C1 in North Little Rock, AR

So I'm signing my soul away to the company(P.A.M.) come Feb. 6th.

To anyone who has been to the C1 facility in North Little Rock, Ar. I have a few questions I was hoping you could answer for me .

Are sheets, pillow, and a blanket sufficient for sleeping there? Strapped for cash so I can't really afford a sleeping bag at this time

Does C1 have a shuttle bus or something similar that runs to wal-mart? Or will I need to try and catch a ride with someone there?

Is there a laundromat @ C1's location, or one near by?

Thanks

 

I'm not sure how they handled lodging in the past, but nowadays they have a dormitory instead of a hotel.

Thanks ecmcintosh, Springfield isn't that far from North Little Rock, so maybe you can swing by the wally-world here
Just playin, pretty sure they have a shuttle, if not then i can probably catch a ride.

 

Location mainly
it's only 300 miles to North little rock from my location, plus I have family in north-west Arkansas so thats a bonus too.

I have heard decent things about C1 as well(bad things as well, but I take that with a grain of salt), while C1 is fast paced, the instructors do a good job training it appears.

I initially wanted to go to a nearby community college with a pell grant, however, their truck driving program doesnt accept pell grants, cash only... and the same applies with several of the other community colleges within 50 miles of me. I figured, I might as well go through with company paid training since that was the case.

 

Hey guys. I just got back home last night with my CDL, now to get ready to go out with my trainer from PAM soon

Firstly, to answer my own questions:

1. Twin size beds are provided, they are not very comfy, so if you have any type of mattress topper I suggest you take it. I took my twin size mattress topper and slept pretty decently. If you need sheets or blankets when you arrive there, there are some provided in the laundry mat.

2. C1 does not provide any transportation at all, with only 1 exception. Obviously, the day you take your CDL test you will leave in the morning in a tractor/trailer. So, other than that, you will need your own ride, taxi, or friend to give you a lift. This includes going to the DMV as well, so be aware of that.

3. C1 does provide a free laundry mat with free washing powder/bleach for students. However, there are only 2 washers and only 2 dryers. So, if you don't mind waiting its ok. There are a few good laundry mats in the area if you don't mind spending $3-$5 to wash and dry your clothes.

My overall experience with C1 was ok. There are great instructors working there who will help you succeed in getting your Class A license. If they see you have trouble, they will try to point out your errors so you can see where you are going wrong. Most of them are very calm, cool, collect, and nerves of ####ing steel.
The C1 program itself, is just what it is.... it is nothing more than a CDLmill, and you will only learn just enough to pass your CDL test and get your license. You are on your own from there. That is not the instructors fault, its just the program. So, like everyone says, if you can, do go to a community college or some type of program that will offer extended training.

Now, I don't like down talking anyone, but, some of the riffraff that Driver Solutions gets approved is ridiculous, and something like 20% of them within the first week drop like flies for various reasons... mainly because of the drug screening and dot physicals. My last week at C1 I noticed the next group that came in on Sunday all looked like they were fresh out of jail, prison, or out of their mothers uterus.

So, I would not pick C1 truck driving school as my first choice of truck driving schools, but if community college is not an option for you, and you are willing to put a lot of effort in learning everything you can within 3 weeks, then C1 is a good choice at that point. As I stated before, the instructors were great, helpfull, and determined to see you succeed if you are showing signs of effort and determination as well. Basically, they give you what you put into it.

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Things to bring with you:

Bring your own food of course, there is a Walmart within 10 minutes, and plenty of fast food and restaurants nearby as well.

Bring a sleeping bag, or blankets and sheets. A pillow. And a mattress topper if possible, you wont regret it.

I suggest a minimum of $500 to take with you during your stay.

If you have a laptop, bring it. There is no free wifi other than C1 free... which is e-gears, facebook, and a couple of other things. But mainly bring your laptop with you for the weekends when you have nothing else to do. At least you can read, watch a movie, or something.

Clothes, as stated before there is a free laundry mat, and do bring seasonable appropriate clothing. Also, bring some slippers, if you don't have any, get a pair from walmart for like $1.07... to shower with, trust me.

Bring a pair of gloves, flashlight, notebook, pens, calculator, birth certificate, passport if you have one, social security card, and drivers license.

Earplugs, if you are a light sleeper. Trust me, some people snore loudly, or stay up late watching tv, or talk loud... earplugs will help you out a lot.
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Ok, a big deal here... don't go drinking, or especially drink on the school ground premises. The cleaning lady found some beer cans somewheres in one of the dorms and from then on C1 staff told new comers not to go to any places that serve alcohol while attending their school.
There was also another incident I wont go into details about, but lets just say if you need to use the restroom (#2) and the water is cut off, please don't do anything childish, either hold it until the water is back on, or if you didnt know and already used the bathroom then just wait until the water comes back on. It's embarrassing mentioning that, but some people just have no common sense.

Be polite and courteous to the cleaning lady, she works more days and hours at C1 than anyone else does, and she has a hard enough job as it is. Please try to clean up after yourself, keep your areas straightened up, and also, try to help her out when possible... such as, if you see there are some trash bags sitting by the doors of the dorms ready to be taken to the dumpster, go ahead and take them for her. Trust me, her job is not an easy one at all, and that little bit of help from you helps her out tremendously.

Lastly(I think),If you are doing the sponsored training with a carrier, and if you have had any kind of traffic violations, accidents or criminal records, and you are not 100% certain of what is on your records... do yourself a huge favor... pull your background, and if at all possible get a nationwide background check ran under your name.
If something related to your background checks come up at the last moment, and your carrier drops you then you might be asked to leave and you will owe Driver Solutions the full amount of your tuition. It is in your best interest to know what is on your records because it could save you from wasting yours and their time, and getting dropped like you are kryptonite. Seriously, save yourself the trouble.

Respect other students, please! Some guys have to get up very early in the morning to go take their CDL test, we are talking like 2AM-3AM to get ready and leave by 4AM, yea.... very very early...and besides that, its very hard to sleep with the TV volume turned up loud, or loud talking. Everyone attending C1 is there for the same reason you are, respect them and please be courteous to them. After all, you don't want someone keeping you awake, or waking you up during the night and you need to be up and ready to leave at 4AM or something like that.

I'll leave it here, but anyone attending C1 should already know what to except with a 3 week program. It is what it is, a cdlmill. Just apply yourself, your grades reflect how much effort you are putting into it, and your carrier will be informed of your progress.