Class 1 school in Vancouver area.

10 hours of home study time to pass the tests? I think I studied for maybe an hour and passed both with 1 wrong. Looks like a good course though. Lots of mountain driving time.

 

Actually it's 2 months in castlegar then the third month is on the job (usually paid) with the company you are going to work for, in whatever location they may be in. MTI encourages you to do this close to where you already live.

Not knocking the tru course at all, just want to make sure people are getting accurate info.

 

I was at 1 step distance to enroll wit MTI, but red light come on when the lady from MTI told me on the phone that if I want a job MTI is my only chance and this is the reason for the high price, 14000$ for 2 months Monday to Thursday, and the 3-th one is ONLY IF YOU find a employer to train you . I said let me think, and she start to push me for a credit card payment over the phone. After that I phoned few big companies, but not the one from MTI website, and more than 75 percent of them does not have any idea about MTI. So my conclusion MTI is way overpriced for what they offer.
Thank you all.

 

Were some of those 75% willing to hire you without experience straight from another school?

 

Yes, some of them.

 

Just fyi, When I called Trimac, they said they deal with MTI exclusively and that they don't ' recognize ' the TRU course. Yet one of the students has been pulled right off the TRU greenhorn course and given work at Trimac here in Kamloops.

When I called up Arrow they said they fully recognize and respect the course taught at TRU since its been here many years, however to haul the B-Train chip loads, 2 years experience is required.

I called DCT Chambers, did not get a response.

Challenger said they would consider hiring straight from the class and into their training program, only if I would consider moving to Vancouver - they pull in 2-3 students every 6 weeks into their own program.

After aceing my airbrakes practical this morning, I was offered a job with a local freight company, straight out of the class - providing I get my class one, the owner of the company gave me his card and said he would set me up with a couple back and forth runs a week to vancouver, they're always looking for drivers. And if I was an owner operator there would be more work than I could do available.

No knock there, I didn't realize the 3rd month could be done with the company, but that would be the same as getting hired on out of the TRU course and getting into a training program such as challenger offers. I think that would be far between. There is a demand for log haulers here, I could very very easily have a job the day I got my class 1 if I was willing to do that. (Don't like heights much, so.....)

I am relieved however that there seems to be decent work in / out of my little town, not looking for big money, but a few runs a week and home would be perfect. That being said, there is a big difference in cost with TRU vs MTI - while the time behind the wheel is almost the same, although with MTI 30 of it is in a simulator, I'd expect they could throw you all sorts of issues to prepare yourself for experiences you might not get in a real training truck.. pedestrians, blown out tires, all sorts of different weather and road conditions....

 

Great info there thanks. Heads up on the challenger course, once you complete it they want you to run team for 6 months as part of their training agreement.

Did the local guy tell you what the rates would be?

 

No, but its a well established freight company with a good contract with NRI Distribution, I was too surprised by the offer, so I didn't ask. Once I get my class one in a month-ish I'll definitely talk to him though

 

Just to add.. over the weekend I passed the airbrakes practical, monday I passed the airbrakes written @ icbc.. then went in on tuesday and challenged / passed the class 1 learners written and eye test. Nothing medically wrong with me so they just shuttled me right through.

I'm scheduled to start the course on the 26th of october here in town via TRU at Columbia Training. I've had some more quite positive remarks from local companies.. so might as well go for it - then I don't have to wait around too long.. I noticed on wowjobs.ca there are several class 1 drivers availabilities open.. one in particular that caught my eye was a class 1 / no experience lowboy - they will train. I think I'm going to pursue that if the first offer falls through

 

You really do have a Onetrack mind - way to stay focused.

I talked to Ray and it sounds like an excellent course, good choice.