Alright guys, give it to me straight (noob questions galore)

What if after i got my CDL going thru my own school (which I will) I tried to sign up with Roehl? Would I have to do their program all over or what?

 

The information from everyone is really great. Thanks. I hope my experience helps a little. I'm in the middle of a community college CDL course. It's pretty good . . . however: the first quarter was 100 + hours of class and lab. The lab was for getting ready for the pre-trip. You have to pass that to move on to the range portion. At the end of that first quarter I had 18 hours behind the wheel, all on the range.

I passed the range [ parallel park, offset dock, 45 degree dock, stop bar, right turn, couple and uncouple ]. Now I get to move on to road work which will add up to about 35 hours. I also have another 80 hours of class. I think that I will be prepared to pass my state's CDL A test but I'm going to be way short on actual driving experience. Think about it: 180 hours of class time, 53 hours of drive time. The cost: $7000 dollars; $6 K of which has to be repaid [ I got a $1000 grant ]. It doesn't matter if I get a CMV job or not: I still have to pay off the loan.

So, the community college gig is probably more expensive than a company or private school, takes 6 months, and there is no job offer at the end. You've just earned the right to apply for a job. With every company I've looked at, you're still going to have the full orientation to go through and, then, out with a trainer for 2 weeks
[ least I've seen ] to up to 8 weeks [ the highest I've seen ].

As I look into the new year, I'm seriously considering a company school. Yes, I'll still have to pay them off and, if I leave early [ about 16 months ], I'll have to pay out of my own pocket. But, the school loan payment benefit by most companies is only good at the first company you drive for and, at $100/month [ the average that I've been offered ], you're locked into 60 months.

The big thing with community college programs is that, to maintain their academic standing as a 'college' program, they just have to include a lot of class time. The regulations/procedures class that was 6-8 hours/week [ class and homework ] consisted primarily of the instructor reading out of the FMCVR book and the class following along and highlighting what he said was going to be on the final. At lot of it was about things like what DOT physicians had to do to, what companies had to do, what the government does to oversee the entire industry. All of that stuff was not the responsibility of the driver.

Other things went along this line: It's federal law that, when a railroad crossing is blocked by a train, a CMV driver is required to stop. SERIOUSLY?!?! If someone hasn't figured that out before they get behind the wheel of any vehicle . . .

Things like figuring out what the bridge limits for a particular vehicle type make much more sense. But, how long a carrier must maintain records is not that useful. And for most of the things that you don't know right off, that's what the FMCVR book is for.

The point of this all [ thanks for being patient ] is that, having been to a community college, at least for me: It's not the best use of my time or money. Doesn't mean that it won't be for someone else. However, six months is a l - o - n - g time and not inescapably necessary. You might have all the skills in the world to be a great driver but, at the college level, the academics can be a challenge. At the school I attended, we started with a class of 72 and lost 31 by the end of the term, most due to falling short on the in-class tests/homework.

Most of what will be really important will be after I get my CDL A and start working with someone who has done it day in and day out for awhile. I think that's going to be true for most.

A lot of stuff but hope it's helpful. Thanks for all the other comments. Happy Christmas to all and a safe new year.

 

I think Old Dominion has a school. Estes has schools also if making money and home time is your thing.

 

What's your 20? Are you in a major metropolitan area? The more dense the population the more likely local routes are available.

Mikeeee