Hands-on training options in PA?

I am looking for something similar, but my search so far hasn’t turned anything up. I’m in the early stages of this so I have not gone balls to the walls looking , just a casual search.

I’m going through some of the online knowledge tests and plan to have passed the PA written part before I even sign onto any type of hands on training. I’m going to do it regardless, but it seems to me I will have saved someone a lot of trouble and should cut a week or so of classroom crap out. But my search to date hasn’t turned anything up. My guess; it’s all about the money.

 

Kinda hard to get a job without being in a verifiable School. Most want 80-240 hours from a certified/approved school Good luck!

 

Joe looking at your situation your trying to get training to learn how to drive a truck without going to school. You would then need someone to train you a friend or family member. The other route is a company that trains you & you go to work for me them. To me that is the best way to go so you learn & get experience.

 

There are 2 parts to getting s state CDL; a written exam and a driving exam. I think what Joe is saying, and I am also finding, is if you go to a school or anywhere else having already passed the written exam, it seems to be irrelevant to the schools. Since most of these schools have 40 to 50 hours of classroom time to prep you for the written exam, I would think if you already passed the written exam, someone should be willing to take that into consideration and offer drivers training at a reduced cost.

 

Not quite. Here's two scenarios:

Scenario 1:
Bob has a friend Fred who owns his own Tractor and Trailer. Fred agrees to take Bob under his wing, and teaches him enough so that he may get his CDL. Fred then takes him down to the DMV in his truck, and Bob passes the CDL Road/Skills test with flying colors. Fred says he'll vouch for him for at least 3 months experience.

Bob applies to Mid-Sized Trucking Company, with 3 months verified by Fred. Mid-Sized Trucking Company tells Bob they are unable to hire him, because he has less than a year of experience without verifiable school. Bob is frustrated.

Scenario 2:
Bob goes down to the local truck driving school after getting government funding, and goes to a licensed truck driving school which is offering a 240hr course. Bob graduates, and takes his CDL Road/Skills test and passes with flying colors.

Bob, happier than a pig in fecal matter, applies to Mid-Sized Trucking company, who has a finishing program, and hires Bob without question, and trains him.

Bob has a long and healthy career at Mid-Sized Trucking!

The moral to these two scenarios is that having a school behind your CDL makes you hireable. Not having one severely limits your ability to get hired on at any Trucking Company.

 

In your other thread post# 8 you said you had friends willing to teach the hands-on portion in exchange for some beers. Why not just buy the beers?

 

why isn't school an option?

 

Schools actually have 40 to 50hrs of class room time to prepair you for the permit? You should have that done before even going to school. There are practice tests right on here to help you. I think my 10 year old grandson could go online and study then pass the written portion.