what would you call a cdl mill

That sounds expensive to me but I don't have much to compare with either. My school was $1800 and its a total free for all, there is no one-on-one time unless you get real lucky. There's drive time daily and on the weekends starting at 4 AM (I work during the weeks so can only go on weekends). It might just be me and another guy or 5 other guys - then you really only get < 1 hour of drive time though you might "clock" 4 hours.

 

I have read a great deal about your programs in Canada, it maybe only certain areas of your country, but I have read that most of the schools are run by insurance companies....is that true? I read an article a few years ago in a trucking magazine, that often the insurance companies, interview the students, and then pair them up with a company, I thought Challenger was mentioned in this article are one of the companies that was in this program to aquire new drivers.

 

I'm finishing my second week of a 5 1/2 week AZ course in Ontario that cost $5800. The first week was all classroom instruction for 8hrs every day and covered a lot of material like Hours Of Service, filling out logbooks, truck mechanical systems and components, defensive driving, daily inspections, HAZMAT procedures, etc.

At the start of this week we were out on the truck for 6hrs every day; Monday was learning how to do the "Z" endorsement test and pre-trip inspection, then we bobtailed around the yard until we were familiar with shifting and braking, after which the instructor drove us out to the country and we took turns driving up and down a long, traffic-free stretch of road. Yesterday was learning how to couple/uncouple, straight backing and angle backing a 53' dry van and then more driving out in the country and a bit of city driving at the end. Today was all driving in the city and country. Next week and for the remainder of the course will be all driving, at the end we go do our Road Test – if the nice people down at the Drive Test Centre are back to work from their strike action by then. Once we pass our road test, we have the option to attend a one day Skid School at no extra cost.

I'm paired up with one other student and we've been getting about 2hrs in the driver's seat every day and another hour doing "Z" brake and pre-trip inspections in the yard. The trucks are older but in good condition, we’re on a ’97 Freightliner with a Cummins N-14 and Eaton Fuller 10 speed, while the other three students are on an ’02 Freightliner.

I don’t know if this school is TTSAO certified or not, but it is approved by the Ontario Ministry Of Colleges, Training and Apprenticeship. They have schools in several places across Ontario and do regular placements with large companies like Kriska, Celadon Canada, Schneider’s Canada, Yanke and so on.

 

A CDL mill is any school that takes your money and teaches you how to pass the CDL test and no more. I took a TTSAO class myself here in Hamilton that was 50 hours in class, 40 in truck and 20 hours in the yard. I still feel like I didn't learn enough after having an AZ license (CDL here in canada) job and my school was excellent. Not that I feel they don't do a good job at the school it's just that as a new driver there is SO much to learn.

 

A good exsample of a cdl mill is companies like CR England (I didn't go to school there but did work for them once and had the chance to see the course and the trainee's that came from it) it's a 3 week course and they hardly teach you anything just enough to get your cdl. then throw you to a trainer and expect the truck to run as a team. Some (but not all, I know a bunch of good ones) get in to a solo truck and really still have no idea what they are doing.

 

I took class that was 430 hrs(10wks) Cost today would be 1,655.00 Plus about 90.00 for materials, 90.00 for DOT card exam and 85.00 testing fee (CDL). Lic. costs vary.

I was never in a truck with more than one other person onboard.
Either a instructor, another CDL holder when I had my IP, or when I had my CDL, or a IP holder just because school said gotts have 4 eyes in the truck.

This was NOT a mill! But, I still learn new stuff every day.

My total in class time was 70 hrs. Total range driving and riding with my partner was 32 hrs. Balance of my time was on the street or backing practice either at the school or bumping local docks.

Drove single axle day cabs, tandem day cabs, 60" sleeper, 72 and 76" sleepers, wheel bases up to 265", 9sp,10sp, super 10, 13 sp, auto shift and full auto.
Also, almost 1,000 mi pulling a 40,000 lb trailer to boot.