The only advantage to getting your CDL before joining Prime is that if you quit before the first year, you won't have to pay Prime for your schooling. But then, you pay for it up front, and if you DO stay with Prime, you are out that money.
So... lets talk about the truth when it comes to driving schools. Third party driving schools cannot afford to give you anything approaching enough wheel time to turn out a competant driver. They produce a student who has enough compentance to barely pass a CDL practical driving test - nothing more. You may feel you are ahead of the game coming out of one, but in fact it's illusion. The PSD student at Prime has had more experience driving a CMV than any third-party school graduate, and the difference is obvious. You'll come in as a C-seat after shelling out $4000 - $6000 at that school, and still do 40,000 miles.
Close but not quite right. If you do it all through Prime, you have to spend 75 hours minimum on the road to get your CDL, normally it is more like 110 hours before u make it back in to test. Then you have to do 30k miles to upgrade to an A seat.
How much do they want to charge you? If thousands, forget it. Go to Ryder, or Penske, rent a truck, go to the CDL state facility, take the written test prior, then take the driving test at the Facility, you will need someone with a CDL to get you there. Save yourself Thousands. Do it on your own.
But don't plan on that career starting at Prime. Either it's an accredited school, or come do our PSD training - do-it-yourself truck driving school counts for nada with all of the majors. Oh yeah... almost forgot. When you go to Ryder or Penske to rent that class 8 CMV and trailer, don't forget to bring along your CDL. You can't rent one without it. Oh bother! That's right... you still don't have one. Drat! And it's illegal to drive it to your state's motor vehicle testing facility - without a licensed CDL driver in the left seat. Maybe you just need to go to that driving school of choice after all!
Ummm. I think that's why he suggested the guy get someone with a CDL drive the truck to the test site.
He can still plan on not starting that career with any of the major carriers. Not one of them recognizes "do it yourself" truck driving instruction, including our carrier.
Your right it is a third party driving school. The school total cost is $5995. But Prime training program is cheaper and easier to learn in. I like the way Prime has their program set up, you will have some experience before you even get your CDL. This might take 3-4 weeks I think if im not sure. Then the training is 4-6 months I think I don't know this for sure. Now I will only be paying $550 out of pocket in the rest will be finance. I don't know if Prime does tuition reimbursement but that would help
