what it takes to open truck driving school

Though each state has their own laws, I checked into one in IL. It required five years recent experience and pass a state exam to get certified. The guy wanted to pay peanuts, so I went the other way.

Once you are state certified you are free to open your own business. You have the equipment, classroom and supplies, training lot, fuel, breakdowns, maintenance, other certified instructors, insurance and affiliation with trucking companies to contend with.

But once you get going with good advertisement in a populated area, you can herd them through like cattle.

 

Any reputable school is going to be accredited....lets prospective students and potential employers of those students know that the training they receive actually met some kind of standard.

Any reputable school is going to have carriers it works with in an effort to help students find work after they complete your course. Whether the students are "pre-hired" and sent to your school by the carrier, or the carrier is familiar with your school and the quality of the instruction offered there so that they waive their "experience" requirement for completion of your training school.

You need insurance for the trucks. You need insurance to protect you in case a student gets injured while in the classroom. You need insurance to protect you in case a student gets injured out on the range. A waiver isn't going to cut it....most waivers aren't worth the paper they are printed on.

Like I said, if it were as easy as you seem to think it is to start up a school, everybody and their mother would be doing it.

 

Business is only worth the risk if it is going to be a profitable endeavor. Jumping into the deep end of the pool without knowing how to swim has never been a good idea.

You seem to think since you were able to teach yourself how to drive a truck in a few weeks, and passed the tests at the DMV after a few tries, that you somehow are qualified to now teach others how to do the same...but the one aspect you seem to be ignoring is how you are going to draw people into your school when you don't think helping them find a job after you're done with them is very important. You admitted yourself that employers want experience...but many companies allow training at an accredited school to replace a year or two experience. Unless these employers recognize your school, your students aren't getting their money's worth from your school.

Now you opened this thread asking what it would take to open up a driving school. I brought up a few tip-of-the-iceberg things to consider, and whether you think they are necessary or not is up to you.

Remember, just as you wish to see a good return on your investment starting the school, your students will ALSO want to see a good return on THEIR investment attending your school. If you aren't willing or able to give them their money's worth, you aren't going to get very many students coming through your doors.

 

I run into this a little bit ago.

 

I say go for it.

Figure between trucks, trailers, insurance, a lease on property, up front advertising, licensing, up front payroll and all your incidentals.......you'll probably be into it for around $100,000.00 in opening costs.

Then factor in added expenses for keeping your doors open for the first 6 months or so before you actually start making money, figure in money put aside for paying your own personal bills while you arent earning a pay check......Id say thats another $50,000.00 or so.

Bah, money comes easy, dont worry about it.

 

There is nothing stopping anyone from starting their own program, as long as you have truck and trailer and someone with a CDL to take the student to the DMV for the road tests. Theoretically, I could even do it, and I don't even have my CDL yet. The problem would be getting students cause most of us going to CDL school want jobs, and unless you got some connections you ain't getting nobody to train with you.

there are people here in vegas who do what you propose for $1500.
They are run by Mexicans, and mostly mexican students. But I doubt you would be able to get a job from going to them at any decent company, but the people who go to them have their networks to get their jobs in shady companies that make the "bottom feeders" look like paradise. (Not trying to be racist, but them's the facts)

Also the accredited schools get a lot of their tuition from the government in the form of grants, I doubt you would get that money until you could prove that you are actually capable of turning out hireable students.

 

I own a truck driving school, it's the third stand-alone school I've opened, the first one under this name.

It will cost of minimum of $100,000 just to open the doors. You have to find the appropriate building, a yard large enough to train in, office furniture, computers, TVs, telephones and TRUCKS and TRAILERS. Insurance is a killer because you're teaching new guys to drive and many insurance companies wont even look at you.

We also carry a $40,000 bond required by the state. Insurance alone is almost $20,000 and that's as long as we don't have claims. Fuel and Maintenance also add up pretty quickly. When you own at least one truck, the money drizzles and sometimes gushes out of your pocket.

I could go on, but I wont.

Drive safe,
Tanya Bons

 

@pattyj...he is answering someone else's post with some good information. Your request for Bulldog to shorten his post seems irrational.

@pavrom...after reading your responses to Bulldog's answers I seriously hope you don't consider opening a school. Have them sign a waiver like the gym??? You do realize the gyms carry insurance policies regardless as it is REQUIRED by law for a business to have it. Avoid state licenses and certifications??? Um...case and point.