NETTTS: 160 hours vs. 480

MOST of the men and women that took the long course passed the state exam first try ? Then some that paid that money fail the test .
A CDL mill graduate able to chose a company with a good standing reputation ?

 

I wouldn't call a school that offers a 520-hour course a "CDL Mill." Failing on the first try is going to be quite common no matter how well prepared someone is, just due to nerves. The fact remains that immediately going to work upon getting your CDL for a "starter company" is the most efficient way to kick start a trucking career for *certain* people that are thinking big picture.

 

im also in the long program (class of 03/12 AM) weekday mornings. tuneman55 has it right, you get what you put in. i fully plan on leaving here with the free NETTS jacket for perfect attendance mostly because im paying to be here. (but hey, ill wear anything i get as an "award" lol). my understanding is the 540 course is so long to comply with federal government regs so folks like me can get grants/ loans to start a new career. certainly, during classroom time (12 weeks total) there is plenty of dead space to fill, but i enjoyed hearing stories anyway. the instructors all seem to have the patience of saints, even with the obviously unmotivated few in every class who miss a lot of time. the 540 classes also get a very involved 2 weeks of map reading, trip planning and logging. im also walking out with a CDL defensive driving certification, as well as immeasurable advice on things to do with life on the road.

im about to start my third week "in the field", second week started with yard shifting on monday and then tuesday i went out on the road in one of the newer condo units! it was, in a word, awesome! so far i seem to be showing some amount of ability, we shall see as the class moves into more difficult yard manuevers.

very glad to see this post, makes me think i made a good choice

all in all, i think NETTS is a good program so far

 

update

passed the test at NH DMV this past monday on the first try

heading to Roehl for orientation starting monday

 

Good Job and Congrats!!!!

 

I am a newbie as well, and this is my take on the whole thing.

2 weeks on the job and you will either be able to do it, or you won't IMO.
The hardest part of this job IMO is not getting killed by other drivers on the highway. No school can prepare you for the stupidity of other drivers.
I am sure the long course is better, but it still does not teach you each individual carrier's system.
You will learn more in one or two days with a company trainer than you will in 4 months at an overpriced CDL school.
Newbie money is sub minimum wage, so dropping 9k for a CDL school would be out of the question. IMO you should take the short course, get your CDL and go get hired.
That's when the real training begins, and it is nothing like what you experience in a CDL school.

Good luck.

 

sad day for the NETTTS family....

https://www.facebook.com/#!/NETTTS

heres the text:

"Today NETTTS lost a beloved member of its instructional family. Wally Weymouth died after a long stretch of illness. He will be missed at the North Andover campus. Wally’s wealth of information regarding this industry was second to none and he was always willing to share that with fellow instructors, staff and students. His sense of humor was infectious. He was a great Man.

Wally came to NETTTS in 2006 and has been a key member of our team ever since.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

With much sympathy and great sadness we say goodbye to a wonderful soul."


He was a great guy, sad to hear of his passing.....

 

As a current NETTTS student ( I go to Somers... not sure which one you are at) I love it.

As far as the classroom time being too long. The mods are 2 weeks each and full of info. National Safety Council Defensive Driving Class (doing that this weekend), basics of Forklift operations (you never know if you will ever need it, but it doesnt hurt). Learning pratical route planning, log books, CSA regulations, FMCSA laws, etc, etc...
The stories from my instructor are usually relevent to topic being discussed.

As far as if the longer class will benefit you in the job search, all I can say is companies like TMC, Roehl, TansAm, Prime, etc... hire students right out of NETTTS. I have one classmate who is sitting on 9 pre-hires and the choise is his as to where HE wants to work.

Being in charge of an 80,000 pound Rig is too important for me to learn everything in 3 weeks!!

Just my opinion!

 

I ran through a fair amount of this thread. And to skip through the arguements, testosterone, and bs...
I am 52, unemployed for 8 months, hence no income. NETTTS is around the corner, and the 22 week, 540hr program is my only hope, as that is the only place financial assistance comes into play.
You all have your ideas about short course, long course, travel out of my state etc etc. Great, except right around the corner, and how much they will get me in assistance is the major factor right now.
What I really NEED to know, do companies respect NETTTS training. Will I be able to actually get a job?

 

I went to NETTTS 22 week class in somers. Good school. Little pricey but you'll get a lot of pre hires. Best company's to go with out of all them is either TMC if you want to flat bed. Or J&R Schugel.

went to Werner first and it was a nightmare to say the least. All the BS about home every weekend 1,200 a month dollar tree account was a lie. Skip that!

go TMC or Schugel. I was one of those guys wanting home every night and didn't want to go OTR but I'm glad I did and you know what experience is what you need and what you will get from OTR. Get 1-3 years OTR then go local.