Western Iowa Tech

I went through the Western Iowa Tech Community College Trucking School recently. I got nothing but good things to say for the most part. Before they allow you into the school you have to get your CDL Permit with Air Brakes tests done. Get preapproval letter by a employer (Werner for example), Get your physical and drug tests done, 85 dollars for books and supplies, and of course pay the $2850. Ask about a DOT grant because they usually have them available and saves you 2850. Its not restricted to Iowa residents and they are not linked to any employer so you don't have to work for anyone because of the grant. Course goes for four weeks, 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday with Saturday being a half day where you are exclusively driving. They are very understanding if you have to work but you got to be there in order to get what you need to know how to drive a truck.

This course is simple and if you are there every day, listen to instructors, and put effort into it. You will pass your skills tests with ease and be on the road with a employer.

First few days of the class they will have you read the book you bought and have you do the questions at the end of each chapter. They power drive this part of the course but doesn't mean you should slack on it and not do it. He will have you do chapters 1-9 for Monday, 10-18 for Tuesday for example. He will score the questions at the end of each chapter and uses the honor system on reporting what you have missed. He does powerpoint about each chapter and a video. He will want you to rotate through the simulator so you will know the basics of shifting before you get on the road.

Depending on how fast you go through the book, they will take you out driving for the first time. Will take ya south of Sioux City to Luton Road, a good section of 2 lane paved road that's very flat and long with very little or any traffic. They will talk you through on what you need to do and you have to listen and keep the truck in your lane. Only big downside of WIT is that there equipment is SubPar because it has been beaten up by first time students so much. The shifter is so stretched and you will have trouble shifting in and out of 2/7 (Eaton 10 Speed) and when you go up to 4/9 you can jam your hand on the dash. Not the instructors fault, the administration at the school don't value what you drive. They can spend 5 million dollars to pave the entire area where you work on the skills box, but they can not fund newer model truck/trailer for the students to use. Newest truck they got is a Blue 2005 Volvo Semiautomatic that they people who are practicing the skills box use.

After a 2-3 days of people driving the truck up and down luton road and learning how to upshift and downshift, they will take you into traffic and start working on turns IN Sioux City, you will learn quickly but the instructors will not have you do something they know you can't do. So if someone in the truck is still having a hard time grasping some of the concepts. They will have you drive to Pierson, LeMars, Hwy 20 through Nebraska, Akron, etc. If you do not listen, you do not put effort into this course. You will fail this course. If you do not meet the minimum requirements of the course you will fail the course and if on a grant you will have to pay the 2850.

After the first two weeks you will be doing driving, skills box, and simulator. With a occasional recruiter coming in. He will also assign trips(mandatory). Where you figure out everything, miles, fuel, weight, weight stations you hit fill out the driving log with it.(theoretical)You will learn how to read a map old school. You will fill out DVIRs and Driving Log Book Everyday. You will do a pre-trip every morning so you know what to say and where to say it when you take the skills test. They will show you how to put on snow chains on. You will go over scenarios while you are driving and get tips how when you should do what and when and what to watch for. The dot will come over and do your examination, one at a time you will go through each skills test and if you listened to your instructors. You will be a good driver and pass the test.

Only thing I did not care for while doing this course is the people that are lazy or don't care. They will hold you up and make you drive through the country on long straight roads while you want to keep driving in town. You will have Somalians from South Sioux that are terrible drivers in a car, you can only imagine how bad they are in a truck. We had two in our class and one was a awesome guy that I liked alot and was a GREAT driver. The other was bad and didn't listen worth a ####. But you talk to the instructors and they will tell you, for every five of the Somalians that come through the class. There are four that are downright terrible and won't listen to the instructor.

If anyone has any questions on what I experienced at this school, I would be more than willing to share.

And just in case some of you think this is a recruiting for the school. I am not. But I will recommend the school to anyone who wants to learn on how to be a truck driver. I am not and never was employed by WIT either.