general info on schools

A lot of good points so far in this thread. And it would be nice if some sort of culling process could occur for both driver wannabes and instructors. I'm speaking in general terms here ... The schools can't (won't) pay the kind of salaries it would take to get qualified, and effective driver instructors because a large number of the people coming into the CDL schools have no business in the trucking trade, let alone trying to put 70 foot of rig where 55 foot was intended, and this puts the instructors in avery difficult, sometimes impossible situation. You can herd cats sometimes easier than you can teach some how to back and shift effectively and efficiently.

It's a screwed up situation, a bunch of bad instructors and flawed CDL school contract/financial system, a bad economy, a trade that goes through employees like they were skittles [because of poor working conditions, sometimes poor pay, and often extreme family distress], a bunch of desperate people trying to support a family, a bunch of recruiters making ##### smell like roses ... put all this together and you have what we have here today.

The short answer is - "there is no easy answer". But somehow we need to find a way to keep those who "don't have what it takes" out of the system. They can join the "experienced" drivers out here who think they are indispensable and flawless, talk crap all the time, and give the trade (profession?) a bad image. The industry has problems on both ends, and in the middle (middle being carrier dispatchers, planners, owners, managers, recruiters, etc)

Bottom line is driving truck and teaching trucking is not for everybody. If you don't got it, you don't got it, no big deal. Find what you're good at and do that. Don't try and be something you're not, and don't think 4 weeks of "training"and a state issued CDL is going to make you a professional anything.

 

One thing I did was as soon as I graduated and started driving.. I called the school and asked them what they would settle for... Meaning... what they would accept as a payoff. I knew the interest rate was ridiculous. But I also knew they'd like cash in hand.

I think the school was supposed to cost $6000. It would have been $10,000 with interest. I think I offered them $1500 cash. Then payments of $750 a month for 3 months. Making the grand total payoff of $3750.

They took it. Still kinda salty. But much less than I would have been stuck with.

 

When I tested for my CDL there where several guys who were testing at DPS who had failed their original CDL tests through their school training. So that means they failed 3 times before attempting at DPS, two of them where on the third failure at DPS that means failed six times. Now here’s the disturbing part. While I was testing two of them had questions marked that they had missed. I thought this is odd because I thought if you failed you had to test the next day. So when I got my test graded I asked the DPS lady "Why is it that some of these guys have the questions they missed marked are back in the testing room trying get those answers correct? I thought if you failed the test you had to retake it the next day? She rolled her eyes and said those guys have failed it 3 times already! Okay so let me understand this DPS is allowing potentially crappy drivers who have failed the test on two separate rounds all three times to pass by process of elimination with instruction from them! WOW REALLY! That is scary.

I look at it this way.
1). If you cannot pass any portion of the CDL test the first time or if need be the second time. You do not need to be behind the wheel of a potential weapon.
2). If you hit a curb pulling a 28' pup trailer in any fashion be it backing turning right or left. You do not need to be behind the wheel of a potential weapon.
3). If you cannot understand and interpret English well enough to interpret the CDL manual. You do not need to be behind the wheel of a potential weapon.

Honestly there where numerous people in there that I would not let sit in a tractor let alone drive it!

 

Is this still true? I live in Colorado, and heard you now need to go to a school.

 

There is still no Federal requirement and won't be until 3 years has passed after a final rule is issued.