Is Company Training That Important??

Just passed my cdl and trying to pick a company to start with.

I'v done a ton of research and seems as tho I shouldn't expect much from a company as far as training goes. From what I have learned here, trainings like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get. :)

Theres a company close to me that does there training 2-4 weeks and your home daily. I took them off my list because I didn't feel it would be good enough training but like I said, after reading and researching seems like it may not be that bad.

should I be basing a part of my decision on the company's training or is that not that important? Thanks :)

Quality is more important than quantity. In my opinion.

Is company training that important??

The answer is YES. It is the MOST IMPORTANT part of learning this business. Truck Driving Schools teach you how to PASS THE CDL EXAM. You have no idea how much you have to learn. Time Management, Qualcomm , HOS , Shippers, Receivers, Truck Stops, Backing, the list goes on. You NEED at least 4 weeks with a Trainer. On your first Solo run you will be a nervous wreck. You will feel incapable of pulling it off. But you will. Read the recent post by Rainy D. and the responses. Good luck!

First Solo Run

It is very important to be trained properly. That intensifies with different types of freight like flatbed, tanker or anything with added danger. I had 2 months training flatbed was a nervous wreck for 6 months. I believe SOMEONE here had like a day of flatbed training but is very successful. He's the exception lol

I feel I had an awesome trainer. When it came to backing he had me stand right behind his seat and told me what he was looking at, and what he was doing. The next time, the rolls were reversed. The third time, he didn't say anything and let me do it. Then after that he got out of the truck completely, so it was up to me to figure it out.

Even with all that practice, my first solo trip was nerve racking. You can never have too much training. Once you're done, it's all on you. You'll wish you had more time in the trainers truck. (Provided your trainer is actually training)

Besides the backing, there is tons of stuff to learn and work on getting comfortable with

Diver Driver wrote:

I feel I had an awesome trainer. When it came to backing he had me stand right behind his seat and told me what he was looking at, and what he was doing. The next time, the rolls were reversed. The third time, he didn't say anything and let me do it. Then after that he got out of the truck completely, so it was up to me to figure it out.

Even with all that practice, my first solo trip was nerve racking. You can never have too much training. Once you're done, it's all on you. You'll wish you had more time in the trainers truck. (Provided your trainer is actually training)

Besides the backing, there is tons of stuff to learn and work on getting comfortable with

Really good answer DD!

To add one additional point...learning how to handle 45,000 pounds of freight safely through weather and challenging roads. That alone changes everything,...so yes, road training is incredibly important.

Run, Jaybird, run!

From what I have learned here, trainings like a box of chocolates, you never know what your gonna get. :)

I don't think you learned that here at Trucking Truth. A company is training you to use their equipment to move their freight business. Any driver, then, could be involved with a million dollars of stuff on the road (Truck + trailer + freight).

Just like a parent giving their kid the car keys, they'll want to be sure you can safely do the job.

Some claim the training is "not enough". I thought that myself, till I got through it all and saw the big picture. CDL school gets you trained enough to get you past the CDL skills test. Then you go on the road with a road trainer for several weeks. That's when you finish up learning how to drive a semi truck-trailer and can start making money for yourself and the company.

should I be basing a part of my decision on the company's training or is that not that important?

Ok, so to be clear here we're talking about getting your training through a Company-Sponsored Training Program and not Private Truck Driving School

Everyone has addressed how important the training is, but specifically to your question the answer is no, you should not pick a company based upon their training. Most companies have different ways of training drivers, but in the end they're all training drivers for themselves. No one is sitting in an office going, "I know we're teaching them to drive our own trucks but we don't have time to teach them all this safety cr*p. Just threw em out there and whatever happens, happens!"

Naturally, when you're training drivers for your own fleet you're trying to make sure they're getting an awesome education. Where the "cr*p shoot" part of it comes in is the type of personality you'll have for a trainer on the road. A few are great, a small percentage are terrible, and most are just fine. But it's only temporary so you try to deal with your trainer and get through it. Most companies will allow you to change trainers if you get one you really don't get along with. But hey, everyone makes it through boot camp in the Army with their trainers screaming obscenities and trying to make them want to curl up in a corner and die. So sometimes it ain't pretty, but it gets the job done.

If you're going to go through a company-sponsored program then don't worry too much about the structure of the training. Worry about the particulars of the job afterward - pay, benefits, home time, type of freight you're hauling, regions of the country you're running, etc.

Also, make sure you start applying to companies once you've narrowed it down to a group of them. Often times people will spend weeks, or even months, pouring through research just to find out a lot of companies didn't offer them a position in the first place. Once you know who is offering you a position you can then narrow it down to just one.

Here is a ton of awesome information about choosing the right truck driving job:

• Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing Your First Truck Driving Job
• Article Category: Finding The Right Truck Driving Job
• Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Trucking Company"