CDL Schools vs Training Privately for Class A Skills Test

Have you checked with Schneider? Most companies require an accredited school for a certain amount of hours.

 

I would ask specifically to make sure. Recruiters are not your friend. Also ask in the company forum for them here.

 

Schneider never checked anything that mentioned my school. They just wanted the CDL. But I was also doing tuition reimbursement, so they may have had a thing there. Also, if you go the route of not going to a school, you more than likely won't qualify for the reimbursement.

 

You won't come close to knowing anything about driving a truck in just 2 weeks. Chew em up and spit em out man, unreal.

This is your career, for God's sake spend some money on decent schooling or your next thread will be "Which companies hire with three preventables in a year". Put Carolina Cargo on your speed dial.

 

Most of the mega companies require 160 hr program. Double Make sure the 2 week class is accepted.
To list a few there are things you can do to get a jump on your training. You have your permit, get your physical if you haven't done so already , get a map and learn how to read it, get some loose leaf log books from the truck stop and learn Hours Of Service and how to log..I think OOIDA has some logging tutorials and Youtube has some as well. With this being a 2 week course be prepared so you can focus on the skills training.. Maybe there is already a list on here of things you can do get a jump on school.

 

You are correct that you wont learn much in 2 weeks. Looking back i didnt know anything after my first year. The schools only goal is to pass the skills test and get the CDL.
In my opinion the real training is the next step when they are on the road, hopefully with a good trainer getting hands on training..
Many of us that never went to a school are still out here pounding out the miles safely decades later. IMO the broken link is getting adequate hands on training.. Training should be from a skilled veteran driver. (not students training students, or teaming 2 students)

There is so much information out here now that students should have a good basic understanding of the rules and regs before school. If they did Much more time could be focused on real world training.

 

School is to get the CDL, not learn everything there is to know about truck driving. Plenty of people used to jump in the truck and learn as they went back in the day. Nothing wrong with people that choose to take a long ### school that teaches a lot more than how to pass the dmv test. But assuming that there is something wrong with people that choose to get the license and learn on the job... Well it makes you sound like a pretentious prick.