I met with Manual the owner who gave me the lowdown on the course.
To his surprice I actually showed up to attend the class.
I just wanted the standard license with the endorsements.
I did not need their help passing the written exam. There are free on line sample questions.
Bill was the head instructor. A very jovial individual. A pleasure to be around. He covered the first week and the permit process.
The second through the forth week was at their Yard in Modesto driving.
The first thing I noticed was that all but one of the 2-3 instructors could say nothing negative about this Central Refrigerated Service. I later found that they were the sponsors of the program. Who is now demanding $3000 from me.
The one instructor Monte, who spoke out and said he never mad that kind of money driving truck or he would be doing it now. He was also their mechanic. I found he had been fired for his speaking the truth.
A second instructor was named Manual. I noticed that he would ride on some of the students backs all day long. I also noticed they were the white students. Then one day it came my turn. I was asked by the third instructor, the top yard instructor to review initial my report status sheets. This guy Manual comes up to me and starts Yanking on my chain saying you are not to look at the student reports! I stood confused as the other instructor handed me the reports to sign. I let it go at that.
Later in the day he came up to me and yelled move that car from the instructor parking area. What instructor Parking area I said??? He continued yack yack yack jack yack,. Until I had enough and told him I saw him do this to those other 3 students and I would not stand for it now or ever! I said I will go right down to the owner also named Manual if I heard even the slightest of this bull while I am here. I was put on report by the instructor. By the way I was told to park ther by another instructor as there was not more parking elsewhere.
Durring My last week there there was a latino fellow who was just not cutting it with the backing routine. When it was my turn, I told him to go ahead and keep practacing, the truck was diaganal across the parking area. He became highly abusive saying I do not tell him what to do! Like I care if he passes or not, just trying to be a nice guy.
I later found from another spanish speaking strudent who I befriended that this guy was threatening to go to the trunk of his car and get a machete and a shot gun and do me in. He said the instructor Manual also heard this as well and also spoke spanish. He told no one , but watched to see what might happen next.
I had no idea of what imediate danger I was in just by being there.
There was a few days left to train but when I heard this i chose not to return after finding this out. This was too crazy for me and my family actually prefers me alive.
On my last day there I took both Manual the owner and the head instructor Bill aside. I told them that I could surviver on $40,000 a year as they had promissed I would make, but anything less would be financially desasterous to me and my family.
They both said this is what the pay and Bill said this was the minimun I would easily make more.
This turned out to be false. After 6 months with central refrigerated my gross income was less than $10,000 and I was in financial ruin. My credit, may credit cards, my home were all in jeopardy. Debt collectors calling at all hours.
I was forced to leave Central Refrigerated Service as I could not pay my basic bills.
This is the experience I had. Other may have had a differant one.![]()
Truck Drivers Academy Salida CA
Discussion in 'Trucking Schools and CDL Training Forum' started by LoveToDriveThatTruck, Jul 1, 2012.