When it comes to starting a career as a professional truck driver the very first decision that you need to make is finding the right CDL school. The right CDL school will put you on the right track to a successful career however picking the wrong CDL school will cost you a ton of money and frustration
In this article we are going to look at picking the right CDL school in which you are either sponsored through a government program or that you are paying out of pocket. What we are not going to do in this particular article is looking at companies that run their own schools which I understand is the only option for some people and it will be an area we will explore in the future
The CDL Schools Reputation
I am going to tell you a secret about certain CDL schools and that is their students are already blacklisted by large employers in the trucking industry. These companies basically have seen enough of their students and how poorly prepared they were when they graduated that they want nothing to do with them. Basically the companies realized that they would have to fully retrain these students in order for them to be able to handle driving professionally
I live in Ontario, Canada and what we have been seeing here over the last few years is CDL schools popping out of nowhere and basically doing the bare minimum with their students. What they are doing is training their students to pass the test in order to get their license. Unfortunately these particular CDL schools also deal with brand new companies whose reputation is hiring new drivers and pushing them to their absolute limit in terms of safety and driving legally. These companies also declare bankruptcy at a high rate then open a new company down the street with the same practices.
Looking online is always a good way to find out a CDL schools reputation as it is pretty easy to determine which school wants you to succeed and which schools want your money. Visit forums such as TruckersReport.com or even Reddit about specific schools. If there is a truck driving company that you want to work for call them up and ask them what school they recommend
Manual Versus Automatic
When it comes to equipment the old debate has always been whether it is better to learn on a manual transmission or an automatic transmission
The majority of trucking companies now only purchase automatic transmission especially entry level companies. The computer inside of the truck is better equipped to decide when it is the right time to shift in order to provide optimal fuel economy
That being said learning with a manual transmission will open more doors once you receive your CDL. Of course it is easier to learn with an automatic transmission as you just have to focus on the driving and not figuring out the gear stick.
When I was hired by Schneider back in 2015 I was put into a manual transmission truck however within months I was moved over to an automatic transmission as they were in the process of eliminating all manual transmission trucks in their fleet. Have not touched a manual since
Actual Driving Time
One of the questionable tactics by CDL schools is saying you will get x amount of time in the truck however what they do not mention in their advertisements is half of it is spent observing another student driver at the wheel.
Obviously the more time you get behind the wheel the better off you will be in terms of getting your CDL successfully and the more competent that you will be
The time spent behind a wheel should be on actual roadways, highways and interstates and not driving around an empty parking lot completing some made up pylon course. It is essential that you experience driving a fully loaded tractor trailer at all speeds and conditions in order to get comfortable driving such a large vehicle
When seeking out CDL schools make sure you are asking how much actual driving time you will get for your money
Job Placement
Now I mentioned earlier that a lot of subpar CDL schools are connected with subpar trucking companies however the reverse is also true
When you are looking at a top of the line CDL schools that has been around for many years they will have developed relationships with quality of trucking companies in the area that will hire new CDL holders
Job placement should be an important component of picking a CDL school and it should be more than just a list of companies that hire new drivers. In the last couple of years it has become more difficult for new CDL holders to find work as the influx of new immigrants have led to a ton more competition and more and more companies are requiring experience before they will hire someone.
Real Life Scenarios
Now there are CDL schools which will follow the same route over and over again for that is the route where you will eventually take your test for a CDL however this is doing a disservice to the student driver. It is the CDL schools responsibility to expose the student to real life scenarios to become an all around driver
Not every right turn or left turn is the same. There are always going to be variables that the driver needs to account for and be comfortable in performing. If the student driver is confident in the majority of driving maneuvers than the CDL test will not be an issue
If the majority of the training is in an empty parking lot than there is something wrong with the school
The Final CDL Test
For some reason there are areas of the United States and Canada that the CDL school is allowed to pass their own students and the test is not performed by a licensed professional outside of the school
This is a recipe for disaster as well all know how shady some CDL schools can be and they are pushing out drivers who have no business being on the road.
If you want to call yourself a professional driver than you should earn your CDL and not just pay for it
Picking a CDL school is a critical step in becoming a professional driver as it can make a ton of difference in terms of your future career. If the government in both the United States and Canada want to make their roads safer then it is time to look at the CDL schools that are putting unsafe drivers onto the road
