Charlotte Truck Driver Training School

I'm going to Truck driving school all over again because it's been so long since I've driven a truck (March 2008 when I Got my Class A at 18yrs old).

Well this time around knowing ALLOT more about trucking then I did last time, I decided to call all of the companies that I'm hoping to get hired on with and see what school's in my area they hire from.

Turns out a few of them didn't hire from the school I went to last time (Charlotte Diesel Driving School also known as "Trans Tech").

All of the Companies Hire out of Charlotte Truck Driver Training School so I went down there today 06/15/2010 to check out the school and schedule my start date and pay.

The School was 1000 times better then the last one, Very big facility, with a garage to work on the trucks a HUGE yard, and lots of nice and fairly new Trucks and Trailers. The staff was very polite and knowledgeable, not just people that can answer phones and do paper work as I have found most recruiters are.

There Program:

4 Weeks Monday-Thursday 7:30am-6:00pm 160-180hr's

or

9 weekend's Saturday-Sunday 7:30am-5:00pm 160-180hr's

Tuition:

$3,260 +

Physical/ Drug Screen $75
Permit/License Fee $165

Optional stuff:

HAZMAT $150
Doubles/Triples/Tankers $100

Total: $3500 or $3750 with the endorsements


So I'll be doing the weekend classes starting July 10th 2010, and will post everyday after class about what we do!

Should be a little easier and less stressful this time.



American Trucker

 

Went and did my drug test today......yay lol

I've never used any illegal drugs in my life so I see no reason why I shouldn't pass.

I start school this saturday.....i'm excited to get back into a truck!


American Trucker

 

WOW thats pretty much all that can be said!

So that nice fleet of trucks I thought they had.......well yea so the thing is lol They share a yard with someone, Last time I was there it was full of nice Blue Freightliner Columbia's and now its got Brand new W900L Enzel Trucking Trucks there?????

So there fleet SUCKS lol I thought the 2001 Freightliner FLD's that Trans tech where bad, they where great compared to this crapola. They have 1 newish truck Single axle Columbia's WTF and a bunch of OLD Ford/Mack/Volvo Tractors and they still have and USE a few MACK COE's lol there trailers are soo old they have Dayton rims instead of the Bud rims most Truck/Trailers have today.

And that facility well the front office and the garage is nice, the class room is what used to be the garage meaning 3 concrete walls and concrete floor with a 16 foot garage door lol

And I've seen some pretty disorganized things in my life but OMG, so first I'm the ONLY one in my class haha and they had some 3rd party testing to do today so my 70yr old deaf instructor would come in pop in a video then leave then come back give me a test I had finished in 5 min but he doesn't come back for 30 min.

And I have found the source of all these drivers that can't do pre trips They Came From This School!!!! They had it ALL wrong there where missing 1/2 the stuff and where naming things that you don't need to check, they don't know how to do the leak down test on the brakes.

Oh ya and I still HATE log books lol for the first 10 min I felt like I had never learned how to do them before but then I got it and was all good. Oh and I taught myself how to route myself with the Rand McNally Atlas today, he hands me the map and the test and says I'll be back lol


I better get a job outta this! lol


American Trucker

 

So today I had my second day of school, We did another pre-trip that was less then perfect lol. Then I spent the whole day on the yard! that was a surprise I thought the first 4 or 5 days would be in the classroom like the last school.

I got to drive my first Cab Over today!!!!!!!!!

Well I was very happy to find out that I didn't loose any of my backing skills. I thought it would take me a few min to get used to backing a Tractor Trailer instead of my pickup with a boat trailer. But I nailed the straight back as well as the 45 perfect on the first try as well as the 9000 times I did it lol That was the Whole day!

So I would like to tell you about the trucks a little more, So there "Yard Trucks" are old MACK COE's, with 8 speed transmissions, They where manufactured with AC but the AC system have been removed which was great in 105 degrees in the HOT sun it was like an oven in there!!!

And I would like to say that all of you Old Hands that drove COE's OTR are better men/women then me. I didn't enjoy the Rock Wall like clime up into the cab, the cramped cab, tiny sleeper, or the tiny little shifter, but the view was nice and there really easy to back.

The trucks also have LEATHER seats, So I go to push in the Clutch and my 115lbs butt slid right up out the seat lol


I'm not sure what year the MACK's are but here are some pics of some of the trucks in the fleet.











American Trucker

 

I paid cash, I think they might finance too But I'm not 100% sure.

Well the school is in North Carolina, so I think if you live in SC your gonna need a SC DOT Card for the SC DMV, but if your like me and you live in NC your gonna need a NC DOT card for the NC DMV. Again not sure so I'd give them a call if your interested in the school, they have a great Recruiter.


American Trucker

 

Finished all my class work today, yep thats right it only took 2 days to do all of the classroom stuff lol. I got between a 93-100 on every test.

So from here on out it's in the yard or on the road!



American Trucker

 

Spent all day 9hrs in the yard backing, pretty uneventful day. I can't wait to hit the road!



American Trucker

 

Spent the Whole day on the yard backing.


Today we had another tire blow out......Last Sunday (Day 4) one of the students was backing and one of the trailer tires blew a huge hole in the sidewall and boy was it loud sounded like a gun shot. Then today one of the drive tires blew the tread right off the tire and funny thing was we were not even using the truck it was just sitting there the BANG!

The Owner of the School has been notified that 90% of the tires on the 10 or so trucks and trailers need to be replaced and he refuses to do so .

I also found out today that the school made over $1,000,000 in 2009 for the first time. The school opened in 1971 and apparently they are almost at $1,000,000 so far this year! and it's only July.

At least being the only person in my class means I'm getting lots of seat time.


American Trucker

 

First half of the day I was in the class room watching video's. Then after lunch I went out on the road for the first time in a LONG time in an Ancient Volvo (Pictures Below) I was the third person to drive. The instructor was like "Do you remember how to drive" so I said "Sure do, but I might need to knock the dust off my shifting though as I haven't done it in so long"

So I got in the seat hopeing that I could still shift like a pro.........WELL I remembered how to do it but my left leg Not so much. I was pushing the clutch in to far for the first 5 min or so and a ground a few gears. The instrutor was like "wow I guess you do remember thats really good" and the other student's said "you shift like a pro man". Then I said "Are you kidding that sucked lol"

I got the class room stuff and the backing down 150% and the road down 90% with the exception of the shifting lol and School just started to, So by the time I'm done here I'll be jamming gears like a sum beach again! lol








American Trucker