Are Local CDL Schools Better?
Topic 31649 | Page 1
Hm, I never knew how to respond to this. In my situation, I couldn’t find a company to train with. But, I got one prehire to enter with Roadmasters. The one in my city is probably as strict as it gets. You cannot be one minute late. You can be kicked out for doing it twice. Plenty of time in the truck in small groups for the month long school and test. 10 trucks and test pad, city and interstate driving on road drives.
I was very dedicated to it and am a quick learner though. I would say half the students struggled. I ended up learning most my backing even after getting solo with my company.
I think it can be a sink or swim experience. But that’s from how it went for me.
Interstate:
Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).
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.Prehire:
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.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
My recent student at Prime had previously gone through a local CDL school for 5 months. She felt she learned very little and they never scheduled her for an exam. Then she came to me.
She really struggled at backing and it was hard teaching her because she would confuse the prior schools steps and mine.
Hear her own words....
YOU GO, girl !!
For Angela: This is how we DO IT !
Best to you BOTH, from ... Your fan girl, haha! ALWAYS.
Junior(Catracho?) and Tiff (sry, yes I love ya 2, Ms. Hannah!) got NOTHING on ya, Rainy! ;)
~ Anne ~
ps: Are you applying to the below~?? You should have Angela (or somebody that knows you better than I, MAYBE BRETT?!?!?) nominate you!!
Women of Trucking Advisory Board
pps: Angela, if you read this; you have NO CLUE how much Rainy (nka: Kearsey) has done for Brett Aquila's (this!) training site. Kearsey, your advocations and endorsements/links on your Y/T .. are huge, m'lady!
ppps: SHUT UP, Anne, hahah! 
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.
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
Fm:
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.New Reply:
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My recent student at Prime had previously gone through a local CDL school for 5 months. She felt she learned very little and they never scheduled her for an exam. Then she came to me.
She really struggled at backing and it was hard teaching her because she would confuse the prior schools steps and mine.
Hear her own words....
Are Local CDL schools Better?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: