NETTTS: 160hr vs 540hr course

It seems to me that 160 hours should be enough. I have found so much info on YouTube that covers a lot about the trucking industry. Pre trip , trip planning , fuel , coupling and uncoupling , all sorts of backing situations , checking tires , using Qualcom ,Peoplenet or paper logs. Different ways to prepare food , paperwork , scanning your paperwork , best GPS , best microwave , fridge , inverter , CB , Sirius radio , telephone setup , Bluetooth.
In town driving , up and down the mountains , bad weather etc........

I think the schools will just give you the basic cdl and when you start driving with a trainer that's when you will be getting the real training. Between all the websites , Google and YouTube I think I have a pretty good idea about everything involved but the actual driving. I think if you learn what you can before you go that will let you spend most of your time concentrating on the actual driving part.

I am not a driver but if and when I do decide to go to school I feel like I have learned a lot already. I have done all the written test over and over and feel like I can pass them all and get my permit before I go to school , just one more thing not to worry about.
Just my own thoughts here !

 

540 hours? I went through in 2002 in Somers, CT and it was only like 250 hours. I thought it was pretty thorough. What more could they possibly teach you with another 200 hours?

 

I know I'm replying late to this post but some information from my time at NETTTS.
I did the 540 hr class in Bridgeport. And probably spent more like 600 hours after all said and done. My classroom instructor originally was terrible. Our class went as a group to speak the the training head and he was removed from classroom teaching. The second teacher we had in class was excellent. He went over anything and everything that any student needed to get through the section including spending extra time with a particular student who was having difficulty with map reading and trip planning.
Out in the field we had another great teacher. He not only taught us how to do the maneuvers to complete the state test but also helped all of us to understand the mechanics of why the truck reacted to different inputs to the wheel, throttle, and brakes.
Our road instructor was hit or miss depending on which instructor you got and your performance. Either instructor was able to teach well but one was significantly quicker to get frustrated if a student was not grasping a concept. It almost seemed as if he wanted to hop in the drivers seat and demonstrate, which he did sometimes back at the yard.
I have kept in touch with a few of my classmates and they are all still employed 2 years later. Some of them OTR and some local and one driving a bus.
Overall I was impressed at the level of instruction we received. I came in with experience driving an 87 Mack straight truck with an 8 speed and trailer experience. Most guys came in with no experience. We all got the instruction we needed not just to pass but also to succeed in the industry.
I graduated Nov 2013 so things may have changed.

 

if memory serves me, the "only requirements" for a CDL instructor at that NETTTS school (and thier other locations), is that the instructor have a minimum of 6 years driving experience, and a valid DOT card, maybe not excessive tickets or accidents as well.

the CDL instructors are not (in practical terms) college educated, educators, like High School or elementary teachers have to be..

this is why many things suck, or are hit or miss.

many times, i will see job openings (usually on Craig's List, or Monster, or Career Builder) for instructors at nearly any CDL school in my area, advertise, and they outline what i have just stated, regarding teaching experience.

 

There is no advantage, from a employers standpoint, taking a 540 hr course vs 160hr. As prevouisly mentioned 160 hr is the maximum you are given credit for at any employer, some don't even require a minimum number of hours at all. Each of these students will be starting at the same pay point as a graduate. So comparing time-lines the 160 hr graduate will have 4 months more practical, on the job experience which is what the employers and the job market REALLY consider both for hiring and higher pay points. The only reason there are 540 hr trucking courses around is so these schools can be government loan eligible and be able to charge you $11,000...dont waste your time in class....get to work and rack up the real golden ticket, driving experience. Check out your local unemployment office for WIA funds to have your entire course paid for, thats what I did.

 

I also had experience when I took the 540 hr class. Yes I could have got my class A with the shorter class but I had to do the loan deal. I am happy I did take the longer class as so much had changed since was driving.
Last time I checked on class mates thru school I was the only one to go thru and get my class A rest dropped out.

GA you may be right on the teachers at NETTTS but like anybody some are cut out to teach and others are not. Look at guys that get on with a Co. training and their trainer is not a trainer. It has been said some may have only been driving a short time to start with and they took the trainers job for more money and have no right to be trainers.

RR they have the different hour classes for different reasons. As I posted before you can not get a loan with the short class and if you don't have the money to lay out and cant get help what your you going to do? What if you could not of gotten WIA funds what would you have done?
I also tried to help some short class people out on the field and can tell you some needed the longer class or should not have started class and saved their money.
Dave ----

 

Related question if you take the 540 hr will you still get trained at the company or the 540 hr will give you a truck all to yourself out of school.

nevermind http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...hr-vs-540hr-course.290519/page-2#post-4866824 explains it

 

Plenty of schools around here in So Cal for around the $1,800.00 mark, no need to go to those vulture govt student loan schools, only reason they charge that price and are in business. If I wasn't eligible for the WIA funds, this is what I was going to do; work and save up for how ever long I needed to and get maybe a little family/friends help. No contracts, plenty of job leads and can get a decent paycheck coming in asap.

 

160 hour course isn't to teach you how to drive a tractor trailer. It is to only teach you enough to pass a CDL test. Pre trip, parking, and a driving skill, the school will likely take you on the exact route that the test site will take you on. If you're lucky they might throw in a log book/trip planning day of study.