Got Okidoked And Forced To Jump The Gun I Think.

Well I am at C.R. Englands driving school finished day one, I wasnt going to do this because I dont think I can get a job, with them or anyone else for that matter, but I kinda got forced into it. My last employer “separated” themselves from my services, it is the nice way of saying you are fired because we can do it. I was literally doing precisely what they said I had to do, they refused to let me go back to work with out being 100% even though I wasnt prior to setting up date of operation. Any how long story short, I had been preparing to find a new job as a truck driver, as some here know, and found out it ain't easy ride for me due to my old felony case. But here I am and only 3 weeks past the operation, I function but it took a toll on me. I have to up date the CR England program, you no-longer go to school as an employee, rather you pay to go to their school just like any other for profit school, the only up side is they of course know your at their school and if you are a good student with a good record they do hire from the school, it is after all THEIR school even if they have a separate paper trail. So I paid the 3K to attend, that was a 1 k discount, and I get to have Manuel tranny training for an extra 500. One thing that gives me some hope is the “recruiter” seemed to be legitimately interested in me going to school, and she knows about my criminal history, aaaand she said it probably wont be a problem because it is so old, seems they don't go back to the day you were a sperm sample swimming around like other big company programs do. Also this is a 10 day program, so that might be tough sell to other company's as far as quality goes. Well I am going to do some studying and sorting out the things I have to memorize as part of the pretrip part of road test.

Michael, where is the school located? And, yes, 10 days is pretty short. If you do well during these 10 days, do you then get additional training? I’m glad you have this opportunity. All it takes sometimes is to get your foot in a door. This may be it for you. Keep us posted, yours is an interesting case study.

Michael, where is the school located? And, yes, 10 days is pretty short. If you do well during these 10 days, do you then get additional training? I’m glad you have this opportunity. All it takes sometimes is to get your foot in a door. This may be it for you. Keep us posted, yours is an interesting case study.

I am in Salt Lake City and I am on day three right now I am very concerned about the training and the way things are going. There are a very large number of Hindu type Indians who are test failures as I understand it and it is creating a big problem getting time on the backing range as well as actual training for incab part of pre trip, there are 4 trucks and at least14 or so Hindus who can't speak English for crap and 10 in my "class" that started Monday. There are also people from the last class who are going on their second try at the test. At one point today I think there were 30 people out on the range. I had only two times in truck to work on offset parking, I am not happy about that at all. I don't have my computer so it sucks trying to communicate on the phone.

Wow that sounds like a logistics failure on their part. Way to many people in a class. Ill send a prayer to God that you do well in the training course.

Michael, where is the school located? And, yes, 10 days is pretty short. If you do well during these 10 days, do you then get additional training? I’m glad you have this opportunity. All it takes sometimes is to get your foot in a door. This may be it for you. Keep us posted, yours is an interesting case study.

I am in Salt Lake City and I am on day three right now I am very concerned about the training and the way things are going. There are a very large number of Hindu type Indians who are test failures as I understand it and it is creating a big problem getting time on the backing range as well as actual training for incab part of pre trip, there are 4 trucks and at least14 or so Hindus who can't speak English for crap and 10 in my "class" that started Monday. There are also people from the last class who are going on their second try at the test. At one point today I think there were 30 people out on the range. I had only two times in truck to work on offset parking, I am not happy about that at all. I don't have my computer so it sucks trying to communicate on the phone.

Michael, as you can see, you're in a competitive battle for your career. That's how it is in this industry. They don't escort you through the entrance like a VIP and welcome you with open arms to your new trucking family. It's more like they throw everyone into the frying pan to see who wants it badly enough.

Some people will figure out how to adapt and overcome in any environment. If they want it badly enough, they'll make it happen. I would bet anything their school isn't free anymore because people who get free handouts do not make the most of them. They want people who are willing to come up with the money and invest in themselves. Then they have something on the line.

I always recommend that people approach CDL training like BootCamp in the army. It's meant to be difficult. It's meant to weed out the weak and uncommitted. They do it on purpose. Why?

Because trucking is competitive and it's too damn hard for most people. Most company-operated CDL schools are intended to train those who belong and weed out those who don't. It's a competition. You're trying to make the team.

So embrace it. If you're highly motivated and you know this program is difficult, then find ways to outperform the other students. Learn by watching others, while everyone else is goofing off or complaining. Ask more questions of the instructors than most students so they know you're genuinely interested in learning all you can. Find other students who are highly motivated like yourself and learn from each other and support each other.

You will find that your class will mostly consist of two types of people - complainers and competitors. Find the other competitors, team up, work hard, stand out as being the ones who want this the most, and make it happen. In fact, do it all with a smile.

Competitors love being in the arena. You're there now. If you step up your game and keep a great attitude, you'll come out on top in the end. That doesn't mean the path will be easy or that it will go as you expect, but that won't matter. You'll still make it happen.

Michael, how's it going? I hope you're hanging tough and getting the job done!

Michael, how's it going? I hope you're hanging tough and getting the job done!

Yes sir I hung tough got the job done, took test today got 100% on in cab and pre check stuff lost 2 points on off set backing and nearly aced the drive test for manual transmission with only 3 hours of practice, tester was so impressed with my safty consciousness that when I stalled on a hill and killed the engine he only took one point because I didn't panic and got-er started right quick with out dilly dallying and I tested during rush hour in Salt Lake City. So yeah I am happy I got started well now just gotta try get hired some place.

Congrats Michael! The job will come sooner or later for you.