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Post by flyboy2610 on Aug 24, 2003 17:42:35 GMT -5
To those who have not already selected a school: Consider going to a Community College. The cost is often less, the length of training is usually longer, and the course is usually certified by PTDI as well as the State you happen to live in. In those states which utilize third party testers for the CDL, the instructor will normally be the one who tests you. Just a thought.
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Post by truckertom on Aug 24, 2003 19:34:08 GMT -5
Speaking of instructors, I don't become a drill instructor until a student starts becoming an A-Hole with me. So that blade cuts both ways. I just love arguning with a student that has an uncle that is a bull hauler and drives 100+ MPH where ever he goes and he has my student trained to kill himself in the first month.
Another thing that student drivers need to know is that schools are in business to make money and most schools consider the instructor as the least necessary person in the chain. Recruiters make way more money than than do the instructors. This may be hard to believe or justify but it has been that way since I started as an instructor in 1989! So with many of these schools the only person that may really care about the student is the instructor. That said, many of these instructors are making very little money for what they do and the Patience they must posess for the job. So they are making far less a week then the student will be making as soon as he gets on the road by himself.
But yes, there are many bad instructors in the industry! But after driving long enough to qualify to be an instructor, and having a clean enough record to be an instructor. You become one cog in a money making machine that sees the instructor as just another "Ignorant Truckdriver" and the recruiter who knows nothing about a truck and was a used car salesman last week gets the pay.
Who risks his life the Driving Instructor or the Recruiter? It's hard to kill yourself sitting behind a desk, talking on a phone.
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Post by truckerjr on Jan 11, 2005 11:30:57 GMT -5
Anyone have information on a CDL school called 'West Michigan CDL'? They have two locations in Michigan, one in Grandville, Mi- the other in Bay City, MI. I am considering attending thier course, it is two weeks in length, and after reading about CDL MILLS, I am a little concerned about whether this would be a good move or not? Would some of you please check them out and tell me what you think of them? Their website is www.wmcdl.comThanks a lot!
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Post by MacDoogle on Jan 11, 2005 15:00:28 GMT -5
I went to 3 week school, and it was certainly a "mill". So 2 week school is going to be even more so.
Schools of this duration are ONLY going to get you to where you can pass CDL test.
Let's put it this way: if a company were to give me a T/T and say, "hit the road", with only the school training under my belt, I simply wouldn't do it (and I actually drove for a year a LONG time ago).
As long as you realize this, and go with a company that hires newbies to send out with trainer for a month or longer, they serve the purpose.
Mac
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Post by truckertom on Mar 4, 2005 11:45:49 GMT -5
I have had some of my ex-students try to talk me into becomming a road instructor for their company. Been there, done that.
There is just something about spending a month with a person that thinks a once a year shower is plenty.
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Post by truckertom on Apr 17, 2005 8:09:52 GMT -5
OMG! I can't believe it. We actually have a class in the backing yard who are studying the handbook between backs. They are asking me if our DOT bumpers are too high! THEY KNOW WHAT A STEERING LINK IS!
They asked me to show them how to adjust the brakes.....so I got the wrench out and showed them. And they all tried it! Oh I love getting a class like this. Next we will be doing the "Widow Maker" right turn competition and the winner will get to sign the trophy!
This is what I enjoy being an instructor. After a few classes of students that mommy and daddy sent to us in an attempt to get Jr. out of the house, it is nice to be dealing with folks that "WANT TO DRIVE A TRUCK".
Refreshing!
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Post by truckertom on Jun 22, 2005 19:28:04 GMT -5
I got offered a job at another school, went to work one day and when screaming back to MY SCHOOL.
Three of my students could not communicate in English, and the fourth was a lady that in two weeks had a grand total of 3 hours of driving time. Those that couldn't understand english ran three red lights by gassing it trying to "beat the light" I was screaming stop and they just kept going.
I can't train for a school like that, no matter how financially sound they are. Earning a paycheck is not the only reason I am an instructor!
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Post by itrucker on Jun 30, 2005 7:32:26 GMT -5
Yep--the instructor makes all the difference in the world! - Chris
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Post by truckertom on Jul 10, 2005 11:50:55 GMT -5
I had my students laughing their heads of the other day, telling them the cars coming off the Interstates were cracker heads that couldn't be trusted. And they had the right of way. I have a running commentary going all the time they are driving, like asking them what their blinker fluid is down to when they leave their signals on. Fall into the floor when they take a corner too fast and act like I am crashing into the windshild when they stop too hard.
They ask me how I could stay so calm so I tell them I take 2 nearve pills every morning before comming to work. I tell them that learning how to drive a truck should be fun. You are suppose to enjoy this. Who is going to be good at something they hate doing?
If going through a school is like serving time in a POW camp. Hey, you may have the wrong school. You are paying for this, you should enjoy it while you learn (even when your instructor scares the hell out of you!)
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Post by The Lone Ranger on Jul 19, 2005 12:27:47 GMT -5
d**n, I wish you were closer.
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Post by The Lone Ranger on Jul 19, 2005 12:30:38 GMT -5
I can't add anything good that hasn't already been said, so I'll say this: *particularly* since you're in MI, it would be *really* neat if whatever school you choose ran the students up to Marshall, MI for the Eaton skid course! The school I went to in Windsor, Ont., Canada did this - we hopped in a bus, crossed to border, and went 2-3 hours down the road. I'm very pleased that this was part of the curriculum - those people really know their stuff, and once the nerves wore off (mostly due to not know what was involved, and didn't wanna look bad in front of my cohorts!), it was a blast! Which one, and where??? I'm in Canada myself...
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