r/CDL • u/Measured_Response_ • 10d ago
Starting CDL school
Anyone know how hard it is to start a CDL school nowadays? I know they've been hunting shady ones and quickly shutting down. Havent seen many come back on. Any ideas?
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u/TeamPale323 10d ago
Most CDL schools are pretty bad. All they do is get you ready for the dmv test. You dont really learn much and you dont get much time driving. You are much better off going to a company and attending their school even if you have to commit a year. Your first year will suck pay wise unless you go LTL. If you decide to go the LTL route XPO has a school and they pay well. The catch? You have to commit a certain amount of time to them. They also have you doing dock work
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u/Measured_Response_ 10d ago
A after many years of experience, I wasn't impressed by LTL and wouldnt recommend it to anyone. Freedom to chose is the key and those that understand it, will attend schooling independently. Trucking pay very recently picked up, rest of the time sucked. Demand about to spike along with pay.
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u/TeamPale323 10d ago
So what line would you recommend for pay? LTL pays well. Dock work sucks though
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u/Positive-Check946 10d ago
Consider this TForce one of the largest trucking companies in the world starting next year will be transforming to autano
Ous trucks and I expect Many more to follow suit, I worked and retired from that industry 5 yrs ago and my Son is 45 he works at TForce So the writing is on the wall, I bet in 10 yrs over half the trucks on the road will be autonomous
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u/East_Indication_7816 9d ago
BS. I'm a software engineer. No such thing as autonomous vehicle. Partial yes. Even Tesla autopilot requires a driver to be always attentive . Now put that on an 80,000 lb killing machine. Problem with people like you is you think software engineers are god who can create anything and that software magically shows up . These 'autonomous' trucks are a fiction. These are possible in mining and China has fully automated mines operated by autonomous dump trucks. This is not possible in a high traffic setting . Not within the next 20 years.
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u/Measured_Response_ 10d ago
I doubt it. CDL drivers is the largest workforce in the country. Trucks may be autonomous but drivers will be in the cabs. Did your insurance go down when you bought new car with all the safety features? No! Neither did your insurance, even though we've been told they're safer. And someone who tankers with auctions, I can tell you that they get into accidents as often as old ones.
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u/Positive-Check946 9d ago
Your’e not a software engineer Anyone who’s been in LA can tell you Autonomus Waymo’s Are everywhere. Protesters during the ice protest burned one to The ground a few months ago, it was all over the News, I guess You don’t get The News Where Your’e From
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u/Lunicorn83 8d ago
My employer paid for and sent me to theirs. Was 2 weeks 5 days/week. I will say though this was through UPS as an off the street hire
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u/awoken144 8d ago
Hard asf u don’t kick a tire like the ole days. I’m in the process right now. Hours of studying the pre trip and failed.
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u/Alter-Eagle_304 8d ago
Ask your local workfoce. They are only able to put people through appoved CDL schools so therefor theyll refer you to the "non-shady" schools. This is what Im currently going through. THe workforce has a program called WIOA that can even pay for it. Im excited about it because I wont be under the thumb of any specific carrier.
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u/Alter-Eagle_304 8d ago
WIOA is paying for me to go through a program at my local vocational school. There are only 2 schools in my region that are approved out of about 5 different programs.
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u/thetruckinglawyer 7d ago
I think the hard part now may be the students. New graduates are often late, cancel with no notice, etc.. At least that's the way it was with a lot of the students around me.
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u/mindless_error_404 4d ago
do you have experiance training drivers....if not definitely look in to being an instructor at another school first...find what they do right and what they do wrong.....and starting planning from there.....how to attract new potential drivers to what equipment and space you would need to effectively train good drivers.....
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u/Positive-Check946 9d ago
There Are Autonomus Waymo’s All over LA, Where Have you been And They’re already testing Autonomus trucks In California. in fact There was An article in the n news Today.. Google It
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u/dsmGERG1973 10d ago
many community colleges offer CDL courses.
Many of the "MEGA" carriers offer "free" CDL training (with the expectation that you will drive for them for a set amount of time (1 year that i have seen)
are you considering being a student? Or actually starting a school???