My experience with Diesel Driving Academy-Shreveport, LA

Well, as I am almost finished with schooling with Diesel Driving Academy in Shreveport, LA I figured I would give my account of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Registration: Talking with the career planner (recruiter) was a very pleasant experience. He was very straightforward and told me while they help with job placement, they cannot guarantee employment. Very understandable. The up front out of pocket was $25, I guess just to show commitment to the school.
Financial Aid went smoothly and other than the original $25 I had no out of pocket expenses. They really work hard to get all the grants possible before the go to student loans.

( This is my overview of the 20 week day course, I did not attend nights so I do not know.)

Week 1-4
Your first four weeks are all classroom. They prep you to get your CDL A permit and allow you days to go to the DMV to get it. They also help train you to get your tanker, HAZMAT, and doubles-triples endorsements and you only come out of pocket $5 per test. The $15 for the permit is reimbursed later. The countless repetition of videos will drive you to suicide and you will learn to hate Lou Grills. But it all beats the information into your head and you learn and retain a lot of information.

Week 5-10
The next 6 weeks put you out in the weather on the backing pad. They dedicate this entire time to teach you how to straight line back, lane offset, and alley dock. They repeat so much you'll forget how to drive your car forward, but it is all for the purpose of passing your CDL test.

Week 11
Finally! The ability to drive a truck forward has arrived. This week is spent entirely on the "shifting pad" which is the block around GM plant. You spend the week just learning how to shift the Eaton Super 10 transmission. The trucks get a hair nicer and actually have A/C.

Week 12
This is spent teaching you how to merge on and off the interstate. You and your group are sent down I-49 all the way to Alexandria.

Week 13
Now some interesting driving. You travel rural routes in northwest LA to learn how to navigate back country roads.

Week 14
Last week in the Super 10 transmissions. Now the nitty gritty happens. They put you in city driving for a week and you get very used to getting cut off, etc by rude drivers.

Week 15
Back to I-49 this time in Century Class and Columbia Freightliners in the Straight 10 transmissions.

Week 16
Back to rural routes in the Straight 10's.

Week 17-18
Back in the city. The end looms near. My confidence was built by this time and I was ready to start working. Soon enough though.

Week 19
Back to the backing pad for a refresher.

Week 20
Time to test out. You test with state certified examiners and get your CDL.

So far I am almost done with week 19. All of the instructors have been great though some of the students like to act like we are still in high school. I will keep you updated. I am set to go with Watkins Shepherd after graduation so I am looking forward to that.

 

Yea for the first bit the trucks do suck. But I'd say 2004 and newer freightliners and internationals are far from garbage. When you are a student you can't cry about the quality of truck.