Is this deal real, or is it memorex...?

The tuition cost is actually below norm for what a trucking school would cost. Actually, way below norm, which is around $5000 for a ten week course. I don't see any problem there or cause for concern. Ten weeks is the norm for a good trucking school. I would want to know what happens if, after the ten weeks you haven't yet got your class A license or failed the first time around. What will the school do? Will they continue to work with you until you succeed. That is important, because the actual driving test requires lots of practice.

However, there is another crucial factor which must be kept in mind: What kind of job assistance and or job placement services will they provide upon graduation? Do they have a proven track record in this area? The way you can find out is by asking them about a) the graduation rate of the school and b) the percentage of graduates who go on to actually get jobs. You should also ask them *where* they have found jobs. They must keep track of this information by law, and they shouldn't hesitate to give it out when inquiries are made. A school that has a less than 75% rate is a real red flag. (Taking into consideration that at least 10% will drop out in the first week alone).


To be sure, getting a job green and fresh out of school will be difficult. As far as truckers are concerned, a highly selective job market awaits you. (Actually, there are only a small handful of national trucking companies out there that will hire a newbie, I believe Swift is one of them).Your getting a job may be contingent on what kind of a relationship your school has with the outside community and trucking companies.

If the school's recruiter states to you that there are tons of jobs out there for the taking and you will have no problem getting a job--then you are most likely being lied to. If he says, on the other hand, that they can't guarantee you a job but they will help you best they can with job placement, then that is the better answer.

After all, the single most important factor after you get your trucking license is whether or not you will actually get a job.

 

Look-up Johnson county Community college in Smithfield NC....they do the same thing. They used to affiliated with NCSU , maybe they still are. They charge a small amount to get the training , but you must supply funds to support your self while in school. This might be an option for you since NC is closer to you I believe.

here is what I found doing a 30 second search....


[h=4]RELOCATION & COMMUNITY[/h]

• Living Here
• Schools & Education
• Arts & Recreation
• Healthcare
• Government

Schools & Education


Johnston County Public Schools Neuse Charter School Johnston Community College Regional Colleges & Universities NC Truck Driver Training School Additional Education Resources University of Mount Olive Student Leadership Opportunities


[h=1]North Carolina Truck Driver Training School is the oldest in the nation[/h]


Generations of truckers easing by on the highway learned their skills from the North Carolina Truck Driver Training School.
“As far as we know, it’s the oldest ongoing school in the nation,” says Paul Jump, program head of the North Carolina Truck Driver Training School on the Johnston Community College campus in Smithfield.
“We started in 1949. Some started before us, but they’re long gone,” he says.
Johnston Community College is known for its programs in nursing and industry, but the trucking school is among its most popular divisions.
Graduates from the college’s trucking course can expect to earn an average of $35,000 in their first year of work on a big rig.
“We estimate we’ve graduated in excess of 20,000,” Jump says. “Every trucking company that’s been around for an extended period of time has been in contact with our drivers.”
The training school’s graduates have gone on to work for most of the nation’s trucking magnates, including J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc., United Parcel Service of America Inc. and Colonial Trucking Inc.
The school graduates about 400 students a year, he says. The cost also is worth mentioning. While private trucking schools charge as much as $6,000, JCC’s cost is $630, Jump notes.
Students must complete 384 hours of training, offered in day courses over eight weeks or night classes spread over 12 weeks.
The school’s staff of 15 instructors and mechanics teaches students about preventive maintenance and how to diagnose problems with trucks.
“But our main function is driving,” Jump says. “We crank up on week one. We concentrate heavily on defensive driving, map reading and loading and unloading.”
And the students take the wheel by themselves during the last two weeks of the course.
“As far as we know, we are the only school that allows students to drive a truck without the instructor on board before the student graduates,” he says. “We consider that a tremendous learning experience.”
The truckers’ school, sponsored by the North Carolina Trucking Association in Raleigh, became part of the community college in 1974.
About 140 truckers compete every year in the state championship trucking event held at the school’s campus. The state winner goes on to compete nationally.
“We’ve had some repeat winners,” says Rick Cates, with the North Carolina Trucking Association, which represents more than 500 companies in the state. “We have a gentleman in North Carolina that’s won the nationals eight times and that probably won’t be repeated.”
Cates, the director of safety and security for the trucking association, says the JCC program graduates top-notch drivers.
“They do a tremendous job at the truck driving school and Johnston Community College,” he says

 

yep tony is right.....the nc community college system has it going on. any of the community college courses in nc are pretty much standardized and offer an outstanding program for an affordable cost.

I went to the Davidson county program at the Mocksville campus a little over 3 1/2 years ago and paid only $854 all inclusive except books and physical. 8 weeks / 380hrs. outstanding training, seat time and instructors. recommend any of the NCCC courses to anyone who can get in. I go back by every so often and talk to the students I think they said the tuition now is in the $1200 range but still an outstanding price for the course.

only drawback is there is no financial aid and you have to pay upfront. if you can afford it there's no better way to go in terms of training, instructors, seat time and hiring options. they not only get the usual suspects in to recruit but also many smaller more local companies as well. I didn't have to go with a bottom feeder right out of school and it positioned me well for the much better gig I have now.