One On One CDL Training School In Arizona

Hey Guys. I'm new and want to get my CDL. I live in Arizona and have been looking at Phoenix Truck Driving Institute for my CDL course training. Their shortest course is a group class and is 4 weeks long. I think I would rather pay more and get One on One training without wasting time waiting to get my chance behind the wheel.

Does anyone have an experience with a One on One course or know of a school that I can contact that offers One on One ? I would be interested in hearing what your experience was and contacting them.

I went thru Prime 5 years ago and am now a trainer. We do 1 on 1 training plus you pay nothing but a $100 processing fee as long as you work a year.

Best thing I ever did.

The whole "free agent to avoid a contract" is crap cause you should stay at your first company a whole year anyway....

PLUS at Prime, you get paid less and stay in training longer than those who go through primes school.

There are companies that offer Paid CDL Training Programs, many are listed there.

For these you would have to train away from home. This should not be a problem as you will need a minimum of one year OTR before getting any kind of local jobs.

I'm not interested in committing to a company for a year right now. At this time I also don't see myself going to work for a Mega, I've been self employed my entire life and the only that is appealing is O/O. I can afford to pay for my own training. What does not appeal to me is the large class size and riding in the back of a truck while some new trainee is driving and I'm waiting for my turn behind the wheel. I would rather pay more upfront and get the personalized training to get my CDL.

I'm not interested in committing to a company for a year right now. At this time I also don't see myself going to work for a Mega, I've been self employed my entire life and the only that is appealing is O/O.

Hello Don, welcome to our forum!

I understand your sentiments completely. You sound a whole lot like me when I started this career. Let me share with you what I learned. I spent weeks laying out a business plan and model to jump into this career as an Owner/Operator. I was the perfect candidate. I had already owned six rigs that we used in my previous career of 30 years. That's right I was a self employed business owner for 30 years when I decided I wanted to give the OTR lifestyle a go. Here's what I found out.

1) Nobody is willing to insure a brand new CDL holder as an Owner/Operator without charging exorbitant rates for a good many years.

2) The trucking industry is extremely volatile and rates change unexpectedly.

3) At the time I was making those calculations, I could make about forty or fifty thousand dollars a year at a rate of $1.75/mile. I discovered the really big successful trucking companies were running loads at that time in the 1.30 to 1.45 price range! That was an eye opener, and it was a dog eat dog fight that I didn't have the stomach or the resources for. Don't fool yourself into thinking this is an easy way to make money. I know a whole lot of guys who have gone bankrupt in the trucking business without even understanding why. I understand why because I have a lot of understanding about this business.

So... I made up my mind to go to work for a large company. The best thing I ever did was to commit myself to one full year at the first company I worked for. I learned so much. I learned things that I had no idea I needed to learn. I learned the principles and practices that make for success at trucking - the lessons were invaluable. I made fifty thousand dollars that year. The same amount that I had calculated at the 1.75\mile rate I had come up with as an O/O. It is very important that you establish yourself on somebody else's dime. I would never recommend taking the route you are planning for yourself. This year (eight years in now as a company driver) I made fifty thousand dollars during the first six months of this year.

I realize you are new here and are not familiar with all my experiences in this industry, but I hope you will take a step back and re-evaluate your plan. I can assure you it's not going to go well for you. I commit a lot of time to helping people make it in this industry, and I would never suggest someone start a trucking career the way you think you want to.

Something to realize is that " schooling" and "training" are two completely different things

Schooling teaches you enough to get your CDL. Training teaches you everything else. Hours of Service, DOT rules, mechanical issues, routing and trip planning, dealing with bills of lading and customers, refining your driving skills.

Many people are under the misconception that a local CDL school teaches you enough to be a trucker. It doesnt.

It is also a misconception that company drivers are slaves or micromanaged or at the mercy of the company. I am essentially my own boss without the hassle and liability.

There is way too much more to know.... Spot markets, leasing freight contract, load boards, high risk downpayments and interest rates for first time buyers WITH years of experience

Good luck.

Old School Thank You. TAWK Thank You Too. I really do appreciate the input from other's that have been in the business and have the experience that I admittedly don't have! When a Newbie like myself is considering getting into trucking, I turn to YouTube and search out videos from people that are actively driving. I'm not sure if linking to YouTube videos is allowed so I will just mention the 2 that I have been following to learn. 1. "Just Truckin" came directly out of CDL school and bought a truck and got his authority. When I watch his videos it looks doable. 2. "Riding With Dave" is a company driver and makes a ton of mistakes and is learning. When I watch his videos I think I don't want to grind that hard anymore.

I'm here to listen, learn and make an informed decision of the route I feel is best for me.

Questions and Comments Encouraged. Thanks

Using the internet is a very valuable way to gain insight but it's also bad at the same time if that makes sense. I've looked at a few different trucking forums and this is the only one I've found that truly helps newcomers know what to expect.

Its human nature that many people don't want to make themselves look bad or highlight their flaws. You'll see it quite often here somebody comes in looking for advice but refuses to fully admit what truly happened. For example we may be told you were fired for a minor accident. After some discussion it comes to light what really happened is you were texting and driving and rear ended another vehicle. I've made my fair share of mistakes and I'm more than willing to discuss them to help others avoid them and so I would potentially get ideas how to avoid it again. If you jump right in to O/O not only will you have the stress and exhaustion of a new driver but also the business side. It's quite common for a rookie driver to hit some thing their first year. Learn the business driving a company truck atleast a year then re evaluate. We have many members here making atleast $70k a year with excellent benefits, paid time off and they even get paid if their truck is in the shop. If you own your truck and can't get into the dealership for a week you have no revenue coming in while still paying payment/insurance etc. On top of hotel bills. As it was stated insurance costs are through the roof.

Trucking isn't like a normal job. Many drivers never hear anything from their dispatcher except what the next load assignment is. The driver is told where to be by what time and then left alone to do it. Most drivers that are former business owners liken it to still being self employed while taking advantage of the perks employees of large companies get.

Old School Thank You. TAWK Thank You Too. I really do appreciate the input from other's that have been in the business and have the experience that I admittedly don't have! When a Newbie like myself is considering getting into trucking, I turn to YouTube and search out videos from people that are actively driving. I'm not sure if linking to YouTube videos is allowed so I will just mention the 2 that I have been following to learn. 1. "Just Truckin" came directly out of CDL school and bought a truck and got his authority. When I watch his videos it looks doable. 2. "Riding With Dave" is a company driver and makes a ton of mistakes and is learning. When I watch his videos I think I don't want to grind that hard anymore.

I'm here to listen, learn and make an informed decision of the route I feel is best for me.

Questions and Comments Encouraged. Thanks

How ya doin', DonCo?

You mentioned above how "Just Truckin" makes the O/O path look doable. You also said that "Riding With Dave" looks like he is making a lot of mistakes and struggling.

I find it very hard to believe that "Just Truckin" didn't experiences some difficulty of his own. Nobody jumps into this industry and immediately takes off. Being an o/o will not magically give a driver all the tools he/she needs to be successful. There is a learning curve no matter what.

Look at it this way: If you are going to be trying to learn all you can to be successful, and making some inevitable mistakes along the way, wouldn't you rather make those mistakes as a company driver? At least that way you have a safety net behind you. The company can absorb the costs of your mistakes. As an o/o the same mistakes could cost you a lot of your own money.

Just something for you to consider.

Are there Company Driver positions out there that allow flexibility with scheduling ? I'm not 25 years old anymore, I don't want to bust butt like I did when I was 30 to build a company. I'm not worried about making 70k a year if it means my life is fixed to pounding out 11 hours and 700 miles a day. Is that what is expected of a Rookie Company Driver? What are the typical expectations from a new driver with a big company?