CDL School vs Self Taught...

Not sure where you came up with this.......while we clearly look at mvrs and are VERY concerned with the Class A CDL experience a driver has, in the last 51 years underwriting trucking risks I can't once remember asking where a driver got his training. Our biggest issue with CDL experience is verification of a minimum of 24 months.

 

Thank you for the information that helps.

 

Maybe @Ridgeline will add to this.

 

Having 24 months experience pretty much negates any reason to show a cdl school certificate. What I'm getting at is people that want to be an owner-operator and have zero driving experience. What's a ball park figure to insure those drivers?

 

It's strictly a pricing issue if CDL is under 24 months.

We offer quotes (ridiculous premiums) for brand new Class A CDLs, but seldom get orders, because, even though it's a P.I.T.A. to deal with the state Assigned Risk Plans will provide coverage at much cheaper pricing.....however if you need $ 1MM limits for a broker or contract, the assigned risk can only do $ 750,000 CSL then your agent needs to find a excess policy etc.......forgetting the retailer producer is making peanuts with assigned risk placements.

Here in SoCal we routinely send out quotes for brand new cdl drivers that range in the $ 25,000 range for liability and as much if not more for phys dam......seems new drivers tend to not know where the trailer is at times and or can't seem to back up worth a dam.

There are enough marginal operators out here that hire brand new drivers, and in most cases I would seriously doubt that the minority owner of the firm is asking where drivers got his training........frequently they are "family" members so I presume they KNOW they have no credible training.

As an aside, we DO accept military licenses (heavy equipment) as prior cdl experience.

 

As a current CDL student, I can speak on this. Aside from the aforementioned reasons that make school the best practical option for most people, I feel school offers a valuable, structured curriculum.

I’m not talking about 3-4 week CDL mills that hustle you out the door necessarily, but good quality programs like the one I’m a part of at a public technical college. My instructor has been a driver for some 28 years, company and owner op - along with being a dispatcher and broker. She has a degree in education, and a pending doctorate in something else. And all the other instructors are also well qualified to teach. We’re told that when we leave there, we won’t have just a license, but we’ll know what we’re doing. I’m confident of that.

If one has the opportunity to be trained by actual teachers, who will hold their students to a standard, I say why not take it? If you’re a common sense type of person, it can only serve you.

We also have companies that recruit from our program, and alumni job services for life if we ever want them. Not bad for a couple thousand dollars.

 

>Not bad for a couple thousand dollars.

I am probably going to have my balls annihilated for this (actually I don't have balls, I have labia). I have earned two undergrad degrees. Therefore I do understand the importance of a quality education, moreso since I entered an industry where education is frowned upon and the jobs are outsourced. I still had a very solid understanding of what was going on around me when the guys who had a "certificate" behaved as if they had developed super powers meant only for men. In a way truckers have way too much in common with IT geekers.

I wish I could spend a couple months in a community college to train for my CDL but community college here costs double or more of what you paid, and there is a huge waiting list.

On the other hand I am probably going to have to pay someone to train me on tractor trucks and its going to take a couple months of working two jobs to afford that now that this trucking school has all the money which I am not getting back.

Hindsight 20/20.

I do respect your choice of community college training, I should have gone that route if I could wait another 6 months or so. I wish you the best.

 

Thank you. The program I’m in is also in very high demand - day and night classes. I was aiming for the January class, but was fortunate to get the last slot in the March class, which includes a thousand miles of on-road instruction.

Don’t count out the public college route, it’s still cheaper than most private schools. Depending where you are there could be assistance or grants to help pay for it. Find a college near you and definitely look into that!

 

I'm not sure if it is still current or not but here you go... post up if it still works or not..
Mike Rash
352.302.0903
mrash@smgofcrystalriver.com
Excavating Contractor and CDL Test Administrator