find an average school close to where I live than a great school further away. Also, my parents have a lot of connections, so I'm not so much worried about finding work after I finish school.... I'm more worried about finding a decent school quickly and getting this crap done without getting screwed over by a school. I don't want BAD training, but like the guy in that one movie says, "a good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow": average training is fine is good training is too far to drive.

So far, every school I have been reading about (here and elsewhere) has at least one thing that looks fishy about it. Just as an example, I read good things about West Michigan CDL, but then the website looks fishy:

FREEEEEE TRUCK DRIVER TRAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CDL IN TWO WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(This school is too far away anyway; I'm just using it as an example.)

I have been reading about what makes a good school and what doesn't (for example, whether a school's "behind-the-wheel time" actually means that you're behind the wheel DRIVING; instructor to student ratio, etc.) but I totally get the impression I can't rely on what the schools' websites say really, and I have a feeling what the people tell me on the phone and when I go to actually visit them will be crap.

Anyway from my area have any ideas? There is a school in Armada that doesn't look any worse than anything else, called Class A Training. Flint is too far....

(I just noticed there is another thread about Michigan ... I'll be watching that one, too.)

West Michigan CDL probably put up the
"Free Truck Driver Training" thing up after
governor Granholm enacted No Worker Left Behind
which can pay your way.

So yeah, "free training", at least free to you,
with no need to sign away your soul to a company.

Try Trainco they have 3 locations 2 in Michigan and one in Ohio You could try the one in Taylor. I went to the one in Ohio

pbrstreetgang, what is your reason for staying near home? You are going to be traveling for a living. You may as well cut the apron strings and get on with it. I was from Grand Rapids and went to drivers' school in Raleigh. A motel had special weekly rates for the students, double occupancy. It was a good experience.

Try Sage Technical Schools, they have schools all over the country. Certified by Professional truck drivers institute