Witch School Is The Best All Around For The Noobies In The Trucking Industry?
Topic 6414 | Page 1
Hello Douglas,
I have about 5-6 years of class B experience. I decided to get my class A this summer and just passed my road test to obtain it a few days ago.
Unfortunately, I did not do adequate research before choosing my school. As a result, the process was quite a headache. Turned out that my school's policy was to give us at least 10 hours on the road. 10 hrs. is not much. We students had to keep pestering teacher to take us out on the road. After I failed my road test the first time, I went back for more practice. After working on right turns and fine tuning my shifting, I finally passed. Now it turns out that the company I would love to work for, NFI, does not take graduates from my school!
Here's what I suggest; ask plenty of questions up front before you sign anything. Ask how many hours road time you get. How many hours doing maneuvers. Is it one on one or do you go out in a group. What kind of trucks do they use? Are they manual or automatic (if they're automatic, don't go to that school). As what theoretic knowledge they teach. How much do they charge for the road test? What if you fail the road test, do they charge again? Look over the contract. Speak to the instructors. Try and find some students to talk to. They will really tell you what the school is like.
It can be hard to find a good school. You have to do your research. By the way, if the school is accredited, it means nothing. My school is accredited and they have a lot to learn when it comes to organization.
Another approach that may work is to decide what company you'd like to work for. Call them and ask if they recommend a certain school. Werner recommended my school.
Good luck.
Harish
I have been contemplating driving truck for many years now. I have a younger brother who drove Global Van Lines for many years doing the Seattle to L.A. runs and now he drives for Costco. He is definitely behind me on this career move but, the only thing is, he didn't go through a training facility so I am left with reading the truckers truth and watching a ton of YouTube videos to try and decide which is best for me. Got any advice on which one I should choose? I am located in the North West in Oregon State.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
Hello, Douglas,
I read your letter and I have to agree with Harish, I think that the best fit is to call the company that you are interested in driving for, see who they offer as a company to go to school with.
I am currently working with getting all of my permit work in order to attend school with Swift. My recruiter has been really awesome, and I have been learning a lot about the company by going through a few bumps in the road.
Pepper
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I have been contemplating driving truck for many years now. I have a younger brother who drove Global Van Lines for many years doing the Seattle to L.A. runs and now he drives for Costco. He is definitely behind me on this career move but, the only thing is, he didn't go through a training facility so I am left with reading the truckers truth and watching a ton of YouTube videos to try and decide which is best for me. Got any advice on which one I should choose? I am located in the North West in Oregon State.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.