Cdl Schools In Florida Help!

Topic 18573 | Page 1

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Adam M's Comment
member avatar

Hey guys i am just wondering if anyone near or in Florida has had as much trouble as i have in finding a school that offers cdl training? i am finding things here and there i am near ocala i don't want to drive 300 miles away for training everyday. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

  • Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
  • Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Errol V.'s Comment
member avatar

Swift has a terminal in Ocala. No school there. (I drive for Swift.) Many companies will get you to their school (riding in style: Greyhound) and you won't need to commute.

Have you looked here:

Paid CDL Training Programs

Truck Driving School Listings

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

  • Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
  • Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.

Terminal:

A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.

OOS:

When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.

miracleofmagick's Comment
member avatar

I went to Roadmaster in Tampa. They were pretty decent. They also have a deal worked out with a local hotel for those that don't want to commute.

Dm:

Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager

The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Adam M's Comment
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Thanks guys for the input i have found a few schools how good is road master?

Old School's Comment
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They've been at this game a long time. They are well known and highly respected by the major trucking companies.

Rick S.'s Comment
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Thanks guys for the input i have found a few schools how good is road master?

It's a school. They have a decent rep - but remember - the purpose of these schools it to GET YOUR CDL. And that's all they teach, JUST ENOUGH TO GET YOUR CDL.

They don't guarantee a hire (they CAN'T).

If you opt to PAY OUT OF POCKET (or finance) make SURE you get some PRE HIRES

Because it doesn't make sense to lay out $$ for a school based on "maybes".

Your best bet - and what we pretty much always recommend, is to sign on with a COMPANY THAT TRAINS - and get trained there. Assuming no outstanding issues in driving/criminal records, you are 99% to HAVE A JOB WITH THEM when you complete training.

Ocala is a pretty good zip code to get a hire from almost every company that trains (as opposed to mine here in Fort Lauderdale).

Rick

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

  • Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
  • Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.

Pre-hire:

What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?

Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.

We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.

A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment

The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.

During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.

Pre Hire:

What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?

Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.

We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.

A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment

The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.

During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.

Pre Hires:

What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?

Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.

We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.

A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment

The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.

During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.

Adam M's Comment
member avatar

My ONLY problem is that i work full time and want to do this but i cant just take 3 or 4 weeks off work i have bills that will need to be paid and such. What other options do i have in regards to this any ideas guys?

PackRat's Comment
member avatar

I would suggest local community colleges. It will take many weekends, but you will get trained.

Errol V.'s Comment
member avatar

Adam, just a heads up. Rick hinted at this:

It's a school. They have a decent rep - but remember - the purpose of these schools it to GET YOUR CDL. And that's all they teach, JUST ENOUGH TO GET YOUR CDL.

A CDL is a license, not a job. A private school will do what you paid them for - that CDL. But to get a driving job, you will have a minor background check. Things that will be a bump in your road: some prescribed medicines, recreational weed, traffic citations, health issues. Detailed information here: Qualifications And Requirements For Getting A CDL & Endorsements

The beauty of a company sponsored school is they will check your history before you sign on the dotted line for your tuition.

CDL:

Commercial Driver's License (CDL)

A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:

  • Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
  • Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
  • Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.

DOT:

Department Of Transportation

A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.

State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.

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