Things veterans should know about new drivers training.

Well, I graduated from the infamous school of Swift, and most of what discussed here about CDL Mills is true. I do not think a couple "months" with a trainer are enough, as it's really just a couple weeks then teaming to make the trainer money.

I got lucky, one trainer had 30 plus years of experience, the other had over 10, both came from another company that Swift bought and got their training the old fashioned way. Still, even with their help, by the time I finished training I was like a baby compared to how I am now, and I'm not even that good.

The biggest things I learned from back then that stuck with me is how to run my ### off, keep my hours up, and dodge scales, otherwise I've changed what kind of Trucking I do and I'm completely different about everything. I've learned most of what I know the hard way, and the biggest difference now compared to then is my mentality about pretty much everything.

It's really not their fault that they're basically retarded, although it is their fault if they refuse to learn or get help. Experience itself will make it better, but honestly I just got lucky and didn't die, get blacklisted, or kill someone before I figured it out.

Honestly I'm pretty sure that's what the mega companies are after, and endless supply of ####### steering wheel holders just good enough not to total a truck and to keep their expenses low while they drive rates down to squeeze out everyone else.

 

That’s just stupid.
How many people can afford to take off work for 20 weeks to learn to drive a truck?
Or work a job and go to school in their off time?
You could have passed the CDL test, went out with a trainer and been earning a paycheck within 4 weeks instead of 20...
Plus even after your 20 weeks most companies will still put you with another driver to teach you the basics.

 

LOl My training consisted of reading the manual and passing the written test. That is right, no driving test to this day. I have had to take the written test a couple of times since, when changing from NM to Tx and when the cdl came about. When I changed to Ak, I had to take the written test for autos, they recognized my cdl, but had to know I could drive a prius. lol
I never had anybody even show me how to drive, shift or anything else about a truck, how to secure a load or anything else.
This is how it went, drinking coffee before we started work, the lowboy driver had quit over the weekend and the boss, said he sure had to find someone with a commercial license quick. I had worked there before, but this was my first day back, and they were talking about me learning to run a laydown machine, as that operator had also quit.
I knew I wouldn't care much for working with asphalt, so when he mentioned truck. I told him I do have a license, he ask if I had driven a truck, and I said no diesel ones, but had driven gas trucks on the farm.
Pretty much here is the keys, JB will ride over with you to show you where the lay down machine is, load it and take it here. lol JB did I guess give me a test drive, but he was not a driver either.
The school of hard knocks began pulling a 50 ton lowboy in the Houston metro area at age 19, back in the 70's and continues to this day. So far have never had a preventable anything on my record, which is something the way I started.

 

Federal funding requires 640 hours?
Wow.

 

That is what the school claims. I don't doubt them either, I'm willing to be if they could make it shorter they definitely would.

I'm collected BAH because I'm using the GI Bill, so for me, it works out fine. They have a 30 week night course that is 4 hours a day though. Maybe it comes from my military days, but I like having as much training as possible. I know I could have gone to a school that would get me one in a week.