Would There Be Any Hard Feelings?

Paul, You live in Colorado. Do you haul REEFER?

Now that is funny.

Now that is funny.

Agreed...that is freaking hilarious.

Renegade, I think you'd be going to too much trouble for little advantage. Maybe KLLM had the latest equipment, no waiting for simulator or drive time, with one on one instructors - whatever.

Your goal should be simply to get a CDL. There's another current topic that discusses just how much you learn at each stage of training (barely enough to pass). Being successful at backing is not done on the backing range, it's done in your head. Yes you need to memorize 104 or so pre-trip items. You can start that now (we have that here, too).

Your real training - the part that starts you toward being a million miler - is when you are on the road, on your own.

Why go to a reefer school if you're not going to use the reefer knowledge?

Errol...that makes sense and I guess I just didn't look at it in that prospective.

Renegade...if your desire is for a top notch company that has state of the art equipment and you want to be trained then haul tanker or flat bed, then take a closer look at Prime. I agree that there are many great schools out there. I can personally attest that Prime has to be up there with the best. And, after graduation, you will be able to drive reefer , flat bed, or tanker...your choice. Prime also pays pretty good, even during training...plus they have an incentive to encourage you to drive one of their "light weight" trucks, which you can do or opt to drive a condo. Just a suggestion. I am very satisfied with their training program as well as the company overall. I think Rainy might say the same thing. If you have any questions about them, ask away! Best of luck to you and God Speed my friend!

Paul, You live in Colorado. Do you haul REEFER?

Hahaha I'm gonna have to reuse that one

If I attended KLLM's driving academy and paid my tuition in full after completion do you think they'd hold it against me if I took a job with Averitt Express? The reason I want to attend KLLM's driving academy is because it's state of the art but I don't especially want to haul reefer and that's the majority of their freight. Of all the companies I've researched that fits what I'm looking for in an outfit, Averitt is at the top of my list.

If Averitt doesn't have a training program, they probably won't hire you directly after you finish KLLM's driving academy. Unless you consider KLLM's on-the-road training as part of their academy. Even if that is the case, there may still be issues (more later.)

Be absolutely certain that Averitt understands what you are asking for, because jumping from company to company in your first year can cause you issues. Companies look at that sort of thing. One jump won't raise too many eyebrows. Two jumps, if Averitt releases you because they thought you had finished a full on the road driving program, and you hadn't, would potentially create problems.

Currently, I am driving for Stevens Transport, solo since March. Stevens is 100% reefer, outside their tanker fleet. Stevens also pays first year drivers 30 CPM , and they pay based on zip code miles. I recently had a job offer of 48 CPM, dry van , practical miles from Crete.

I don't owe Stevens any tuition, since I got my CDL with a grant, and could leave them with impunity. Dry van with Crete, based on several drivers I've spoken with have said, is mostly drop and hook , with preloads waiting. The pay is 60% higher per mile, and the same runs would generate more miles as practical miles, as opposed to zip code miles, especially for shorter runs. I could likely double my gross earnings going from Stevens to Crete, after the first few weeks.

Despite all those things, I am staying with Stevens until I finish a year with them, mainly because Crete will require me to spend several weeks with a trainer/team if I come to them with less than a year's solo experience.

The attraction of a nice school is one thing, but you should also realize that every company teaches slightly differently, and expects different things from their drivers. If you don't want to do reefer, don't go to a school offered by a reefer company. Go to a school offered by a company that does what you want to do, and stick with them. That way you know exactly what they want, and don't get blindsided.

As an example, Stevens Transport will fire you, period, no second chance if you perform a U-turn on a public roadway unless you do the U-turn at a protected intersection (a separate lane for U-turns that prevents under-runs, or a very large road divider that allows the full length of your truck to be off the road during the turn.) The Qualcomm can detect when U-turns are performed, and then they are detected, the Safety department checks to see where they were done. Stevens makes you sign a paper saying you won't do it, and constantly harps at you in every phase of training about it, but people STILL do it. A dozen people did U-turns on unprotected public roadways this year, and a dozen people were fired by Stevens. Other companies will have their own pushbutton issues, I'm sure.

Here's something else to consider. Say you go to school at KLLM and go to work for Averitt. You owe KLLM money for the schooling, right? What do you owe Averitt? Nothing. What do they owe you? Nothing. So if you go out and get in two quick fender benders it would put you in quite a risky category and Averitt might choose to let you go now and cut their losses before you do major damage.

On the other hand, say you went to school at KLLM (or any Company-Sponsored Training Program for that matter) and then stayed on with them as a solo driver and got in those same two quick fender benders. KLLM has quite a bit of time, money, and other resources invested in your training at this point and you're already running solo. You made a couple of small mistakes but if they cut you loose they've lost their entire investment in you. All that time, money, equipment, and trainers dedicated to making you a professional driver for the company goes right down the drain if they fire you.

You will likely find your job a little more secure if you go to work for the company that trained you. You may also find that the company you work for is a little more dedicated to helping you learn what it takes to have a long, successful career out there. They've put the resources into you. That investment will only pay off if you go to work for them and become a safe, productive driver.

You know what they call a doctor who graduated from a non-"state of the art" school?

Doctor!

That's pretty funny Steve.

Renegade the point Steve is trying to make is actually spot-on. Regardless of a multi million dollar state of the art facility, a CDL earned after attending a garden variety school is no more valuable than the one earned after graduating from KLLM's version of trucking school Utopia.

Without exception the forum has delivered some really good advice to you. Although KLLM is a really good company with awesome equipment, if running reefer is not in your future, KLLM seems like an unlikely choice for training. If you have the money to prepay KLLM for their training, why not attend a private school that Averitt recommends perhaps giving you a clearer path to future employment with them.

You also might want to check this link out: Truck Driving School Listings

Good luck!