The Cdl School (Miami)

not yet, my CDL has to arrive in mailbox yet. I am now contacting companies and getting information. I also have friends who have 4-5 trucks and need drivers. have to figure out which one I prefer

 

Too bad you don't live in North Carolina. They have a program there that is 350 hours and only costs $205.60. Here is the website. www.sampsoncc.edu/continuing-education/truck-driver-training/index.html

 

You get real thorough training, not only the driving, but everything that goes along with driving. Believe me there is more to driving than just holding a steering wheel.

 

Well let's ask first if you have checked with community colleges in your area to see if they have a program? Most of the private schools want to charge you a lot of money and give you a high interest loan for it. Now you will be deep in debt. They work with these trucking companies to put you under contract for work. Unless you know quite a bit about trucks to start with you will not learn much from a private school. The companies that they contract with give them a truck for their program every now and then kind of like you scratch my back I will scratch yours deal. See the real story is they will give you a crash course on truck driving. I use that phrase lightly. You finish school, go to work with one of their partner companies, they end up sending you home because you didn't pass their orientation skills performance. Now you are still in debt and the school fulfilled their obligation to that company even if you were only there one day before they sent you home. Be very careful signing contracts and accepting loans through these schools.

 

They run teams out of there mostly because of the fruit and produce. Have to get those delivered fresh to the markets so the truck has to constantly move. The main thing for you to do is do the contract time with the company they guaranteed you with so hopefully they are reimbursing your tuition that school charged you. If not try finding a company that will reimburse school tuition so you won't have to carry that debt. Stay there till your tuition is paid back. This will give you time to check out better companies and give you seat time and experience the better companies are looking for. Keep your record clean for the first year and a lot of doors will open for you.

 

I am not sure exactly what a "road train member" is but do you really think someone who knows absolutely nothing about driving a truck can learn enough in 160 hours to safely operate a truck on the highway? If you know anything about these 160 hour programs the first week is sitting behind a computer studying to get their permit to drive, then a week in the classroom, then range work for a week learning the Cdl test procedures they have to do to get their cdls, and then maybe, if they are lucky, may get 5 actual hours behind the wheel of a truck. I worked for one for a short time and just could not believe what I was seeing. I had to quit that job because I had trouble sleeping at night knowing I was part of putting these steering wheel holders on the road amongst the motoring public.

 

Unless someone has severe learning disabilities, 160 hrs. is plenty. Alexander2234 is a smart guy; I can tell by reading his posts. He won't be a steering wheel holder. The CDL school I went to was only 10 days and I didn't have any problems. The only problem Alexander 2234 has right now is choosing which company he wants to drive for; after that he's good to go. I'm a long time veteran driver and I have faith in these new drivers. They're as good as many of the old timers out there speeding through construction zones, tail gating, cutting other drivers off, road rage,etc. Driving trucks isn't that difficult; most of it is just common sense.