Review: SEC Training Centers (Flowood/Jackson, MS)

Written exclusively for the Trucking Truth Community

SEC TRAINING CENTERS Flowood, MS (Jackson Metro Area)

This school has been around for a long time. If I remember correctly, I was told it originally opened in 1986. Over the years it has experienced some financial woes. Due to severe mismangement of funds, it has gone under a couple of times and is currently owned by Antonelli College. However, if you are looking for an afforable school to obtain a CDL , some good instruction behind the wheel of a big rig, as well as a litney of companies to choose from once you graduate, you may want to consider this school.

COST:

1>Self-Pay: If you are paying in Cash/Check/Money Order the cost of tution in $2800. This includes the cost of your permit, DOT physical and CDL license upon graduation. This does not include lodging. (I will discuss lodging later).

2>Grant: One-time grant from the State. Cost goes up to $3600. Whether you take the lodging provided by the school or not. They will charge you every dime of the grant money.

3>Loan: The cost starts from $4300 and goes up from there. Lodging is included, but you are going to pay for it.

4>Company Sponsored: While I was there, I knew of only two company sponsored students. One of them was from a local trucking company headquartered in Richland, MS. The other's company was the one out of Salt Lake (hint, hint). The Salt Lake company apparently had shelled out $7500 for this student to be trained. (I will cover more one this later)

LODGING: Fortunately, I had some family friends that allowed me to stay with them during my training. Since school is only Monday thru Thursday, I only needed to stay with them Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night. So, I wasn't too much of a burden and I saved a lot of money on meals this way too. RED ROOF INN (Jackson, MS): If you don't live in or know someone in the immediate area, then lodging is provided and will, essentially, be added onto your tution. Unfortunately, the hotel is in the ghetto. The student cost is only $45 dollars for three nights (Mon-Wed) if you share the room and $90 dollars if you chose not to share a room. However, from what was told to me by my fellow students, the hotel is a roach infested, run down, house-of-filth. One student, whom I was really grateful to get know, from the more southern side of the state, stayed there for the first week of his training and not a single night more. He, fortunately, could afford to stay in a hotel in Flowood. Though he paid over twice as much, he told me the the living conditions at the Red Roof Inn were completely intoloerable and he felt sorry for those that had to endure it. EQUIPMENT & FACILITIES: You will be told by Mr. F that they have top-of-line equpment to train you with. This is not so. Their trucks are junk. This school, even under its collegiate management, doesn't have the money to purchase decent equipment. Now, personally, I didn't mind that because I figured training equipment should be worn out. And why buy new equipment for students to trash anyway? However, don't think you'll be training on state-of-art equipment because you won't be. Some days they will be jumping batteries off all day. It is truly pitiful sometimes. The training yard is dust bowl. It is not paved. On windy days you will literally be covered in, and eating dirt. When it rains, you will be sopping wet and destroying shoes in the mud. They have three canopies on the yard, but this does nothing to prevent the mud from just flat making you upset. Your cars interior will be filthy and full of rocks within the first week of training. Also, because it is a dirt yard, trucks get stuck quite frequently. Mainly, on parallel parking. Also, the bumps in the dirt can throw the trailer any direction at any time. This can be a benefit though because it does make for a greater challenge in trailer manipulation. The classroom and main building are suitable for their purpose.

TRAINING:

This is the one section that will truly define bitter-sweet. First, SEC Training Centers advertises a 200 hour course over five weeks. Even when you call the number on their website and talk to the admissions officer, Mr. F (real names will be withheld), he will tell you that the course is “5 Weeks, 200 hours, and you will have a CDL.” For your information, he is willfully lying to you when he says this. It is a very rare occurrence for anyone to graduate with in the 200 hours of instruction. SO BE ADVISED: You will likely spend 7 – 10 weeks at a minimum training before you will be allowed to test for your CDL.

The reasons for this can vary, but the notable ones are below:

One, is that there are only two “yard instructors” who teach the backing manuveurs. Since new classes start every two weeks, the instructor-to-student ratio is ridiculous, some times as high 1:20. Yes, that is right. One instructor for every 20 students. So that means you will get limited attention and time-in-the-trucks practicing manuveurs. (I hear during the warmer months the ratio is far worse) Some days you will literally be there for 9+ hours and only be in a truck for 15 - 30 minutes.

Another reason, and the most important, is that the “yard instructors” are lazy. They are doing the least amount possible to teach you anything. Mr. J is constantly on his phone and is not really concerned, at all, with teaching you something you'll eventually figure out on your own over the next ten weeks. Mr. T will teach you more than Mr. J, but not very well either.

The fact is that both the yard instructors are lazy and not very forthright individuals.

Why they are allowed to get paid for overtly avoiding the work they are paid for? Well, use your imagination, it is Jackson, MS, right?

Week 1

This week of instruction is to prepare for your permit test. Mr. F in admissions will tell you, “If you show up with a permit, you get a 50 hour credit.” This is another lie. They will use this so-called credit the way they see fit. I even spoke with the school president who told me to my face that my credit did not apply to the traing time, but only kept me from going to the permit class the first week. How they can call it a credit for hours is beyond me. Just expect to be longer than they originally tell you.

Day 1: You will be DOT drug tested on the morning you arrive at the school. Do not show up at this school with drugs in your system.

DOT Physical: Later in the week you will go to the MEA clinic in Pearl, MS to have a DOT Physical done and get your medical card.

Ms. K conducts this class. If you want something done, get on her good side. DO NOT make this lady dislike you.

Week 2 - ? (who knows how long):

Straight-line Backing: This is where the poor instruction will begin to manifest. I have literally seen students on Staright-line for a week because Mr. J is too busy on his phone to teach and could careless about truly instructing you on how to accomplish this manuveur.

Any trucker will tell you that straight-line backing is very important and that it requires you to use your mirrors. So why in the world an instructor would be standing in front of the truck pointing the direction you should be turning your wheel, when you should be watching your mirrors, is beyond me as well.

Log book/Trip planning: At some point in week two Ms. K will conduct this class.

Offset Backing: Same instructor as straight-line. Same Approach. Same BS.

Parallel Parking: Same instructor. Same Approach. Both sighside and blindside. This manuveur is where you are really going to get frustrated. Instead being taught how manipulate the trailer within the box or how to correct your mistakes, Mr. J is going to yell at you like a child. Expect to get more help from fellow students on this manuveur than you will receive from the yard instructors.

90 degree/Alley Dock: When I finally made it to this manuvuer, I was left there for 2 1/2 days without instruction. Another student and myself just tried our best to figure this one out. I finally asked for help from the main on-the-road instructor. I am thankful he took the time to explain the approach to this manuvuer. Again, knowing how to correct your approach is paramount on this manuveur.

Road Instruction: Here is where the money is worth it. Mr. E is the main on-the-road instructor. He is the man. You will train on a 10-speed and he is going to put you in some very interesting driving enviroments during the course of this week. You will drive rural, suburban, inner-city, downtown Jackson and on the Interestate. By the time he is done with you, you will possess the skills necessary and be confident in your ability to drive a tractor w/semi-trailer. DO NOT argue with him. He knows what his job is and how to do it.

Final Road Instrcution: Mr. G and/or Mr. D handle this part. It is simply to further develop and refine your road skills to prepare you for the CDL driving exam. Both instructors are fully compotent and worth their salt. There is no reason you should fail on-the-road by the time these guys have completed their instruction. When you make it to this point, you will most likely test that week.

SUMMARY:

Pros: 1> You will get your CDL no matter how long it takes.

2> There are two thrid-party testers at the school that will test you and keep you from having to deal with scheduling at the DMV. BE ADVISED: They take their testing very seriously. You will be graded according to state guidelines.

3> Affordable. I chose this route because I, personally, didn't want to be obligated to one company.

4> Recruiting. There are so many companies that hire graduates from this school that is is not possible for me to list them. But I assure you that if you do not get a job in trucking after you graduate, it is YOUR own fault. Recruiters from various companies are there two or three times a week and they want you to drive for them.

5>Mr. D and Mr. E really do want to see you succeed. Do all you can to learn everything possible from these individuals.

Cons:

1>You will be lied to. It doesn't take long to realize that something is very wrong in management.

2>You will be treated poorly and with disrepect at times. Deal with this since you can't do anything about anyway.

3>You will not be allowed to use your phone on the yard (You can bet Mr. J won't get off his). Not really that big of a deal. However, most recruiters leave the office before you are released for the day. So, expect to spend your lunch hour handling any personal business.

4>Lousy Backing and Parking instructors. They are lazy and they don't care to properly train you. Also, they will blame you for not being smart enough to figure out what they aren't willing to teach you.

5>Equipment and Facilities are mediocre/sub-par.

6>If you fail your Pre-trip/Skills/Driving test, you will made to wait a week before you can test again. This is not a requirement of the state, but a policy of the school. The state requires you wait a week only after failing two consecutive tests. My Only Real Complaint:

On a personal note. I was dissappointed that the management doesn't care to live up to their advertising 5 weeks/200 hours. I showed up with a permit so I was left with the impression I would be there for 4 weeks. I attended for 6 weeks.

Also, while I was there, that company from Salt Lake I mentioned earlier, had a nice 8-speed on campus for students who trained at SEC for that company. Everyone was testing out in it. Well, I don't know what went wrong, but that company decided to retrieve their truck the very week I was supposed to test out in it. What I do know, is the student I mentioned earlier that the Salt Lake company shelled out $7500 for had been there since September of last year and still had not graduated yet. (She was still there when I graduated, I was only there 6 weeks, she was going on 6 months) In my opinion, in the school's defense, she should have never been there in the first place. Trucking is not for everyone.

Either way, the only other test worthy truck there was broken. We found that out within five minutes of taking it out for our first day of the Final Road Instruction (on a Monday morning). The school eventually took it to a shop but we didn't get it back until mid-day that Thursday. I got to practice the manuvuers in this truck in this order the afternoon before my test:

Straightline: 1 time.

Off-Set: 1 time each lane

Parallel Parking: 1 time each side.

90 degree/Alley Dock: About 6 tries and couldn't do it. Kept coming in to earlier/tight.

Also, I drove this truck for maybe 20 minutes total. The problem was that I was scheduled to test on that Friday. The truck has an automatic transmission. I had been training on manual transmissions since I started. The acceleration (no clutch control), turning radius, and trailer placement on the 5th wheel was all different. Nothing felt the same. The truck and trailer didn't react the way I was accustomed to.

That Friday I pointed-out on my manuveuing-skills test in a truck I had only spent maybe 30 minutes or so in. Needless, to say I wasn't happy about it because I would have to wait a week to test again.

It is not that I blame the school. My failing that test is ultimately my own fault. However, I had voiced concerns earlier in my training about that 8-speed manual being available for my examination because there were rumors floating around that the company was going to take the truck away. Instead of getting riled-up, I decided to approach management and inquire about the validity of the rumors. I was told by more than one individual that the truck would be there for my examination. But sure enough, I came to school the Monday morning of my test week to find that truck was gone. Moreover, the one I was now supposed to test in brokedown and I got virtually no real practice with it.

I did pass the following week.

But the fact is, and my only real complaint, I don't like it when grown men look me in the eye and lie to me.

Repost of Original Post: Fixed Format. Also, I apologize for any grammatical or spelling errors. I hope this gives prospective students a idea of what they will experience at SEC.

Written exclusively for the Trucking Truth Community

SEC TRAINING CENTERS Flowood, MS (Jackson Metro Area)

This school has been around for a long time. If I remember correctly, I was told it originally opened in 1986. Over the years it has experienced some financial woes. Due to severe mismangement of funds, it has gone under a couple of times and is currently owned by Antonelli College. However, if you are looking for an afforable school to obtain a CDL , some good instruction behind the wheel of a big rig, as well as a litney of companies to choose from once you graduate, you may want to consider this school.

COST:

1>Self-Pay: If you are paying in Cash/Check/Money Order the cost of tution in $2800. This includes the cost of your permit, DOT physical and CDL license upon graduation. This does not include lodging. (I will discuss lodging later).

2>Grant: One-time grant from the State. Cost goes up to $3600. Whether you take the lodging provided by the school or not. They will charge you every dime of the grant money.

3>Loan: The cost starts from $4300 and goes up from there. Lodging is included, but you are going to pay for it.

4>Company Sponsored: While I was there, I knew of only two company sponsored students. One of them was from a local trucking company headquartered in Richland, MS. The other's company was the one out of Salt Lake (hint, hint). The Salt Lake company apparently had shelled out $7500 for this student to be trained. (I will cover more one this later)

LODGING:

Fortunately, I had some family friends that allowed me to stay with them during my training. Since school is only Monday thru Thursday, I only needed to stay with them Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night. So, I wasn't too much of a burden and I saved a lot of money on meals this way too.

RED ROOF INN (Jackson, MS): If you don't live in or know someone in the immediate area, then lodging is provided and will, essentially, be added onto your tution. Unfortunately, the hotel is in the ghetto. The student cost is only $45 dollars for three nights (Mon-Wed) if you share the room and $90 dollars if you chose not to share a room.

However, from what was told to me by my fellow students, the hotel is a roach infested, run down, house-of-filth. One student, whom I was really grateful to get know, from the more southern side of the state, stayed there for the first week of his training and not a single night more. He, fortunately, could afford to stay in a hotel in Flowood. Though he paid over twice as much, he told me the the living conditions at the Red Roof Inn were completely intoloerable and he felt sorry for those that had to endure it.

EQUIPMENT & FACILITIES:

You will be told by Mr. F that they have top-of-line equpment to train you with. This is not so. Their trucks are junk. This school, even under its collegiate management, doesn't have the money to purchase decent equipment. Now, personally, I didn't mind that because I figured training equipment should be worn out. And why buy new equipment for students to trash anyway? However, don't think you'll be training on state-of-art equipment because you won't be. Some days they will be jumping batteries off all day. It is truly pitiful sometimes.

The training yard is dust bowl. It is not paved. On windy days you will literally be covered in, and eating dirt. When it rains, you will be sopping wet and destroying shoes in the mud. They have three canopies on the yard, but this does nothing to prevent the mud from just flat making you upset. Your cars interior will be filthy and full of rocks within the first week of training.

Also, because it is a dirt yard, trucks get stuck quite frequently. Mainly, on parallel parking. Also, the bumps in the dirt can throw the trailer any direction at any time. This can be a benefit though because it does make for a greater challenge in trailer manipulation.

The classroom and main building are suitable for their purpose.