Bates Techinal School CDL program - 20 week program :O ( Tacoma, WA )

Fede671 · Oct 26, 2015

bbqguy said: ↑

If your friend stated that his training was primarily simulators, then I find it hard to believe that your friend actually attended Bates.

The Bates Technical School Community College commercial truck driving program is a PTDI (Professional Truck Driver Institute) certified school curriculum.Bates is an in-depth program that not only teaches every aspect of driving, but also provides many hours of on-the-road and over-the-road training in everything from dry vans to reefers to flat beds to pulling doubles. During my class, we would run three students to a truck while running from Tacoma to Portland, Seattle, Spokane, Baker (Oregon).... heck, we were all over the northwest, and even a few trips to northern California.

Bates has contracts to haul loads for various state and federal agencies. For example, we would load, drive, and unload refrigerated loads of groceries to various native american businesses and food distribution centers. Several times I drove flatbeds loaded with heavy equipment to military and forest service sites. We had extensive practice driving in both OTR and local urban centers. We got to know the roads throughout Tacoma, Seattle, and Portland pretty well. I had plenty of experience going through weigh stations, learning how to scale and slide axles to adjust axle weights, and parking at truck stops and rest stops.

The curriculum is comprehensive, but not difficult. There is a lot of lecture time, both by the instructors and by guest lecturers, and plenty of homework. Example: we became very knowledgeable about the FMCSRs, and I was very comfortable with the thick, little, green book in finding the answers on various issues. From the very first day in class we were trained and required to keep our logs and follow the HOS regulations. These we turned in every week for review and grading. A lot of class time and homework centers around vital skills like navigation and trip planning. Rand Mcnally trucking atlas and local maps only, no GPS allowed. Believe me, we became very proficient in navigation and trip planning, which helped me immensely when I graduated and was hired on to a trucking company.

Because Bates has both the commercial driving and diesel mechanics training on the same campus, we spent many hours learning the various systems on tractors, and getting our hands greasy with hands-on instruction. For example, we not only learned how the air brake system worked in class, we spent time under the trucks learning how to adjust the brakes. As the instructor for the mechanics program said to us, "The purpose for our time together is NOT to make you mechanics, but to be able to tell the mechanics on the phone, should you not be able to fix a problem yourself if you are broken down, what the likely problem is so as to minimize the time you are losing money.

Part of our training included becoming proficiently trained and certified in running forklifts, and in using various dock and truck loading equipment and load securement. We also became trained and certified in first aid and cpr.

We had field trips to places like one of the larger weigh stations along I-5, where we were guided through the weigh station procedures by one of the Washington State Patrol, and able to observe how the weigh station does its thing. A trip to the Kenworth/Paccar factory really helped to me to see what goes into tractor. Time was also allowed, as part of class, to get all of the endorsements on a CDL, after each was thoroughly covered in class. This also included the TSA security clearance/background check for getting our hazmat endorsement. Enough time was spent in the classroom and in homework so that all 9 class members scored 100% on all the DMV testing. Likewise, everyone passed the first time with high scores when we did our DMV pre-trip and road testing for our CDLs.

It would be difficult and extremely lengthy to detail how and why the Bates training is worth the time it takes verses the time it takes to go through a three-week program. All I can try to convey is that I came out of that training with the ability to immediately connect with my training driver/mentor as more of a team driver than a student driver. Jorge, my mentor, is a highly skilled O/O who takes our profession seriously. During our first days together, I was able to demonstrate what he needed to know to feel comfortable that I wouldn't get lost, that I could handle his rig with skill and care, and that I wasn't afraid to seek his guidance as needed. He seemed amazed that I was able downshift smoothly going up steep grades, and successfully handle the down-grades without the threat of burning up the brakes. I just explained that it was all of that mountain driving in school. When we needed to chain up going over Donner, he was very appreciative of the fact that I was able to quickly get my half of the chaining done without him having to spend time telling my what to do.

The basic and necessary skills I had learned and had practiced at Bates allowed me to focus a lot of my attention on learning the finer points of truck driving from Jorge. Things like using a pair of vise grips to clamp onto the locking lever, holding it out, when sliding the rear axle on trailers. How to make the most of the points on the fuel cards issued by the various truck stops. How to keep my cool and remain professional even when dealing with crap we all face from shippers, consignees, lumpers, 4-wheelers, and especially the company fools that you are leased to. I was able to learn the business issues facing O/O, and what tools are needed to run a successful truck.

Instead of struggling with mastering the basic skills, I was able to focus on sharpening and smoothing what I had already learned and to move on to more advanced issues that professional truckers must have in order to be something other than a steering wheel holder.

Yes, the Bates Technical Community College program is much longer than a three week school. But after attending Bates, I am extremely happy that I choose to do so. As to the various schools like CDS in Tacoma, they are very good for a 3 week school. I do not disparage their training one little bit. I am simply saying that there are excellent reasons for attending the Bates program, including the fact that Bates students are hired right out of school by excellent trucking companies, like Gordon, Haney, and TWT. Whereas those, and other high quality companies, usually require a minimum of 6 months OTR experience before hiring someone who graduated from a three week school.
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Fede671 Bobtail Member

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