community college or CDL mill

I know of two companies now that will NOT hire from two well known schools here in Omaha, NE, but will hire from the community college. I'm in my third week of an eight week course at Metropolitan Community College. It's been three weeks of half days doing book work/learning (we all have our permits now and most of us have passed the CDL test at the DMV along with all three endorsements!) half days spent straight-line backing and alley-dock backing, right turns, vehicle inspections/maintenance, stopping and starting, break testings, etc. BTW, no less than one to three hours of homework/studying nightly... Next week (week 4) we go to an abandoned airpark area and learn to shift. Although we are floating from 2nd to 3rd to 4th and back down in our lot, we will be learning to double clutch next week before going out on the roads with instructors for weeks 6,7 and 8 along with continued work in logging, trip planning, etc. ---> Try that with a three or four week CDL mill... Anyway, 286 hrs of edjukashun with double the driving time (and then some) of the other two schools. Now, check this out - One of the other schools wanted $4,000 or so and the other was $4500, both for about 160 hrs each of total education. Metro's in state tuition is under $1350 including books, DOT physical, Hazmat fingerprinting and everything. Yup, you read that correctly. Does that pretty much answer your question?

 

Oh, forgot to mention, think of the word "mills" in the context you used it. Now think of the idea of "puppy mills". Does either conjure up a positive image? The nomenclature "CDL mills" must have been brought into existance for a reason.

 

i prefer to think of it as 'general mills'.

mmmmm, fruity pebbles.

 

Refusing to think, loss of his mind
Wondering, posting, what would he find
When came along a forum to chime
No relavance, just yuk-yuk, indeed a crime.

 

One of the companies I applied at today said the school I chose wasn't on their list of approved schools, they immediately, on their own accord, started the process of getting the school on their list and said they should know by tomorrow if all is good!...

Maybe you can ask the company if they will do the same!

 

This is a quote from "Consumer and Student Guide to CDL Training, Truck Driving Schools, and Trucking Jobs"


"There is only one organization that currently certifies truck driving courses: The Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI), located in Alexandria, Virginia. PTDI certification is voluntary. A school is not required to become certified. But a certified school is probably the best guarantee that a truck driving school maintains high truck driver training standards.
PTDI has developed three sets of strict standards that they apply to truck driving schools that want to be certified. PTDI will inspect the school and determine whether the standards are met. If they are met, the school's course is certified (schools are not certified) and the school can advertise that it teaches a course certified by PTDI. The three standards are for Skills, Knowledge and Curriculum. Skill standards are the basic skills an entry level driver should have (shifting, backing, vehicle inspection, etc.). As you might guess, knowledge standards describe the basic information a driver should know (how to plan a trip, licensing requirements, accident procedures and cargo documentation, for example). Finally, PTDI's curriculum standards identify the minimum course of instruction a truck driving school must present, including topics addressed and hours required for class, truck lab and driving. PTDI's standards for a school in this regard are very high. For example, PTDI requires that every student individually have at least 44 hours of driving instruction behind the wheel. That's a lot of driving time, and it cannot include any hours observing. (See Observation Time below).
There a number of advantages to PTDI certification. Students know that the training should be high quality, that they will receive a lot of driving experience and that the school has made the extra effort to demonstrate it is committed to the best training. Plus, the trucking industry has great respect for PTDI graduates because they know they are getting the best. They also know that their own company "finishing training" training costs will be lower because the student is well trained already. So, students that graduate from a top quality program benefit in the wallet as well because they require less training by the employer. Therefore they can drive solo sooner and earn more money faster. New drivers that attend short programs or get inadequate training can get stuck in the carrier's training program at a low weekly pay rate for a long time. We think PTDI sets a great standard that benefits everyone."


I hope this helps some. I plan on attending CDL College Truck Driving School in Aurora Colorado in the first quarter of 2012. It is PTDI Certified. I am sure there are other schools that are PTDI Certified also, but I live in Grand Junction Colorado and I plan on attending soon and applying to Stevens Transport for work.

There are many considerations and this is just one. I know of one school that is PTDI certified but after visiting their school, I wouldn't go there. They are much closer to me but the trucks they use are old and beat up. CDL College school trucks are much nicer and newer. I don't want to mention their name because you know the old saying "If you don't have anything nice to say ........................................."


gary

 

I went to an excellent community college mainly because I wanted the best training and as much training as I could get. And I was very satisfied with that decision. Was hired and dismissed during training at Roehl which I consider a "good" company (had issues with trainer). I could have been hired by another "good" company but chose one that is said to be "bad" because of other reasons and have been there for almost 4 yrs now doing very well in a good dedicated account.

 

I think its a finance issue for some.

My take is if one has the cash and time to take the cdl course independent of a company contract scenario its the better move.

Once the cdl is in hand one has options and is not obligated to OTR.

I for one can return to my current field in a different facet that requires the need for a cdl. More credentials = more valuable and more $

There are many great non-otr company alternatives -ie railroad, telecom, electric, water / sewer, gas utility companys. with good percs and benis. and require cdl



The more I read about OTR it is a mill that not all need to be subjected to...

Not to take anything away from OTR but I personally like to dwell on the better alternatives that may exist...

 

I tried the Mill first. I had no luck with that. I had never driven a stick and I had never been in a truck. The mill wanted me to get CDL in 2 week of getting to the school. The 1st 4 days we were there we were luck if we got 3 or 4 hour sleep a night. Day 5 we went out with trainers on the road for 3 days. Only time I got to drive was between 12:00am and 3:00 am in the rain. Go 11 hrs drive time. Came back in and went to test for CDL next day. Remember I did not know how to drive a stick when I went to the mill. 11 drive time was in a 10 speed. Went to test in a 9 speed. Well you can guess how that went.

Did college and I can drive a 10 very well and I have a CDL.