CDL Mills

Then again, everyone has to start somewhere.
The mills are just about the only place to begin.

The turnover rate is so high, they need to churn them out and weed them out.

Not everyone that 'wants' to be a trucker really wants to be a trucker. And they don't learn that until they've been OTR for a few months.
Most of them quit before the first year is completed.

 

Call it a CDL mill or not, those mills do what is required and that is to help people get their CDL and a job. The experience begins with the trucking company after CDL school. It's the responsibility of the trucking company to train the driver. Some are under the misconception that CDL school graduates a driver that's as good as someone that's been on the road 10 years.
Some people act as if they're the only one that can drive and everyone else should just stay home and flip burgers. Just like the military; you must go through basic training first, then the real training begins with your first assignment.
Keep in mind, some companies insurance REQUIRES either a school certificate or experience. Insurance companies won't face the risk of a lawsuit for allowing a company to hire someone without either experience or the CDL school certificate.
It's not like the old days,"yes,get the cdl and hit the road; don't need no stinkin' training."

 

I was lucky enough to learn how to drive in a michigan log truck. Tested in the log truck. If I coulda drove the log truck on the nations highways Ida been in good shape.

Got a job with a regional dry van outfit, and I'll never forget my first trip. Never rode with anyone, never backed up a 53 foot van, just got dispatched, found directions, and said a LONG prayer. Bumping the dock with 44k of roll paper was the very first time I ever backed up lol I look back on that first few months and cringe. So I'm with Chinatown on this...basic training is a wonderful and necessary thing but the real education comes after you get the CDL man...I took my daughter on a 400 mile round trip today and she asked me some rules of trucking...I said what do you think they'd be? She said 1- be safe, 2- be patient, and 3-back up slow. She nailed it.

 

we can talk about how bad CDL mills are but lets look at this

its nothing more than a confidence course...that's it, everyone who has ever been in one has gotten into a truck and taught themselves how to drive, they should be thanking these companies for giving them the chance

I went to a CDL mill, now look at me, hell, look at what I was qualified to do about a year later