Need help choosing a good trucking school

Looks like you need a little help...
I'm down here in Washington state, but I'll give it a go:
Based on what I saw were your choices, I get a decent impression of Richards Truck Driving School. Their reviews were pretty good, I found some of the others' reviews to be a little too glowing, made me suspicious. (One of them had a review from a student saying that if they thought you were ready after one class, they would let you test???!!! Oh, and they only charge $900! What a bargain! &#128527
Best way to choose, though, is to check their certifications, find out if they have any complaints registered with any government agencies or your version of the BBB (Better Business Bureau... I don't know if you have anything like that up there), and perhaps, if you have a couple trucking companies in mind that you'd like to work for, contact them, and see if they are partnered with any of them. You could also do that in reverse: ask the schools if they are partnered with any reputable companies.

 

Whatever school you choose make sure to do plenty of homework on them.JReding mention Richards truck driving.I looked them up and don't see anything about how long the course is,how many instructors there are and how many students per instructor.You'll be paying good money might as well get your money's worth.Get your questions ready to ask the school's recruiter..

 

Thanks, pattyj... I knew I was probably missing a couple of points, it's been way too long for me...

 

You're welcome.I'm not going to recommend anything because im not familier with the op's area,but I do feel going the extra mile to find good schooling is worth it.There's far too many ppl that invest their hard earned money in these so called schools and end up getting ripped off big time.

 

Agreed. torontostudent will have to do his own legwork, and I can understand how he feels... Looks like there are a lot of choices up there. If I'm faced with more than ten choices on your average restaurant menu, I have a heck of a time! When I went to school back in '93, there were only three available for me to choose, and only one offered a weekend training schedule, which was what I needed, since I was working full time already.

 

I'd begin by talking with at least 6 potential trucking company prospects who you feel good about and may be a good fit for you (carriers who hire new drivers). These may offer their own in-house school/OTJ training systems, or only hire graduates from select schools.

 

I had a couple choices when I went to school,one was right here in Sioux City a 10 minute drive and the other was in Fort Dodge Iowa 120 miles.I chose Fort Dodge.I visted the school a couple months early and was very pleased.I paid a grand more and was well worth it.I stayed at the Dorm free of charge and came home on the weekends.It was a 10 week course.

 

Torontostudent, check into local companies that will hire new drivers FIRST. With trucking schools being more about making money versus putting safe drivers on the road, at times just having your CDL doesn't mean much. Just means you passed a test.

That being said, here's why you should look at companies first:
- Some companies offer the training/school you'll need to pass the test.
- Even if a company doesn't offer training, they will have a preference of schools & will know which ones do a good job.
- Sometimes you can find an ex-student through the company, some schools offer a discount/bonus to those with a referral from a previous student.
- If you have an idea of where you want to work, you can "pre-apply." Some companies will save you a space if you can finish school within a reasonable time.

Yeah, it seems like you're putting the cart before the horse by doing that but you'll be more prepared when you choose a school. There's companies, who I shall not name here, in Georgia who are in it pretty much only for the money. When Schneider does their company pre-test/test, it shows which students went to what schools. Schneider will refuse to hire new-recruits if they have come from a school that performs poorly and they have no prior experience.

Good luck!