Any Alumni From LBW Community College CDL Program In Opp, AL?

I've searched with every combination of terms I can think of, but I can't find anyone who has gone through the truck driving program at this school. I'd love to get some info on how the classes run. I start there August 17.

Thanks in advance

Posting again here 1) hoping someone will see it and can chime with any experience or even hearsay about LBW's program and 2) because I'm so dang excited, I have to share! The BF is great about listening to my daily "Wow! I learned THIS and THIS and THIS on the High Road program today" and my constant "I saw a truck do this today. How did he do that?" questions, so I figured he needed a break....and y'all can scroll on down past it if it's boring ;)

So my excitement today: I went down to Panama City to the TSA for fingerprinting for my HazMat endorsement. My seat was directly across from a window in line with the guard shack. With every truck that came through, my chest got tighter and tighter. I am so stinkin' thrilled to have an opportunity to call one of those beauties mine soon. I could have sat there for hours.

Next, I was at a convenience store fueling up (a tiny little thing crammed into an even tinier little intersection) and watched a big truck pull up, and almost magically do a perfect alley dock with nearly zero inches to spare. No hesitations, no sweat. Just poof, he was perfectly backed in and traffic was back to flowing. I wanna be able to do that!

24 more days til school starts!

P.S. The BF has decided to start the High Road program, too. He's been driving for over 20 years, but says he is learning new stuff and remembering stuff he's forgotten by listening to me yammer. Thanks, guys, for an awesome program!

I've completed the High Road Program, WOW!! Brett is not kidding when he says it takes about 80 hours to complete. I already had my permit when I started the program, so I expected it to all be pretty familiar. I was wrong! The additional input from TT and the Weights, Logbook , and Securement sections were like NOTHING I've found elsewhere. I cannot begin to explain how much I've learned. Additionally, I learned some very important lessons about how being tired, trying to focus on too many things at once, or just sitting for too many hours straight degraded my performance on the quizzes. There's definitely a real-life lesson to be applied there.

I can't believe this stuff is free! Thank you!

19 days until class starts and I can't wait! I got word today that the truck I'd been using for backing practice may become available again soon. I'm crossing my fingers.

Yesterday, I drove over to the campus where class will be. It's large dirt track with a couple of nice looking "Student Driver" marked trucks and lots of orange cones. There were only 3 cars, so I'm guessing we're talking small classes. I'm hopeful and excited! I'd still love to hear from someone who's taken their training.

The paperwork came through last night and today I got to do some more backing practice. Right off the bat, I made a giant S instead of backing straight up. Pulled up, took a breath and nailed the straight back and a ninety degree turn. I can't wait until this stuff is second nature and yet I hope I never forget the humbling feeling of trying to do these simple little maneuvers. Thank y'all for all the tips and positive attitudes.

17 days!

I agree 100%, the High Road Training Program is great! It helped me pass the CDL permit on one sitting including the tanker endorsement. I will start my CDL school tomorrow in a Technical College here in Georgia. I don't know what to expect. I will be keeping my eyes wide open! Need to pass my CDL testings. Good luck to us! We need it. Keep us post it!

Thanks and good luck! I took a few days off from technology and spent some quality time with my kayak :) On the way home, I stopped at a couple of truck stops and got signed up for their points programs. Still counting the days!

Week one of training complete. I'm exhausted but stoked. We've been doing long days of paperwork (logs and FMSCA studying), videos, and driving. The school has a half mile dirt track and two trucks. There are only three students in our class, so one of us has a truck to practice pre-trip while the other is practicing upshifting and/or backing with the third observing with the instructor and getting his insights. We've had a recruiter drop by already, and the mandatory online application we completed has generated for me individually 8 voicemails and about 30 emails already.

Our instructor is encouraging and providing additional training for hazmat , tanker, doubles/triples, and passenger endorsements. Even though we had a lot of driving time, our instructor has offered to stay late or come in on the weekends to give us as much extra time in the trucks as we want. If we don't pass our tests, it will be only due to our own lack of effort.

Back to studying for me, but wanted to update this thread. Drive safe, y'all!

It's been a busy few weeks. I passed the tests for hazmat , tanker, and double/triple endorsements, so those will go on my CDL as soon as I pass the PreTrip/Control Skills/Road tests in two weeks (fingers and toes crossed). Because of the new rule that doesn't allow our instructor to conduct our testing, we have to go another facility for the testing. It definitely adds some pressure to know that retesting won't be as simple as it sounds like it used to be when one could retest at the school grounds with the instructor as often as needed. I'm really hoping that my classmate and I will pass on the first try and the worry will be for naught.

I am surprised at how the backing has gone from "This trailer is possessed by demons and hates me!" to "Hmmm, I can kinda see where those tandems are gonna head and if I do this, they'll go there...probably" ;) Having plenty of time to just experiment with the backing really helped.

The road test really has me worried, just because of the seemingly long list of "automatic failure" items.

No pre-hire letters, but the Swift recruiter said "Just call me when you graduate and we'll put you in orientation." I'm not sure what I'm not doing or am doing wrong to not have gotten those letters I've heard so much about. Thoughts? Are the lack of pre-hire letters an indicator I will have a problem finding a job when I graduate? I have one ticket (speeding 5-9mph over the limit) and it doesn't show up on my MVR. I am honest about its existence though. I have a solid work history (worked 20 years for only two employers) and own my own business. No felonies, no arrests, no lawsuits, good credit rating, no physical disabilities (2 year DOT medical). Any suggestions are appreciated.

Class complete. CDL class A with Tanker/Hazmat/Doubles/Triples. I start with Con-way on October 12.

I've finished orientation at Con-way and am waiting on a finisher. In the meantime, I'm getting layover pay, a free private hotel room, and I have a weekend to go play in a new city! Life is great! I'm very impressed with Con-way so far, based on the organization of the orientation, interaction with other drivers and non-drivers who work here, and the overall package.

I'm rocking and ready to roll!

Brett, if you'd like to change the title of this thread to "Diver to Driver Metamorphosis", since that school has closed shop anyway, it would be great by me!