My Adventures at Atlanta Truck Driving School

"I know of at least 25 people in the classes while I was there that failed over and over"

This is a huge problem, both the fact that these students are failing over and over again, and the fact that there are so many people in these classes.

I have found that it makes more sense to enroll smaller numbers of student in class (6-9 students) and graduate 95-96% of them, than to enroll 20 people in class and graduate 60-70%. More than anything else, students need quality time behind the wheel of the truck and one on one instruction on the backing range.

You can check with the Dept. of Driver Svcs here in GA to find information on the pass/fail rates of certain schools.

 

And that is why you shouldn't make broad, absolutely negative statements like, "I can't believe that anyone would spend 8-10 weeks of full time training just to get a CDL."

 

You are absolutely correct. In my defense, that was a facecious statement in direct response to the broad, negative generalization "I can't believe that anyone would pay for training in Georgia." I'll be more careful of my words in the future.

 

Many that take 8 to 10 weeks to TRY to learn to drive won't cut it as drivers . CDL school graduates are not drivers . That's why the good paying companies won't hire them . Most will quit or be terminated within 6 months if they get hired at all .

 

Well it'll get u back on the road sooner if u get pulled in the scales for a brake outta adjustment. It can also work against ya in the same sense. but as far as I'm concerned it never hurts to know as much as u can. I think it might only allow u to adjust the manual adjusters tho.

If you dont want someone to know u have it then just keep it in your pocket. Dot might hold it more against ya cause u know even more bout the brakes an why are they outta adjustment to begin with?

 

it takes 8-10 weeks to learn to push a pedal an turn a wheel? ok What exactly are they waistin there time teaching these people cause too many of them come out not knowin that much from my experiance. I got a friend just graduate from one way more north an hes not very confident an thats kinda a worry..... Dont get me know hes a good driver. But I'd expect better outta someone who pays that much to learn something.

 

Automatic slack adjusted shouldn't be adjusted and DOT knows it . If they are out of adjustment they are defective or some other brake component is and you will be OOS until the defective part is replaced . Unless you carry all the spare parts and tools with you being certified is a waste of money .

 

Absolutely true! And probably won't be good drivers for many, many months or years.

I feel it is up to us, the experienced drivers, to raise em up.

And as rough as some people talk on here, I know that most of these drivers have taken their time, while walking back out to the truck after dinner to help one of these new drivers to get backed in to a tight hole, taught one these drivers to adjust their slack adjusters and even spent hours on the CB giving general advice.