Central Refrigerated school/training program in Fontana, CA

So I recently applied for Central Refrigerated's training program. I have talked to a recruiter a few times, and am currently scheduled to begin training on May 10th, out of their facility in Fontana, CA.

I've read a little bit here and there about Central on these boards, but I would like to ask some questions of my own, to help me out better personally. I know it's an awful lot to ask for, but what I would like to ask of anybody who has knowledge of this company, and perhaps more specifically this specific training facility of theirs in Fontana, CA...is this. I would like to know anything and everything you can possibly tell me about what I may want to expect, good or bad, for the two weeks or so I'll spend in training, the orientation, the 14,000 miles I'll spend with a trainer (I forget the and/or part of how many days that may alternatively be).

While I'm in school, do they have good instructors who will be patient with you and help to ensure that you're really getting it or is it a little bit more of a rushed deal/"sink or swim" on your own (if you know what I mean by that)? What are their training facilities in Fontana like? I actually live pretty close by, lived right next door in Ontario, CA for the better part of my entire life, and am familiar with the Fontana area, so if anybody would be willing to give me an address/general area description, so I could roll by and take a closer look for myself, that would be greatly appreciated! (I'm not talking about trespassing or doing anything illegal and stupid, mind you, when I say roll by, that's pretty much exactly what I mean I intend on doing, just rolling by in my vehicle and looking around the area, seeing that it's not too scuzzy/cheap/questionable looking). Last question about the schooling part of this company would be, when it comes time to test for the Class A CDL, do they really make sure they've made every effort on their part to try to help prepare you to pass, as best as they can...or do they just sort of do what they can for you and if you pass then you pass, but if not, then "it's no skin off their teeth"? Actually after rereading this paragraph I just typed, it occurred to me that my last question is very similar to my first question, but that is understandably my biggest concern before I go in to start training with them. I want to make sure that I don't go into training with them, wind up failing my test, and yet still owing them money for the schooling.
Oh yeah...I almost forgot to ask. Does anybody know where and what hotel they use or are currently using for student housing? Do they give you your own room or do you wind up having to bunk with somebody?

Then supposing that I pass my CDL test, and am ready to begin a career with Central. My next questions, pertaining to the trainers...Do they have mostly good trainers, who will help teach you at least some of the ins and outs of the industry, how to manage your routes effectively, how to log properly and optimize your miles and pay,...simply put, basically try to help put you into a situation where you'll be ready to succeed in the industry, once you're out and on your own? Will most of their trainers help smooth out whatever rough edges you have to work on with your truck driving fundamentals, be it your basic driving and shifting techniques, backing, or whatever other areas you may need to work on?

Like I said, I know I'm asking a lot. But, although I haven't yet got to the part with my recruiter about exactly how much the price of the schooling is, from what I've read on these boards and in other places, I know there basically is no such thing as a cheap company sponsored training program, so I want to make sure I'll know whether or not this will be an investment I'll want to make, when May 10th comes rolling around in not too long.

Thank you in advance for whatever information you can provide me, pertaining to this company and this particular school/facility!

 

Yeah I saw that but it wouldn't load, my browser gave me the following message when I clicked on that link...
Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 134217728 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 43371 bytes) in /home/trucker1/public_html/truckingindustryforum/showthread.php on line 1275
So that's why I was trying to just start a new thread here for my personal use to just get the answers I'm looking for. Oh yeah...that and I don't have the time to read through thousands of pages to try to find what I'm looking for anyway. Lol!
Thanks though man!

 

Sorry it took me a little while to get back and check up on this again. Thank you though...neighbor!

Well as of last time I talked to my recruiter, I got most of the rest of my questions answered that I had for him. Funny thing is he was talking about putting me on a bus to come out to Utah for my schooling. Seems funny to me, given that I live only about 60 miles or so away from their school in Fontana, CA. But despite that, I'm actually not opposed to going out to Utah for school if that's where they decide to send me. I've read on a few occasions on here, regarding Central, once you start working for them, to make your home terminal out of Utah, rather than one of the other yards, because supposedly that's where you'll get your most loads from. But aside from that, I'm thinking that just maybe I might get the top notch training from the Utah facility. Not that I really have anything to base that off of at all, but I figure just maybe they like to keep their best trainers and staff at the home facility...? Only potential problem I can see with that is getting an out of state license in Utah, as a California resident...I'm sure I probably still can, I'll probably just have to get it transferred over to CA, once I get back...but I'll worry about that if and when I get to it. I'll be happy whether they decide to send me out to Utah for school or here close to home in California. Just one more thing I'll have to go over with my recruiter I suppose.

What were the hours like for school at the Fontana facility? What were your usual start and end times for class?

Thanks again!

 

Thank you!

 

Well thank you!

To be totally honest with you, I have been having some second thoughts lately, not enough to the point that I'm thinking of pulling out just yet. But the whole thing about it only being a two week course is really starting to make me second guess whether or not I want to make this investment. The fact that my recruiter tells me that one whole week of those two is devoted entirely to classroom time also doesn't sit too well with me. I don't know how much there could be to learn in the classroom, aside from studying for and obtaining my permit, and learning about logging. I also don't know how much there would be to learn driving/in the yard, however I would think that there is probably a whole hell of a lot more to be learned to that part of the schooling then classroom time. So it seems to me that if they only give us two weeks for the whole course, wouldn't it perhaps make more sense to limit the classroom time to maybe 3 or 4 days at the very most, and all the rest to driving and yard time? Again...not that I would know, but one thing that I do know is that if I'm training to drive a truck, then once I complete my training and am out there on the open roads, I'm not gonna be sitting behind a desk out there on those roads, but rather behind the wheel of a big rig. So why the hell wouldn't the majority, if not the overwhelming majority of the training be hands on?

By the way, couple other things you said got my curiosity...

You said you already have some experience over the road. But, is that as in you already had your Class A CDL, but yet they still ran you through their full school/training program, and made you retake all the tests again anyway? Or did you mean you already have some experience over the road, as in more of a sense that perhaps you rode along with another trucker a little bit, here and there, but not driving per se?

Other thing you mentioned is the thing about "unless you are absolutely incapable of driving a tractor, you will be passed through". Now I'm curious about this especially. Is that to say that you perhaps saw or have heard of some instances of students being passed through and granted their CDL, who perhaps should not have been passed? Do you mean the only criteria they really grade you hard on for your test is the driving and maybe backing portions alone, but if you perhaps struggle with the pre-trip stuff, they're actually known to let that stuff slide a bit? Only reason that comes to mind...although I'm not willing to go into detail publicly on these boards, but I had a friend who got her CDL, through a certain company's driving school, but she told me that some of this school's instructors who are also their certified dmv testers. She said the day of testing for this school, she actually saw on at least a couple occasions/with a couple students, the instructors flat out CHEATING to help students pass certain parts of their test. If you want to know any more specifics about what I'm referring to, feel free to ask me in a PM. I'm not saying that I necessarily think that's a good or bad thing...because honestly, on the one hand, if I'm gonna owe this company $3,800, whether I get my CDL or not, then you're #### right I'd rather make #### sure I pass and get it. So I'm not out of a license, out of a job, and still owing that company all $3,800. However, more importantly, I don't want anybody cheating for me at all whatsoever!! If I go through a whole school/training program, aimed to help me obtain my Class A CDL, then I want to make sure that I learn everything I need to learn as well as I possibly can, at least well enough that I'm able to pass the tests on my own! Because once I'm out there on the road, on my own, it's gonna be just me as far as I'm concerned (after the time I spend with my trainer)! There's not gonna be anybody there to help me cheat to get my job done right.

I'm not really sure how to close out this post, because I know that last paragraph puts it on an awkward note, but if you knew what I know that my friend told me about, regarding this one particular company and their driving school/instructors, then what I just said would be a lot more clear to you. So I'll just leave it at this.

Thanks again!