CDL Schools vs Training Privately for Class A Skills Test

If I were a company owner and didn't have to concern myself with insurance company rules, I would only hire farmers kids who had grow up backing up tractors with implements attached.

Requiring a school to train folks is a way to keep the supply of drivers down and thus keeping the wages of drivers up. So as someone who has a CDL now, I believe that all new drivers should be required to go to a 10 week course held once every 3 years.

 

I hope that 2 week class will let you drive both weeks. Roadmaster 3 week class, the first week is all class time and focuses on getting the permit. So if you go in with your permit, a lot of it is wasted. So I would ask how much of that is drive time, and whether the big companies accept that class. But Roadmaster is encouraging automatics now, so the driving is a little easier to get down in 2 weeks.

 

Just wow.
The schooling / training thing is getting so enormous.

Many of the people I trained had about 45 minutes experience when they got in my truck to drive across country.
Exactly how they passed the state test always boggled my mind, but the company had in house testers.

A good trainer is going to make all the difference.

This is one thing I noticed about all students.
The one's that smoked were much more natural truckers.
I quit smoking, be 11 years in 2 weeks, and that's when I started driving big truck.
But since I had a non smoking truck, there were always a plethora of students waiting to get on it, and I'll say 1 in 5 had any natural ability, where the smokers was like 4 out 5.

I could train pretty much anyone, but it's how you do when you're not constantly being reminded.
It's real easy to kill or maim someone in this business .

I went to the 160 hour school when I started. $1600 cash. I think that was a minimum requirement from Indiana, can't remember, but I did the full test with a guy from the state, not someone from a trucking company.
Went to CRE flunked the obstacle & the driving test the first time, and back then they gave you two chances, you fail twice, your not eligible for hire.
They offered more training. Being as that was one of the weirdest places I'd ever been in my life, I just took them both again and passed.

There are a lot of people taking 6 to 10 week courses now.
If I were you, especially if you love your wife, I'd do at least a 160 course.

 

I think most big companies require so many hours of training. Maybe smaller outfits don't. I got my CDL on my own then bought a truck and run under my own authority. Works for me.