CDL Training School Recommendations In Mnpls/St. Paul

Topic 9261 | Page 1

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Dan G.'s Comment
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Looking for any advise on schools around the Mnpls/St. Paul area for class A CDL training. There's 4 or 5 in the immediate area. A couple are State colleges and there's 3 dedicated to CDL training alone. I've had phone conversations with all of them & I'm a vet which influences my decision. I'm leaning towards heavy metal trucking but would really appreciate any advise or experience from anyone on this forum before jumping off the fence. Thanks in advance!

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.
Chris's Comment
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I highly recommend Heavy Metal. I went with them a few years ago and have a great job now. The instructors know their stuff. They are patient even though it's a fast paced three weeks of training. Bob and Pat were my favorite instructors. Some of the trucks were older but they all were in decent shape. They had an 8 speed, 10 speed, 13 speed, and an automatic truck as well.
Brett Aquila's Comment
member avatar

Hi Dan. I can't offer any specific advices about the schools in the area but we have some great resources here that will help. We have our Truck Driver's Career Guide which has an entire section on choosing a truck driving school.

We also have a series of articles on How To Choose A School.

You can also consider a Company-Sponsored Training Program which is a trucking company that owns and operates their own school.

I recommend you go through our Truck Driver's Career Guide really well. It will help you understand what it takes to get a great start in this industry.

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.

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.
Dan G.'s Comment
member avatar

I highly recommend Heavy Metal. I went with them a few years ago and have a great job now. The instructors know their stuff. They are patient even though it's a fast paced three weeks of training. Bob and Pat were my favorite instructors. Some of the trucks were older but they all were in decent shape. They had an 8 speed, 10 speed, 13 speed, and an automatic truck as well.

Thanks Chris & Brett! Glad to hear someone hear has had good experiences with Heavy Metal and looking into the resources suggested Brett. Great site, glad I stumbled on it & thanks again! Dan
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