Cracker Jack box CDL

i personally have no issues with a New driver that Know's he/she is new. I was new too when i started. At 6 months over the road experience i knew Jack Sxxx about driving. this is why i wonder how newbies know everything and cant be told anything. As far as the new breed/image, i think most old timers have issues with new drivers bringing their lazy, nasty filthy self centered lifestyle into this profession that's already on a downward spiral.

 

As a future swift trainee I don't think that's very fair. The driver said it was like having 20years exp.... Did he say it was like having 20years of good exp? Lol. I'm thinking about going to swift but I don't pretend to know anything. Besides my recruiter told me after training I will prob get to be on the history channel driving the ice roads. So don't be jealous.

 

You think wrong and your numbers are off.


These companies with schools don't offer the same quality of training as regular cdl schools,


American Trucker

 

I think just the opposite... the "mills" are the revolving door megacompanies... and true initial trainer occurs at good schools, especially community college courses.

I didn't go to school - I learned the hard way, got my license in 1987 while I was active duty, prepping for a part-time driving job. Knew NOTHING about driving a truck, but 3 days later, I was driving a daycab with a 45 ft flatbed back and forth from Abilene to Ft Worth on the weekends, and a 24 ft tandem axle flatbed a few evenings a week, in residential areas.

How I never wrecked or broke anything, I don't know.

 

In my opinion, the training you get at your first job (after you get your CDL) has a bigger influence on what kind of driver you will likely be than what CDL school you go to.

Of course your attitude and desire to learn and your commitment to safety is paramount. You want to go to a good school but the reality of it they are only training you to pass a test.

Your preparation for "the real world" really begins once you're paired with a trainer delivering loads, sending messages on the qualcomm, making log book entries and backing into truckstop parking spaces late at night.

Even so I found that most of what I really learned was what I ascertained after I was on my own. Habits of reading EVERY road sign, scanning the roadway for hazards, mastering different backing techniques and setups for different situations, dealing with snow and ice, being a good planner and managing your hours of service, etc, etc

Attitude, patience, being alert and a never-ending commitment to safety are the principles that will help you succeed.

And one last piece of advise: As a general rule don't listen to the crap that is said on the CB. Unfortunately the airwaves these days are often dominated by loudmouth lowlifes that have nothing better to do but stir up crap. Especially in truck stops. I pretty much had my CB off unless I had to communicate with a shipper. The CB used to be a helpful tool for gathering information nowadays for the most part is just noise pollution.

 

So the OP states that all cdls are equal, and all college degrees are equal. Wow. As an employer, if you come to me for a job and say you are qualified, and when I ask where you got the qualifications you tell me it's none of my business(your words:Is it really anyone's business HOW or WHERE I got the CDL?) .... off you go! If I need an accountant, don't you think I might be interested in the individual's background and depth of experience? Experience matters, credentials count. Good employers demand excellence and seek it out. They also don't run businesses with constant turnover (these outfits do exist). You won't be able to make any sense out of the mega carriers and their hiring and training practices because they are FUBAR to the max; plain and simple dysfunction junction. So good luck seeking answers.