The New FFE Driver Academey

THANKS SO MUCH. i am just so nervous because of all the things i have now read about the school..lol seems the main idea is to "FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS"...ok got it i can do that..looking forward to being there next week. and i like free food!

 

haha thanks ipogsd. yep really been nervous today and yesterday. i know i can do this, jeez i already have class b and i took the class a test with doubles & triples a couple months ago and passed. thanks again ya'll.... see you next week!

 

I think the average is about 30 to 40. The class that started on July 9th had 27 at 7am, and for some unknown reason went down to 24. I think some of that was because some people already had CDL's and got there too early.

I just want to say that this school does NOT just kick people out without giving them NUMEROUS chances for redemption. Anyone who reads all 272 pages of this thread will hear stories about people who are kicked out because they can't back or because they grind gears. People might post that they got kicked out for that reason, but the fact is that there is much more that went in to the decision to let someone go. If the stories in this thread were all true, this class should have been cut in half by 8am the second day.

If you come here because you want this, you will succeed. If you don't want this, you will fail. It's that simple.

If you know you are coming to this school, study the Texas CDL manual NOW. Don't wait until you get here; you won't have enough time. The permit tests are a little harder than you might think, and you will want to pass them all on the first try so you can get in the truck on Thursday morning.

I plan to post much more info later, but here is some information that you might want to know now.

The permit costs $61 for an out-of-state resident who has never had a Texas license at all. Some people were charged $72, but I don't know why. Plan on bringing $72, but it might cost less. The Texas DPS DOES take credit cards, money orders, checks, cashier checks and cash. When you arrive at the DMV there might be a large line waiting outside, but things move quickly. They might take an out-of-state check, but I am not sure.

You need to take FIVE written tests in order to get your CDL. When you arrive at the DMV you will get a number and wait. The first process is to get you in the system, take your picture and verify your documents. Then, you will take TWO computerized, written tests. The first test is your permit test (Chapter 14 in the manual) and the second is the combination vehicle test (Chapter 6). You MUST pass both of those tests to get your permit. If you pass both then you get another number and wait again. The second time you will pretty much go through the same routine you did the first time with the documents, but you will take 3 more tests. These 3 are tests are for general knowledge, air brakes, and pre-trip inspection. If you pass all of the tests, you start driving on Thursday. If you don't pass all 5, you go back again on Thursday morning to retake what you failed.

You should not pay $61 all at once. I had to because they had several new trainees who did not know what they were doing. At first, you should have to pay about half of the $61. Then, once you pass the first two tests, you pay again which brings the total to $61. If they ask you to pay the $61 all at once, tell them to get a supervisor because they are doing it wrong. It was a mess trying to straighten out what the first clerk did by mistake.

There really is much more information I could share, but I will do so in a subsequent post.

The MOST IMPORTANT information I can share is this. If you know you are coming here, don't put yourself in a hole by waiting until you get here to start reading the manual. Do it NOW. No, don't do it tomorrow; do it now. Really.

One last thing. OK, two last things. Follow instructions and remember that parking brakes, spring brakes and emergency brakes are the same #### thing.

 

Ditto what Roadrunner said. (I'm here with him).

 

My Class started on the 24th of June with 37 people and finished on the 9th wIth 13 they don't don't play games Thier serious about this but TheTrainers are great do what they ask haveA good aTtitude and you'll do fine good luck to you

 

Thanks for all the info, I left out I'm coming in with a CDL so I guess thats why I'm starting on Thurs the 26th instead of Mon the 23nd so that should take some of the stress out. I can see why the first 3 days must be a stressful cramming session to get your permit within their time frame and be able to start driving by day 4. They must have their own way they want you to do a pre-trip so I don't know if studying the way I was taught will help me are not,the cola test is pretty straight forward so that should be about the same.

 

G.O.A.L.- Get Out And Look. do it every time, do it more then once!

left the bridgeview yard a couple days ago. a driver was sitting in his brand new 2013 cascadia waiting for the wrecker to come and take his truck to the shop because some noobstick backed a trailer into his driver side door. ripped the mirror off and punched holes into the door skin.

that driver will not be earning anything for the next few days while he waits on repairs. i hope he doesnt have any bills that are due because breakdown pay isn't much.


don't want to sound mean, but i hope that noob got himself a bus ticket home!


all he had to do was GOAL. he chose to ignore what the academy trained him to do and the end result is someone else pays the price by sitting without a dispatch. remember, if your wheels arent turning, you're not earning.

only bright side to this is that no one was hurt.

Remember your training! Get Out And Look!

 

Hello all I want to thank you for the great information you are all giving. My fiance is about to give birth to our daughter in about two weeks. I am wanting to go to truck driving school after the gets back on her feet. Definately by August 2012. I was wondering if you all could give me some advice besides starting to study for the Texas cdl tests. Thank You by the way. I would appreciate all the advice and help. FFE is top on my list right now for school.

 

I plan on providing a very detailed description of this school once I get on the road with my trainer. Since I am still here, I realized it might not be wise to make comments on a daily basis since it is clear that they do read this forum. I will take the opportunity now to say that I have no complaints whatsoever. If you want a CDL, this is the place to come.

Some people have been sent home already, but it was because they could not pass all their CDL written tests by today, or they were late to class and failed their tests and had a bad attitude. No one has been sent home because they could not back or parallel park right away. It is very possible that might change after this weekend, but there are still two full days left to practice. The instructors have made it clear that they do not want perfection. They want safe drivers who can pass the CDL. Perfection will come with experience.

 

Windmillbill, another Michigander! I've taken off on my sled many, many times from the Club 37 staging area.

Are you sure you want to be hitting the road with a newborn at home? You know you won't be home for a minimum of 2 months, right? I would do some serious soul searching on that my friend.