Beginning the Long Awaited CDL Process

Thanks for the support.

The school I will be attending is Katlaw Driving School in Austell, GA. They have an A+ BBB rating and are on the "acceptable training school" list for many transportation companies as well as the mega-carriers (Swift, Werner, Schneider, etc.).

They keep their class sizes smaller and they use only 53' vans and tractors with sleeper units. So what you train in, is the same as what you'll end up driving in the real world.

I will do my best to post daily. I'm sure that the information about the program will be helpful to many.

 

Glad to see you're starting classes. Thanks for starting this post. I will be checking in on you to see how things are going. I am sure you will do well and once on the road you will be an asset to your company.
Hope your experience is a great one.

 

Thanks DM. I appreciate the post.

I didn't get a chance to post yesterday due to the "settling in" process, but I will take care of that shortly.

 

Greetings to all!

I did intend to post last night but I ran out of hours (in the day). The school is over an hour away and with a 07:00 start time, I have to leave my house at 05:30. I know, I know, it's just an excuse, but hopefully everyone will tolerate my adjustment period.

Class begins at 7 am as I mentioned. My class started out with 9 people. We began the day filling out some very minor paperwork, most of which is documentation for use during training. Nothing to write home about. After a brief orientation about their rules, and safety guidelines, we jumped into the "General Knowledge" lecture.

The school is comprised of all senior drivers with at least 10 years OTR experience, and one of the two range instructors is a 4 million mile member. The instructor that I have keeps a comfortable atmosphere in the class at all times. It's fast paced, but fun!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, before attending, I already have my CDL A learners permit and a very current DOT card. I asked if it was required that I sit through the lectures on General Knowledge, Air Brakes, and Combination Vehicles being that I already have my permit. They said that in order to receive certification under state law I have to sit through the classes in order to be credited with the proper number of hours for the program. Understandable. I'm not complaining in the least. Besides, it makes sense simply because of the way they train. I'll be with my fellow classmates until I graduate. There are other classes, but they all progress together, work together, helping each other get through the program. I like that.

So day 1 lecture consisted of covering driver qualifications and safety control. We watched 2 videos on Pre-trip inspection and then broke for lunch (1 hour lunch break). After lunch more lectures on driving safely until class was dismissed at about 4 pm (early day!). We were given a 40 question test to take (at home) based on what was covered in class.

I'm very satisfied with the first day. There is a big advantage of having the learners permit already in you pocket in that all the material (or most, anyway) is familiar. Because the instructor adds comments based on his experience, I can focus more on those, and not have to worry too much about the basics that everyone else needs to learn. I'm happy helping the others when they ask me about something they don't understand (on breaks or at lunch).

Yep. Like I said, so far, so good.

More in a bit.

Wedge

 

Good to see you are enjoying the training. The votech program near me requires a learner permit and longform DOT physical before they even take your money. They are a third party test site, so when you finish the program they do the testing instead of having to schedule a road test at the state license office. Is that how your school is set up?

There is a major commercial school about 10 miles from me (closer than the votech) that charges four times as much as the votech and they can't do the road test for your license.

Keep us posted on your progress. :smt024

 

Back again!

Day 2 starts as would be expected. Anxious students arriving well ahead ahead of the instructor. Always a good sign. Although the school itself is open, many students wait in a "common" area that has tables and chairs. As I mentioned in the last post, the classes are at different phases of their training. My class is always in the lecture room, while the two other classes are either out on the range or working on their road skills. During our breaks, most of us head out to the range to watch one of the other classes practice their backing skills. Although the days may seem to be long, they go by quite quickly.

In the morning we graded the tests we took ( I aced it! Thanks...just throw money). For the rest of the day (end being 2 pm) we completed the lectures on General Knowledge and watched a video on GK. The lecture was good, the video was informative and accurate but...

At lunchtime when our lecture continued we noticed out class size had been reduced to 8. Apparently one individual, who felt that it was acceptable to be late for class in the morning and after every break period was not allowed to continue with our class. The school is pretty relaxed and doesn't have a lot of rules, but due to the fast pace of this program, you can be late to class twice. If it happens a third time, you'll not be allowed to continue with that particular class. It's a fair rule. So, we're down to 8.

Today's class ends at 2pm and all the new recruits (with the exception of me) line up to get their physicals! I'm amazed at the number and types of questions that come up once the doctor shows up. Anyway, 7 of them scoot out the door and the instructor says to me "See ya tomorrow, 7am." A fringe benefit of already having passed a DOT physical.

We were given another take home test. Tomorrow, we'll be given a final exam on General Knowledge.

So that's it for the first two days. I'll post again and update you all. If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer.

Thanks for reading!


-Wedge

 

This school does not require you to have a CDL permit or a DOT med card prior to starting class. They provide the training so you can take the test to get your permit. It's all part of the process. On the second day of school your given a DOT physical on site. And they walk you all the way through to getting your CDL, even if you require a little more time.

They have a range here at the school to practice straight backing, alley dock etc., and the tractors are always on the move in and out of the complex. I'll find out more about the specifics of the final testing procedure tomorrow and get back to you.

Sounds like the Votech school you mentioned might be some type of certified training program. Usually any training outfit that wants you to have your permit and DOT card ahead of time, prefers to spend their energies teaching to a greater depth than most CDL mills. An example would be that they may offer night driving class. ORG and CHris attended a school like that.

If you're thinking of the CDL mill route, do a lot of research work first. Start by checking their BBB rating and see where they stand. If it's B+ or higher, they're probably halfway decent.

-W

 

Nope no commercial CDL mill for me. It is 3 weeks and $6500 then you have to schedule road test. The state community college/votech seven and a half weeks road test included at $1450. More hours, more training less $$ - no brainer.

 

Hey Wedge!
So Days 1 and 2 sounds about mostly settling in and learning the general knowledge stuff like you said. I was going to ask but you already posted that you did not need your permit and DOT card but seems like you are a bit ahead of the pack by having yours. How long is the entire class? Will you have companies come in at some point to give your class the 2 cent tour and 'promises' their company can offer you as a newbie driver?

Wow I was surprise you already lost a student! But I see what you mean! Some people just don't get that you need to be on time and prepared for class!! When you figure the cost and then the student who is late the time and distraction to othe students it is just not fair!

Keep up the posts! Can't wait to hear how you do the first time they put you in the driver's seat LOL!! After being in so many threads now with the likes of Chris, AT and ORG and reading their 'adventures' it has got to feel good for you to FINALLY be doing your training!!!!!

 

Hey Sammycat!

Having the permit and DOT card is beginning to have benefits. Anytime material is presented, I seem to know pretty much all of the information that the instructor is teaching. It makes for an easier transition getting back into the classroom. The only drawback I can see is some of the other students are asking me questions. I don't mind helping out, but I always remind them that what the instructor teaches is what they should be learning. With the exception of some driving experience, I'm only a couple of steps ahead them. Soon they'll all have their permits........I hope.

Total class length is 15 days assuming you pass your testing at the motor vehicle department.

Time for Day 3 post....