Smith & Solomon?

Your story is pretty common of the people who went there when they tell me the same thing. It seems that big trade schools in general make the students fight to get an education. All of the people that went there that I know told me that it was a ripp off to go to s and s. By the way, as I mentioned before, I saved a lot of money by doing it on a contract basis. I self studied all of the written tests and then used that online cdl quiz dot com place to make sure that I would pass.

 

About S&S- my bf was there last year and there were many people failing the CDL test and coming back to the yard. Since S&S kept taking more students on and student weren't passing and leaving the school it got pretty crowded but still my bf made in it and out of there in a few months because he took his time in the yard seriously and didn't take the test until he was sure he could pass and passed on the first try.

Yeah, it's not right for S&S to keep taking students, over crowding their yard and limiting drive time but most companies aren't going to turn down the money no matter what. They don't care who passes or fails, who get careers for themselves and who don't, they just want your $$. By the way - S&S was just under $3000 last year when my bf went and Werner reimburses you $100 a month so if you stay with Werner 2 1/2 years they'll have paid for your schooling.

The teachers in S&S were knowledgeable. Your time in the yard is what you make of it and people can get out of there within a few months if they are patient and dedicated.

Those people that were failing repeatedly - most of them took the classes as a joke and wanted to fail so they could keep collecting benefits without ever really getting a job. It's an unfair loophole.

And yes S&S's job placement is pretty much Werner and Swift. My bf chose Werner and has been OTR with them almost a year with none of the horror stories you often hear about. Werner may even promote him to being a trainer this year which means more new experiences to put on a resume and more money.

Eventually he'll get out Werner but not because we hate the company but because he'd like more time with his family and friends.

 

One of my twins went to SS in Linden 1 year ago.He went for 3 months on Sat&Sun, and passed test 1st try,currently driving local for a beer distributer.His brother is currently attending Mon-Thurs. (cost $2500) been there 2 months complains there are too many students,not enough trucks/instructors,hoping to test in june but they're telling him they are backed up and he has to wait till july,getting frustrated but not much he can do at this point.

 

whosedog, tell your child to keep the faith about training some of the people will leave during the day so he should get more reps in which is the key. the trainers will help you when you ask. as far as the testing does he have a test date? if not if he will show the trainers he can pass all of the tests they should get him a test date. the sooner the better obviously.

 

Almost all trade schools operate as a business. You have to push the instructors to help you or you are flat out of luck. This trade school nonsense is nothing new, I knew a woman who went to one of these beauty schools and she said that is was overcrowded and the kids would drop out and not go in discust. But because she was so focused, and older, she made them teach her and she got her license. I had another friend that I knew in Las Vegas go to a slot machine repair school. He said that most of the people dropped out and only 5 people stayed and graduated and he was one of them. When it came to the lifetime placement they promised him, they would hang the phone up on him every time he called. But because he was such a pest, when river boat gambling came about, the school called him when they got the companies asking for people. So he left Vegas and moved to the midwest.

I did my training at Winsor down the road by contract. I had to push them to show me things like the pretrip because the instructors wanted to me keep practice driving. Even the airbrake test had to be shown due to me pushing them. But its ok, because I know better, I have a college degree and I am certified as a business teacher for secondary school. But take a young person and they hear all of the complaining and they may become discouraged.

 

S & S are a F**king joke PERIOD! Its only because your B.F. was persistent and kept fighting his way thru the B.S. that he got his training at S&S (a credit to him), it doesn't have to be that way at all!

The owner over at Windsor was not a pleasant person to deal with HOWEVER, he did NOT deal with the idiots who where there to "milk the system" he was only interested in people who actually wanted to learn how to drive a Tractor Trailer - the others he just kicked their ### to the curb which I appreciated since I was working hard to learn a trade.

I was there 4 weeks and drove EVERYDAY, ALL DAY! No waiting, no #########! I passed my Road Test first time out with no issues as we actually drove in "real-life" situations (garbage runs to and from Secaucus, Newark, Harrison and Elizabeth N.J.) and yes, you windup doing work for the guy for free but guess what? YOU LEARN HOW TO DRIVE A F**KING RIG!

Avoid S&S like the plague if you want to learn how to drive for a living!

 

What I really liked about Winsor was that the instructors walk in the yard giving you advice while you drive the course. The only thing that I didnt like was the owner seems to be letting the place fall apart. Some of those trucks need some serious repair.

 

whichever school you go to,you get out of it what you put in to it, I passed my test the first time with s&s and lots of companies that I applied to recognize the school,even out here in the midwest. no matter where you trained if you dont pass your testing with a company that is trying to employ you all that training means nothing. you still have to perform when its time.I do agree that s&s needs more trucks so drivers to get more reps though.

 

I passed my test also first time.Only because i had prior exp in trucking i was able to pass and get out in 200 hrs.The other 5 in my class failed and failed.I got a total of maybe 3 hrs drive time in 200 hrs.I was told in so many words others need the time because they been here longer.3 hrs is a joke for drive time.Not a thing i could do about that.(You get out of it what you put in to it) is a catchy phase.But reality is a diffrent story dealing with a School that wants to line its pockets with state money every monday.From my exp there most wanted in and out of the school,they had familys to support and didnt have times for games.Like i said before there are many other better schools.Just all were booked when i tried for them.

 

is your bf still attending the school ?