Special Alert!!! Truck Driving Schools

In response of warning people to stay away from CDI/TDI, I disagree with you. They have been training drivers since 1973. They are very good at what they do (at least the one in Richburg, SC) is. They actually care about their students and work with them any way they can to insure that they not only complete the school, but that they go to work, also. I feel like they deserve a fair chance and to say that all schools affiliated with the one in Tennesee are the same and to warn people to stay away is a grave injustice to the ones that are not bad. I feel that in this case, that you should maybe only warn against the school that had the complaint and not all of their schools. I wouldn't be driving today if it weren't for them!

 

I'm not sure I know who you are talking about but there is another school in Tampa (they also have one in Columbus) that is similar. It's the reason I decided to drive 3 hours to a different school and pay for a motel room to stay at instead of driving 90 minutes to Tampa.

I asked the recruiter who was also a recruiter for Werner, how much "behind the wheel time" would I get. He quickly and proudly answered '50 hours! Best in the business!'. At the time I didn't know if that was a true statement or not but I then asked the all important follow-up questions: 'Does that include observation time?' and 'how many students per truck?'. He stammered and started flipping some papers on his desk when he answered "Yes I believe it does" to the observation time question. Hello? You BELIEVE it does? He's been at this school for more than a decade and he believes it does. and what's with the paper flipping like he's trying to look up the answer. heh.

He knew at that point I had him nailed. So I did the math and I'm not good at math; 50 hours "behind the wheel" / 10 hours a day = 5 days. Assuming the students are not driving that entire time since you have to do pre-trips and BSin I estimated 8 hours total driving out on the streets. 4 students in a truck / 8 hours driving means you get only 2 hours a day of actually driving the truck. The other 6 hours you watch someone else drive.. joy. 2 hours per day x 5 days. Wow a whole 10 hours of actual street driving. This doesn't include range time or backups. Its a joke. And yeah you pay 6k for that. Sure they can get you a job, with Werner and Werner will be happy to pay your tuition if you sign with them for more than a year.

This could be common for a lot of schools. I don't know but its bordering on a scam or so called cdl mill to me.

Redneck is right, they're just going to teach you enough to pass the test.

Your mileage may vary

 

Redneck;

I appreciate your help, as far as trucking, I worked for a company that we owned our own trucks, I was high up in management, so I know about the logs books. I also to asked the magical question of how many driving, not observing hours, and was told 40 hours actual drive time.

I will go back and take my test, but what about the examiners, do you really think they will give me a fair chance. When I completed my preliminary road test, I only had 15 points, which for a new driver, not bad?

 

They have guidlines they have to follow, it is setup by the state. Usually someone that HAS NEVER been inside a truck.
You should ask if possible can you go back out and drive one more time before you take your test. A school that I worked as a driving instructor did this, but it may not be that way at your school.

I am not to sure how close the DOT would even look at a truck driving school's logs... this is probably something required by the school in order for them to recieve grants and thing's.
Well whatever you learned in school or at your other job (in management) you might as well forget it on the logging aspect because the company you decide to go with will have a different way they want it done you can be sure of that.
No 2 company's log the same way in general yes they do but not in specifics.

Ok understandable about being nervous just try to relax do you smoke? Have a cig before you get in the truck. Walk around a bit you need to relax. I had to test with a Kentucky State Trooper riding with me.

If the examiner get's in your way the next time just stop and tell him to move as you need the mirrior to complete the turn.

Good Luck Be Safe!

 

Isn't that kind of funny that when you call Werner, your schooling is through R-master? I wonder what kind of funds go through this company, I know they do get sponsor ship of trucks, and also when you sign up for financing, they also have you sign a form from Werner stating they can take out $150.00 each month should you go to work for them? That is very strange. I wish I would have done more research. Well I will do my final test on Friday, get my license, but I won't be driving for any companies affliated with R-master.

 

Thats probably a good thing also.... search a good company out and go with them.

 

I could be mistaken and the reason I didn't mention it before but I thought the r-master recruiter said r-master was Werner's training school that had expanded to what it is today. I really didn't pay too much attention to him after he fumbled his "behind the wheel" answers.

 

In Alabama, Central Alabama Community College offers a six-week course at both the Alexander City campus and in Childersburg, with one instructor and one tractor-trailer at each location. The Childersburg site is a better choice for the student because that campus has a training site on the lot of Floyd and Beasley Transfer in Sycamore. ​

The College owns two 1991 conventional Peterbilts with Cat power and Eaton 9 speeds pulling 48' dry vans. The trucks came to CACC from the state when another CDL school went out of business. They each have about 250k miles on them and are in fair condition for training vehicles. ​

The tuition cost for the course is $2000, which has been reduced from $2500 in recent months. This figures to $20 an hour for instruction, more or less. Up until yesterday, each instructor was an experienced driver.

CDI operates a "school" in the Oxford/Anniston area and their fees are $6000 for three weeks. We had a student from that "school" join us after three days there. He described the training as "the instructor just sat there and asked us if we had any questions. Then he told us to take a break. This went on all day." That "school" is sponsored by Swift and other companies.

For our tests, we had to do the pre-trip inspection, forward stop, the straight line back and the alley dock. Then we drove a 49-mile road test. The forward stop and straight line back was through a 100 foot set of cones and the alley dock was into a 12x12 set of cones. Both instructors were licensed third-party examiners. Both the Alexander City class and our class received our CDL training certificates yesterday. Talk about a bunch of happy campers!

Our instructors made sure all of us students had a minimum of 500 miles of over the road experience before graduation. Several of us were out making miles during the last week of the course. We made trips all over the state, from Mobile to Phenix City to Birmingham, and drove in rural, urban and expressway lanes in both good and bad weather. The Alexander City class would drive up to our location, or we might rendevous with them somewhere on the road. We were filling out log books from the first day in class until the last.

There's a CDL school in Opelika that has newer trucks and offers good instruction. It's affiliated with a junior or community college and has a good reputation. The tuition cost is unknown.

 

Hey Turbo,
Your information was invaluable plus your insight into this was amazing. Thank you for the endorsement of Schneider National as I intend to attend the Charlotte facility ASAP. I feel better now about my decission to go with Schneider. Also, thanks ALL. Your respect and advice to newbies is usually something you don't see in other fields.

 

The way I look at it is....I did not have this forum to come to back when I started. In other words I wished I would have had expierienced truck drivers to talk to before I jumped in with both feet....

Good Luck to ya! Be Safe! Don't forget to check back in with us and let us know how it is going!