Cdl Training Private School
Topic 5425 | Page 1
Hi Aldaine,
I'm sorry I have no information for you but if ya don't mind, I do have a question.
How did you get your funding for your School? Grant, loan etc?
Hi Aldaine,
I'm sorry I have no information for you but if ya don't mind, I do have a question.
How did you get your funding for your School? Grant, loan etc?
Paying out of pocket. ......have to come up with $1100 up front and pay the rest as I go along.. But if you are not working unemployment may cover it.
I don't know what school you are attending but I went through a branch college for mine and it went something like this: It was a 240 hour class, you could either do it mon-fri for 6 weeks 8 hours a day, or weekends 8 hours a day for 15 weeks. I did the weekends one so I could keep working during it. It was hard to lose 15 weekends in a row! 1 Hour sessions sound kind of skimpy, how many hour class is yours? most companies like you to have like 200 hours or more I think?
So first there is classroom, study of the cdl manual and practice tests and videos. General Knowledge, Air Brakes and Combination Vehicles are the 3 written tests you need to pass at the DMV to get your CDIP (Commercial Driver Instruction Permit or "learners permit"). Also in order to start driving with your permit you need to pass a drug test and get a DOT Physical.
One we had our permits we would do some yard driving with cones and such to practice backing up, straight back, offset back, alley dock and parallel parking. We also worked on double clutching and floating the gears. Also we learned how to do a pre-trip inspection of the truck and trailer.
Once everyone was getting familiar with the trucks we went to a remote area and practiced driving, with a permit you always need an experienced cdl holder with you. We then did more classroom to cover tanker, doubles and triples, and hazmat. Then we did more driving in less remote areas and eventually drove a lot around the possible driving test areas.
Then near the end of the course we scheduled our driving test. It took about an hour and we had to perform the pre-trip inspection, yard skills and then do a drive with the inspector. You had to score well on the tests, a points thing, and there were some extra credit type things to do in case you lost points elsewhere. There were a couple of automatic fails like hitting a curb, running a red light or stop sign or etc bad things. He asked what the posted speed limit was, and you had better know it!
Then at the end he either passed you or failed you, we didn't get to ever see our results and he submits some paperwork and a few days later you can go in and get your actual CDL. I'm sure there are some variations state to state but that's the jist of it. Study a lot here on the high road cdl study and study your cdl manual. Read everything you can and try and get to where you are easily acing the various tests here on this website and you'll do fine. Remember repetition is the key to memory!
I ended up getting a Pell Grant because I made so little the year before, but I could have also easily qualified for a student loan if the Pell grant fell through. My course cost $2800 and was through my local branch college.
Phil
Pre-trip Inspection:
A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.
Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.
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.
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
Combination Vehicle:
A vehicle with two separate parts - the power unit (tractor) and the trailer. Tractor-trailers are considered combination vehicles.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.
Double Clutch:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
Double Clutching:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
- Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
- Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
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.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
Yea an hr for class seams like a bad idea...
Take a look at Truck Driving Schools or if you'd rather not pay out of pocket, Company-Sponsored Training has some great companys that basically hire you once you finish their program.
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.
Company-sponsored Training:
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.
Yea an hr for class seams like a bad idea...
Take a look at Truck Driving Schools or if you'd rather not pay out of pocket, Company-Sponsored Training has some great companys that basically hire you once you finish their program.
I am in newyork an I can't find a paid cdl training program close by... I already have the permit..All the cdl training schools i have contacted offer per hour classes...
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.
Company-sponsored Training:
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.
I don't know what school you are attending but I went through a branch college for mine and it went something like this: It was a 240 hour class, you could either do it mon-fri for 6 weeks 8 hours a day, or weekends 8 hours a day for 15 weeks. I did the weekends one so I could keep working during it. It was hard to lose 15 weekends in a row! 1 Hour sessions sound kind of skimpy, how many hour class is yours? most companies like you to have like 200 hours or more I think?
So first there is classroom, study of the cdl manual and practice tests and videos. General Knowledge, Air Brakes and Combination Vehicles are the 3 written tests you need to pass at the DMV to get your CDIP (Commercial Driver Instruction Permit or "learners permit"). Also in order to start driving with your permit you need to pass a drug test and get a DOT Physical.
One we had our permits we would do some yard driving with cones and such to practice backing up, straight back, offset back, alley dock and parallel parking. We also worked on double clutching and floating the gears. Also we learned how to do a pre-trip inspection of the truck and trailer.
Once everyone was getting familiar with the trucks we went to a remote area and practiced driving, with a permit you always need an experienced cdl holder with you. We then did more classroom to cover tanker, doubles and triples, and hazmat. Then we did more driving in less remote areas and eventually drove a lot around the possible driving test areas.
Then near the end of the course we scheduled our driving test. It took about an hour and we had to perform the pre-trip inspection, yard skills and then do a drive with the inspector. You had to score well on the tests, a points thing, and there were some extra credit type things to do in case you lost points elsewhere. There were a couple of automatic fails like hitting a curb, running a red light or stop sign or etc bad things. He asked what the posted speed limit was, and you had better know it!
Then at the end he either passed you or failed you, we didn't get to ever see our results and he submits some paperwork and a few days later you can go in and get your actual CDL. I'm sure there are some variations state to state but that's the jist of it. Study a lot here on the high road cdl study and study your cdl manual. Read everything you can and try and get to where you are easily acing the various tests here on this website and you'll do fine. Remember repetition is the key to memory!
I ended up getting a Pell Grant because I made so little the year before, but I could have also easily qualified for a student loan if the Pell grant fell through. My course cost $2800 and was through my local branch college.
Phil
I already have a permit..The school don't have a set amount of classes or hours... but everyone is saying 1 hour classes makes no sense
Pre-trip Inspection:
A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.
Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.
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.
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations
Combination Vehicle:
A vehicle with two separate parts - the power unit (tractor) and the trailer. Tractor-trailers are considered combination vehicles.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.
Double Clutch:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
Double Clutching:
To engage and then disengage the clutch twice for every gear change.
When double clutching you will push in the clutch, take the gearshift out of gear, release the clutch, press the clutch in again, shift the gearshift into the next gear, then release the clutch.
This is done on standard transmissions which do not have synchronizers in them, like those found in almost all Class A trucks.
BMI:
Body mass index (BMI)
BMI is a formula that uses weight and height to estimate body fat. For most people, BMI provides a reasonable estimate of body fat. The BMI's biggest weakness is that it doesn't consider individual factors such as bone or muscle mass. BMI may:
- Underestimate body fat for older adults or other people with low muscle mass
- Overestimate body fat for people who are very muscular and physically fit
It's quite common, especially for men, to fall into the "overweight" category if you happen to be stronger than average. If you're pretty strong but in good shape then pay no attention.
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.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
Aldaine, here is the kicker. Very few, if any, major trucking operations will hire you unless you have a training certificate showing that you have received 160 hours of training. That certificate is just as, and maybe more, important than the CDL when you are a rookie trying to obtain employment. There are some trucking schools taking people's money and not giving them what they really need when it comes to getting a job. Just having a CDL will not open too many doors for you, but having that CDL and that 160 hour certificate is like having the keys to the kingdom.
Before you spend any more hard earned money at this school, you need to ask some very specific questions about that training certificate, and do not fork out any more money if they can't provide you with a legitimate training certificate stating that you have had 160 hours of training. Most common truck driving courses are four weeks at forty hours per week.
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.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
Aldaine, did you apply for any pre-hires before attending this school or confirm that major companies will hire students from there? Getting your CDL isn't good enough. You have to prove to most companies that you've had what they consider the proper training.
We have a great article on Understanding The Pre-Hire Process for anyone who isn't familiar with it.
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.
Pre-hire:
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.
Pre-hires:
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.
The question has pretty much been answered by the wonderful gentlemen above me but I'll add my tip.
It doesn't matter if there's no schools close by, companies will pay for your transportation and your lodging to their facility where they'll train you in exchange for you working for them for X amount of time (usually a year).
Pay them by the hour? Well, multiply what they're charging you per hour by 140 hours then add the 1100$ upfront pay for your total cost.
Like previously stated, you need that 140 hour certificate!
Private schools are for people who can afford it. Otherwise it's Company Sponsored schooling for you.
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About to start training at a private school... what can I expect?? The lessons are only one hour..