How do I choose a truck driving school?

ECept Education > Driver Education

Q. I'm new to this group and have a question. I am considering taking up truck driving. I am a software engineer who was laid off in October 2002 and have been unable to find work. I see dozens of jobs in the classifieds every day for drivers with CDLs. How do I choose a truck driving school? Which ones are the best? Which ones will help me get a job after I graduate and get my CDL? I am in the Phoenix, AZ area. I have a clean driving record, excellent map reading skills, and enjoy driving. Any help, feedback, and/or advice would be appreciated. I will monitor this NG or you can send me email. Thanks in advance!

A. Well, Ernie, first thing I have to say is, don't feel alone! I've been programming since the 1970's. I worked for a whole string of .com's that went belly up, ending with a long stretch of unemployment in 2000/2001. I went through Swift's program at US Truck Driving School, then went to work for Swift. You've got two things to watch out for: the school you select, and the company you drive for. Schools will be expensive. Community Colleges usually offer the best deals and the best training, but also take longer to go through. In Swift's program at USTDS I found that they teach you how to pass the CDL test, and that's all. Don't expect to come out of the class knowing how to be a truck driver; you'll come out of the school knowing the basics, and the first company you drive for will teach you how to be a truck driver. At least, they'll get a start on it. I've heard that Schnieder's training program is better than what I experienced. I've heard that Schneider has you spend some time on a skid pad - that sounds to me like it's be a useful bit of training. Company training programs vary in how long they expect you to stay with the company after you complete training. If you leave before you complete the contractual work period, you'll owe the company part of your driving school tuition. That tuition can be expensive. Investigate fully. Find out the total tuition, how long you need to be with the company without having to pay back tuition. Check out the companies at idodac.com to see what other drivers have had to say, but take the reports with a grain of salt - some people will complain about damned near anything.

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