Getting a job with no experience and with outside CDL training

Just as a referrence point, my company requires 2 years of verifiable experience and we don't train drivers here. Depending on who the private trainer is, you would have to stay with that person for 2 years to work for us and then we would have to be able to verify that you were in fact driving.

 

They're telling you the truth. Many companies need to know newbies have quality training such as that received at a local school or even another carrier's school. This is simply another way the industry is changing to accommodate rising insurance rates. It's not necessarily the companies demanding this as much as it is their insurance companies. Now, I'm not claiming it is impossible to get hired on with private training as many drivers you will hear from on this forum never went to school and some simply studied, rented or borrowed a truck from a friend, and went and took the test, such as the manner in which I did it to obtain my B license many years ago. However, those days and ways of doing things are rapidly coming to an end and I believe I even read where someone posted legislation or pending legislation which will require all new class A license holders to attend an accredited school at some point in the future. You will have more, and better, opportunities if you go to a community college or carrier's school.

 

When I started driving, I had got my CDL on my own and no company would even look at me until I went to someplace like Roadmaster, Sage, or Community College, all seemed about the same. Once you have that, you will still be required to drive with a trainer for about 1 to 2 months for most companies.

 

You have to either be fresh out of an "accredited school", which is one most major carriers (that take newbies) recognize, or commit to a carrier's in-house school. It would be highly unusual for a company to take a newb with "private" instruction.

Carriers know that if you made it through a certian school, that you had so many hours behind the wheel and were able to meet certian levels of criteria to pass. They're either PTDI certified or known to meet PTDI guidelines. Schools also have established relationships with a handful of starter-carriers and help students with placement.

It really comes down to being a liability issue if a carrier hires someone without "proper" or approved training.

 

Have to agree with 900,000tonsofsteel,

not sure of your definition or private classes but you either need to go with a carrier that offers their own schooling or an accredited CDL Mill such as Roadmaster, Truck Driver Institute etc... There are also community colleges that offer accredited training but usually requires a lot more time invested. Like Tonsofsteel said its an insurance thing and one basic thing they look for besides an accredited school is the amount of hours of training you received. There is an actual minimal number though I am not sure exactly what it is, someone else on this forum maybe able to chime in with an exact number.

You do need to avoid the backyard backup big truck schools. These are usually run by private citizens who own a few run down tractor trailers and are looking to make a few bucks off individuals who do not know any better. I would also recommend not taking training into your own hands by renting or borrowing a truck to practice and test in.

Basically there is no short-cut that is going to save you money or avoid you putting in the required hours of training to obtain your CDL. You really want to go about it the correct way the first time through if you are truly serious about becoming a successful, professional driver. You also don't want to sell yourself short of the proper, safe way to operate a commercial motor vehicle with lax or improper training.

 

Not many of those left. What most carriers do is suggest training schools that YOU must finance and then the company reimburses you for the training at a pre-determined time period. You stay at the carrier, your training gets paid for. If you bail out, you simply have to pay for the remaining costs of the training that you financed / received.

 

There are a few you should no problems getting on with. Central Refrigerated Freight out of Salt Lake offers a class...Don't know what the requirements are though. I would suggest making calls to companies and see which one interests you.