You're never going to satisfy everybody. Almost everybody would agree that getting enough time behind the wheel to prepare you for your cdl test. Most of us have spent our day on the pad watching other people back while only getting 15 to 30 minutes of practice a day. The schools don't intentionally give you little time, they need to have bigger class sizes to make a profit. I'd hate to see how often often need to repair their equipment due to students not knowing such as grinding gears, riding clutch etc.
Prime Inc has a great program in my opinion. After orientation they send their students out with a trainer for 10,000 miles where the permit holder does all the driving. They then return to Springfield MO to take their state testing to upgrade to a CDL, then team for another 30 (or 40k) miles This is definitely one of the longest training programs which many view as a downside but most new drivers with Prime seem to be most prepared to be solo drivers.
I work for a grocery store distribution center that takes employees (most times warehouse workers) and partners with the local community College to get them their CDL. After they get their CDL they're then sent out with trainers for 6 to 8 weeks at our company. They're paid a slightly less hourly rate than other drivers for their first year because their job title is driver trainee which also helps cover their tuition.
Regardless of how you run your program please make sure things are clearly explained to students BEFORE showing up. Students often express how they were mislead by the school/company. Have you guys already ran the numbers to see if the increase in insurance premiums is worth it? Would increasing your experienced driver pay be more cost effective? I'm not against hiring new drivers by any means they're already pretty limited on where they can start. Between increased insurance costs, paying 2 people to run on one clock (unless you run team which isn't really training IMO), and higher turnover if they find trucking isn't for them I would imagine you could increase pay that would draw better candidates to you that don't require training.
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Operating While Intoxicated
I totally agree with everything Rob T said in his comment. The problem is that “future truckers” have no clue as to what to look for. It’s the luck of the draw. These truck driver want-a-be people are best served by hooking up with a trucking company that takes students in with no CDL and then trains them with a guarantee of a job if they complete the program. Independent CDL schools may have their place, but company sponsored training is the best way to go.
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
This post again under a different name? We had this a few months ago, "I'm starting up a school, so I came to the internet to get ideas from strangers...."
I went to your site (https://amxtrucking.com/amx-academy/). There's a lot of things that don't fit or look sketchy. In one spot it says, "AMX Academy costs $2500" in another, "The total cost for training with AMX Academy ends up being approximately $300-$475, but that’s still less than a community college program ($2800-$3500) and significantly less than a private driving school, which starts at $2500 and can go way higher."
You don't list your average pass rate (what percentage of the drivers who enter the program leave with a CDL after their training). What does the trainee owe you after their training? What happens if the student doesn't finish their training for some reason? Is their obligation treated differently if they wash out, are hit by a truck or sent home with Monkeypox? There's a vague reference to, "..driving solo in your own trainer’s truck, earning money, and providing for your family or other goals." but no mention of how much they will be earning or how much the average driver makes in their first year after their training.
We live in an information age - any trainee can look up your school and a dozen others and compare them all side by side in an afternoon. If one company's website says, "Drivers are earning an average of $70,000 in their first year" do you picture a trainee spending the time to call up the recruiters at all the other schools on their list or assume the worst if they don't see it on your website?
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
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Hi,
I'd like to get a sense of what future truckers looking to get their CDL are looking for in an academy or training? We are an asset based trucking/brokerage looking to hire new drivers and just starting an academy and wanted to poll the group to hear your thoughts.
Thanks! Mason https://amxtrucking.com/
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: