Heavy Metal Truck Training

Thank you for your review. This is the school I am most interested in attending, and so far I have read nothing but good things (I'm still researching though).

It was also nice to hear the class hours (I assume you meant 3pm). I live about an hour and a half away... I'll be getting up rather early for class!

 

Thank you for posting.
Great information about Heavy Metal Truck Training..

 

I've visited Interstate Truck Driving. It sounds as though you get more 'behind the wheel' at Interstate than at Heavy Metal. Cost is about $500 more at Interstate.

 

I graduated from Heavy Metal in 12/2010. It was a decent school, they offer discounts now and then. If you are unemployed like I was at the time, they offered a grant. I got $1500 off total, that helped!

At the time I was there, there were three campuses. Now it's just the one in Inver Grove Heights. One of these days I am going to stop in there and say hi.

They teach a lot there in a short time. I wish there was more driving time involved though as my downshifting was rough at the time. They do care about safety - they won't let students drive on bad roads (we had a snow/ ice storm come through, no road driving) and if they feel a student can't handle the truck, they won't bring them on the road but give them more time in the yard.

I am still working with the company I got pre-hired with and it's working out good I am MidWest Regional and home weekends. I like it.

 

Thanks for the info! Looking at this school as well, seems like a good value when comparing to the competition in the area.

 

Don't go there!
Run down equipment.
Some of the instructors have a very poor attitude towards the students.
You get very little time behind the wheel.
They contract their services to the likes of Swift. If you are in training while they're servicing for Swift you will become an afterthought.
The fees are not pro rated, there is no window to back out if you're unsatisfied and still get a large portion of your money back, like a publicly funded truck training program is.
Whether you choose century or interstate...don't choose heavy metal!

 

I just graduated from Heavy Metal Truck Training in Inver Grove Heights, MN, and to put a more recent update to their training program, I thought I'd share my experience...
I was unemployed at the time of my enrollment, and their recruiter, Mike, was extremely helpful in directing me to the appropriate agencies to gain a full grant for the school tuition. The grant required the full 200 hour (4 week) program, so I got plenty of preparation for the test. The school schedules DMV test appointments, and provides the truck for testing. They train you on a shorter (40 foot) truck, making it easier to corner in the tight confines of the DMV test sites.

Weeks one and two were 7:am to 5m with half of the day in the classroom, and half out in the yard learning backing maneuvers and shifting on a ten speed manual transmission. At 4m most days, a recruiter would visit the school to offer employment opportunities. While in the yard, students rotate between backing, shifting, and pretrip practice. In this phase of the training, everything is geared toward what you need to know to pass the the first two sections of the DMV test (pretrip inspection, and backing maneuvers).

Week three (and four, if you are a 200 hour student like me) is more lax in the scheduling. You are given a schedule for on-the-road driving practice, with a two hour time slot each day, and are allowed to do more backing practice. A word of advice to students at this point would be to play nice and share the backing pool truck fairly. We had an issue during my third week where two students got into a shouting match over who's turn it was, and the school had to step in and regulate times. They were fair about it, but it was annoying that a couple of idiots made things difficult for the rest of us. The driving practice itself was well taught, and also geared towards the things you need to do in order to pass the DMV test. Week three also consists of a homework assignment where you are expected to visit each of the three local DMV locations where the school schedules the testing. This gives the students an opportunity to see the test sites, and witness firsthand how they are handled.

All in all, this school was an excellent experience for me. They taught me everything I needed to know to gain my class A license, and except for an error in judgment on my part (where I bumped a curb) I would have passed on my first attempt. A second attempt was scheduled for exactly one week later, and I aced it. I would personally give this school 10 out of 10 points in their training program, and personnel. Everything was excellent, and I would recommend them to anyone. Some of their equipment may be run down, but you have to consider the fact that completely inexperienced students use it. The trucks used for road practice, and testing, are in great shape, and the instructors are excellent. They can be hard on those who aren't willing to learn, but honestly, if you aren't willing to learn, you shouldn't be trying to drive a truck like that. The instructors can't learn for you. Be an adult, take personal responsibility for your education, and this school is willing, and able, teach you everything you need to know.