Getting CDL permit before attending CDL school

That's cool, at least you have your mind set on one place. I was thinking about them until I found some more horror stories, just didn't fit my bill. Than again not every school is for every person, hope Prime suits you well.

 

Yeah that is just about how I was. between rooting through all of the stories on here, other sites, talking to drivers at truck stops, family friends and all, I finally came to a decision with Knight Transportation. The no contract was my biggest attraction, that and the thoroughness on training (since its about a 6-8 week total program for non CDL holders). They don't pay as much off the bat as Prime does per mile, but they do feed the hell out of you with miles. The pay bumps come throughout the year. Well hope you keep us informed about your journeys if you do get accepted. I would like to hear how things go for you over there and compare to what I am going through over here at Knight.

 

If you know what company/training school, call and find out if it will help, otherwise its a waste of your money. Most of the time, in most schools, you will become part of the heard of drivers going through those steps and it's included in the costs of school, or paid for by the company that wants it done their own way, at their chosen medical exam facility. Less often will it benefit you in any way to do it ahead of time. The school may require it ahead of check in and may not be picky as long as the clinic is "DOT AUTHORIZED". That law is in the process of, or has already been changed and only certain clinics are now authorized to do DOT work. I had to do a hair sample 3 times at 3 different DOT authorized clinics before satisfying my employer.

 

The hair test, quote from the nurse is, "it has to be at least 100 hairs from the scalp" up. That won't stop the urine test as hair won't signal alcohol and a few other chemicals that don't show up in chemical analysis of the hair.

 

for Knight we had to do both the Urine and the Hair test. They didn't make us take it just from our head. they took it any place that had about a little over an inch of hair so arms, legs, armpit, head, chest... they didn't care as long as they got it.