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Post by jersey79 on Jan 16, 2005 17:33:55 GMT -5
Hey folks, just wondering if anyone had any info about this school here: www.Driversolutions.com its pretty much a 3 week program and then they hook you up with one of the companines in there network. Pam transport, USA truck and Star. Also CR eEngland runs there own school with a 14 day program. All of this seems shady thats why i'm asking. Any info would be greatly apprecciated... -Thanks
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Post by Fozzy on Jan 16, 2005 18:53:52 GMT -5
There are many definitions on what a "good" school is. This definition is basically:
1.) What training can allow you to obtain enough skills to pass the CDL skills test and make you a good apprentice driver for a training company?
This is the biggest problem with most people. These schools are ALL basically the same for the first segment of training! They are preparing you to pass the skills test! The training after the first phase, they are adding to your proficiency and you overall "comfort" in the truck. The first phase is where they tend to weed out the FEW people who just cannot do this job! This is where the people normally start blaming the schools for their lack of ability when its almost always a case of them simply being too intimidated with the vehicle's size or the vast amounts of stress involved with learning to drive a 70 foot long-13+foot vehicle.
Training companies basically want someone who is comfortable in the truck, can see out of it, control/keep the vehicle in a lane, can make a safe right and left turn consistantly, and has a basic understanding of backing a trailer. After the prospective driver has these skills, they can be trained further, until they acquire these skills, they are a high risk to the company and the general public.
MOST people CAN grasp the basics in these areas in a short period of time and can move on to the training companies. Some people will need longer training periods and a still smaller group will NEVER obtain these skills with all the training in the world.
The "bottom line" is more or less, the longer the training period you can afford and survive while not working (being paid), the better! The sooner you can get the CDL and get out on a truck and start actually gettiing paid the better for you.
Fozzy
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Allan
New Member
Posts: 9
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Post by Allan on Jan 17, 2005 21:38:44 GMT -5
Jersey79 . . .
While I cannot offer any specific insight into the school you originally asked about, I can just say that I'm in my fourth (and final) week of training with Schneider (in their Charlotte facility), and have been incredibly impressed with the quality, breadth and depth of the training provided.
While not saying specifically that Schneider is for you, I would suggest looking into a company that offers training and then employment afterwards . . . they will typically want some type of commitment from you in order to provide the training (Schneider asks for a year of driving in return for training, which is very fair, considering the quality of the training I'm receiving).
Everyone has to take their own path. If you're interested in my experiences, I'll be happy to e-mail my journal to you.
Best wishes, Allan
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Post by truckertom on Jan 23, 2005 16:48:43 GMT -5
Some of this that Fozzy is talking about is also communication. An instructor that is yelling constantly at the student is not communicating with them. The longer it takes to get you driving, the worse driver you will be when you finish. I hate the way some schools treat thier students...like they were in bootcamp with a drill instructor.
Learning to drive a truck should be enjoyable. No one will be good at something they hate doing. I love it when I take my students through a big town for the first time, they may be a little shaken when they get over it. But they know they have jumped a high hurtle! I love it when my students arrive at school looking forward to the day.
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Post by jersey79 on Jan 25, 2005 23:27:49 GMT -5
Thanks for the reply's, much appreciated.
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Post by dtrain on Jan 28, 2005 17:22:28 GMT -5
Hey folks, just wondering if anyone had any info about this school here: www.Driversolutions.com its pretty much a 3 week program and then they hook you up with one of the companines in there network. Pam transport, USA truck and Star. Also CR eEngland runs there own school with a 14 day program. All of this seems shady thats why i'm asking. Any info would be greatly apprecciated... -Thanks jersey79; hey, I'm going! I spoke with a recruiter today and I am going to be going to c1 school in Indianapolis, Indiana next month. I will be hiring on with USA Truck. I have heard only good things about both USA Truck and c1 school in Indainapolis. Message from a driver on another forum: eplurubus:i went through the c1 driving school in indy about a year and a half ago. i was with the schneider group though, not the usatruck group. you may see some schneider students there when you go or you may not. what happens is when schneider has too many signed up for training in green bay, they send the overflow to c1 in indy....or at least they did. i recommend the c1 academy. i may seem a little fast paced and you'll have plenty frustrations, but they have a good program there, so just stick it out and you'll come out ahead. good luck. I think things will go well with training at this school. There is a lot of studying I have to do between now and then to be ready for the tests that I'll be taking in the first week of school. This is what I plan to do; hope you find a school and a company that suits you. GO safely; see you on the big road!
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Post by jersey79 on Feb 3, 2005 21:12:53 GMT -5
dtrain, congratz man! So your going with USA truck, they are my second choice. I'm still leaning towards Star or even PAM. Who knows, we shall see. So many decesions. I still getting my game plan together and trying not to rush into anything. I still havent called the recruiter back but I plan to be training come this summer. A few things I need to do around here and more information I'd like to find out. So do me a favor, Once your done with everything return back to this site let me and everyone else know how C-1 training and USA truck goes for ya! I'm sure we would all appreciate the valuable information. Once again, congratulations and best wishes. Drive Safely.
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Post by kreeper on Feb 6, 2005 15:02:26 GMT -5
Jersey79,
Go with your latter 2 choices, C.R. England is a shady company. I used to work for them back in 2003, they will not answer any of your question in orientation.
Run as far away from this company as possible.
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Post by truckertom on Feb 12, 2005 14:58:32 GMT -5
Kreeper
I have to admit that I was offered a job training at one of the England school.....I turned it down.
It seems that they expect students to all learn at the same pace. They wanted set routes for trainers to stay on at a set sched. I have had students that caught on to shifting real quick, but couldn't turn corners well. Others do the opposite, so what do you do with those that need certain things when you are stuck with a "one size fits all" training program?
But to each their own I guess.
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Post by dtrain on Feb 13, 2005 17:08:15 GMT -5
jersey79; what's happening? There has been a change of plans. I will not be going to the C1 school in Indianapolis, Ind. Nor will I be signing on with USA Truck. I am going to be going to school here in Pennsylvania. It is a PDTI certified school at Lehigh Career and Technical Institute. The program is a good one. After graduation I hope to drive for either US Express, Roehl Transport, or Crete. The website for this school and other schools in the network is: www.sageschools.com/ . You may want to consider this school. Financing is available and job placement is high. Go safely; see you on the big road!
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Post by truckertom on Mar 12, 2005 9:02:09 GMT -5
There is something else that needs to be said about big schools like C-1; every school is not the same within the chain.
We have one here that is having to test their students 3 or 4 times to get them passed. They fail the first few times and what is bad about that is they burn up all the training time sitting at the DPS (DMV). But that is not to shoot the entire C-1 down, but schools can be different within a chain.
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Post by drecurt on Apr 4, 2005 23:22:10 GMT -5
I am also looking into a company provided school. I have partially signed on with Schneider (haven't sent the last of the forms yet). I've recently sent an application to Stevens Transport as well and will be attending one of their seminars tomorrow morning in order to check the pros and cons between the two. I noticed on one of the replies here that Schneider seems to be a good company. Anyone out there know anything about Stevens? I really don't like the fact that Schneider asks for $150 up front to save my seat for training. Nonrefundable at that.
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