Going to Truck School out of State I reside in? (California resident)

Have you checked the community college CDL schools. They are good schools and usually cheaper than most private CDL schools.

 

I know you don't live near LA but if you are thinking of going out of state anyways why not move south instead. Check out Alliance School of Trucking in Chatsworth, CA. It is a 240 hour course, and the industry standard is 160 so you get more time in the trucks and one on one training. If I remember right its around $5,600 for the complete course. I love the instructors (all former military) and met with them several times before committing. I start July 22, and I will update my thread with more information. Hope that helps.

 

I did exactly this. I live in CA but got my CDL in Texas. Grandparents live there and they were near a community college truck academy.

If you do go out of state, you need proof of residence, convert your class c license to that state, as well as any additional information or changes to be done (example my jeep had to be registered in Texas with Tx insurance).

Then when you come back to CA, you have to take the written test all over again. Try to get passenger bus endorsement, but completely forgot about the school bus one. Entirely different program for school bus endorsement in CA than any other state. Hold off on hazmat as well until you're back in CA too and don't have pay the hazmat fee twice. At least they don't require you to take the drive tests over again.

 

Here's some information on System Transport & trans-system. They have terminals in CA and will accept 160 hr. schools. Top companies and they are not the so called "starter companies." If these interest you, give them a call and ask them about the school you plan to attend.

 

I have a thread about Alliance I started to find out if anyone else had attended. Once I start school on July 22, I will begin updating that thread. What is cool is that I might have a job recovering RVs for a family friend. Some of the ones they need recovered require a Class A so I would be driving them from all over the country back to LA area. I hope it works out. If I can make $15+ an hour I will be stoked.

By the way I would recommend you pay off everything you can before you move. When we moved from Las Vegas to Cali, we paid off everything which was a blessing when I lost my job in January. I recommend Dave Ramsey's books for financial well being.