What must be understood is that truck driver training is big business.  It is an industry all of it's own.  Anybody can start a school and there are no guidelines as to what must be taught, how they teach it nor who does the teaching.  Thousands upon thousands consider a truck driving career every year and there are many who capitalize on this and exploit the job seekers.  For example, here is a web site that will sell you CDL testing material for a cool $95.00 and a "guarantee" that you will pass the CDL written tests.  Well, friends, with a little bit of web surfing, I was able to easily locate the CDL Manual online... for a far more reasonable price of $0.  The written tests are based upon this manual.  This is all you need in order to pass any and all of the written tests.

Here is a free gift, in .pdf format, yours for the downloading: 

• CDL Manual

• CDL Manual In A Nutshell.

You can also practice taking tests for free at any of many websites.  Try:

• Crist CDL

Many trainees fall for programs that advertise, "TWO WEEK TRAINING!!" as though this is a good thing.  Of course, it is difficult for most to take 4-8 weeks out of their lives to go through a training program.  Most of us live paycheck to paycheck and up to two months without income hurts... or is just impossible.  This is why CDL Mills are exceedingly successful.  They effectively make the prospective trainee believe that in two to three weeks' time the trainee will be ready for the open road.  They will not tell the trainee in which areas the course scrimps, cuts and/or altogether skips.  A trap that the trainee often falls into is the gross underestimation of the skills and knowledge necessary to be a competent, informed and professional driver. 

Even as the trainee goes through a program, he/she still often does not know that he/she is getting the raw end of the deal.  Unfortunately, this understanding usually does not come until much later, when they find themselves out on the road somewhere not knowing how to handle a fairly simple situation. Some discover the truth when even the simplest backing job requires 45 minutes. Some find out when they are consistently 25% out of route on mileage.  Others see it the first time they descend a mountain or drive on snow and ice.  Some will believe that the first year or so is supposed to be this hard and may not even see how it relates to less than adequate training.  The first year is usually hard for most -- but it doesn't have to be pure torture.

A CDL does not a driver make, but the CDL Mill does not tell the trainee this, and in fact, leads the trainee to believe exactly this.  The trainee is encouraged to believe that it is the trainer's job to "pick up" where the training left off and this is absolutely not true.

It does not help that there are many schools, recruiters and job placement companies eager to encourage trainees to hurry through training. In regard to community college programs, one irresponsible website advises, "There are many cheaper community college/vocational programs. However they are sometimes longer than necessary (6 weeks +)...Time is money."  

Whether a course is "too long" is very much dependent on the individual.  If you have some trucking background, a shorter course might be preferable.  If you are as green as grass, it is very doubtful that 6 weeks will be "too long". 

Update:  The above bothered me so much that I decided to email the website owner.  Read our email exchange here.

A few more words of brilliance from these people advise:

"Many folks just look at tuition amount when thinking of training...don't pay any more than necessary, but the lowest price may not be the best if the program is too long! Companies hire from schools with 3 or 4 week programs...why train longer than necessary?"   This statement implies that because carriers hire from such programs that they are the way to go.  There is no emphasis or mention of becoming a safe driver -- only becoming a driver quickly. 

And finally, they say:  "The quicker you get trained, the more money you make."   What about a banner that proclaims, "The better you're trained, the more success you'll enjoy?"  Or maybe, "The quicker you're trained, the quicker you can wreck the truck and kill a family." 

If you click on the banner that proclaims, "Let a company pay for your training," you are taken to a page that assures you that, "In less than 2 weeks of training, you can be on the road to success in a great paying career as a professional truck driver."  The sponsoring company claims, "We are the recruiting network for some of the country’s most well known and profitable trucking companies."  This program consists of an entire six days spent behind the wheel.

The CDL Mill will not only survive -- but thrive -- because carriers are more than happy to hire the CDL Mill product.  As a result, an incredible amount of responsibility is placed on the shoulders of untrained trainers to do the job that by all rights, the school should have done.  Some carriers institute "Train the Trainer" courses in an effort to better inform trainers.  While this is commendable, it is not even close to enough.  A 1 to 2 day course cannot teach someone how to teach.  Most trainers know how to perform their jobs well and they assume that this is enough qualification.  When their trainee cannot shift or back, few trainers truly know how to walk the trainee through the procedure.  Just because you know how to do something does not mean that you know how to teach someone else how to do it.

"Train The Trainer"... Nice Start, Not Enough

I attended a "Train the Trainer" session years ago with my boss.  He wanted me there to mostly listen but told me to put together some information to present.  I was a nervous wreck.  I was going to stand up in front of a large group of experienced drivers who wanted to become trainers and tell them something that they didn't know???!!  The night before I racked my brain trying to think of what I would say.  Eventually I realized that I wasn't there to tell these drivers how to drive -- just to share with them what I'd learned about how to teach. 

I told them a bit about what they could likely expect of their trainees.... that most would occasionally forget the button, get into the clutch brake, have backing difficulties, shifting screw ups, trouble with the logbook, etc.  I consider these problems normal and to be expected for awhile.  Patient instruction and repetition usually brings improvement.  Many of the trainers-to-be were acting surprised.  Finally someone asked, "If they (the trainees) don't know all of this stuff, what did you guys teach them in school?"  My response was, "If you think they're rough when you get them, you can't believe what the first day in the truck was like for us!"  They slowly warmed up.  They began to see the trainee as a real person.

Another thing I really wanted to stress was that their trainees would want a certain amount of specific direction from them.  They wouldn't want to be left hanging, not knowing what to do.  I challenged them to tell me the steps to unhooking the truck and trailer.  They laughed.  They'd done this a million times and to them, the process was just about the simplest thing they ever did.  One brave soul volunteered to list the steps aloud.  When he got done, no one else had noticed, but he had forgotten something.  I asked him and the others if they were aware of what was left out.  No one was.  This experienced, safe, professional driver had forgotten to mention the step of cranking the landing gear down. Many trainer / trainee problems could be significantly reduced if trainees came in better prepared and if trainers knew more about how to teach and carriers allowed them the time to do so.

I'll never forget Dale.  A few years back when I was working as the classroom instructor at a truck driving school, Dale walked in on the first day and sat in the front row.  After some opening comments, I asked each student to say their name and a sentence or two as an introduction.  Dale went first.  He said, "My name is Dale and I have a Class A CDL with HazMat, Tanker and Doubles/Triples....” I immediately thought, "Oh no... one of these..."  Every class had a person that already knew everything I was going to teach them.  (Though you couldn't tell it by their test scores.)  Just as this thought entered my mind, Dale finished his sentence by saying, ".... and I don't know **** about truck driving.  I went to a two week school in Los Angeles and I don't know how I got a CDL and I can't go backwards at all."  My opinion of Dale changed instantly.  Dale knew what he didn't know.  Dale turned out to be an excellent student.  He listened and paid attention.  He did well in the classroom as well as on the concourse and on the road.  The school he had attended had given him just enough information to make him very dangerous and he was wise enough to know it.

So, because CDL Mills can make a quick buck off the back of a trainee and because carriers accept CDL Mill trainees, there will continue to be CDL Mills.

These are indicators only - they don't necessarily mean a school is "bad," but consider them to be "red flags".

• Short program length.  Each individual is different as to what type of program will be best for them.  While I feel strongly against the extremely short courses, I realize that there are those people who are mechanically inclined and possibly have a trucking background, which can be helpful.  I've also found farmers and military people seem to catch on quickly to shifting and backing.  No matter who you are, you must honestly assess your own capabilities, limitations and knowledge, as well as research what truck driving really is.  If you attend a short program, prepare for more pressure and an increased dependency on your driver/trainer, who may or may not be able to give you the additional information and guidance you may find that you need.

• High price tag or fair price tag + high interest for financing, often 18+%.  This generally doubles the school cost.

• 3rd Party Testers.  There have been many instances of corruption among those who use 3rd party testers.

• No teaching of the proper procedure to hook / unhook.  Hooking and unhooking once or twice isn't good enough. This is an area that many short programs will scrimp on.  This is not a difficult procedure, but not doing it right can cause tremendous damage.

• Poor curriculum --or--

• Little to no curriculum.  One workbook doesn't cut it.  Using the DOT Manual as school curriculum is pathetic.  The program should cover at least the basics, such as:  Map Reading & Trip Planning, Hours of Service, Cargo Loading, Federal Regulations, Defensive Driving and all of its subparts, Winter Driving.  It is nice to see programs that also have Night Driving and allow students the opportunity to plan and follow their own routes.

• The same two or three routes, over and over again.  The school knows that only one of two or three routes will be used when the student is CDL tested.  Having practiced the routes over and over again better ensures that the student will pass, which is the goal of the CDL Mill.  This does nothing to test or challenge the student's ability to face new obstacles and difficulties, which is perhaps the quintessential function of the truck driver.

• Nearly all highway driving.  Most people can point the truck down the road but it is a different story to navigate the truck in the city.  City driving is far more valuable experience.

• Little backing practice and/or only one or two backing maneuvers.  Typically the 45 degree alley dock and straight line back are used by CDL Mills because this is what the DOT tests.  The CDL Mill rarely, if ever, goes above and beyond what the DOT requires.  The unfortunate part of this is that the DOT doesn't require much.

•  Poor instructors.   Instructors who are impatient are not capable of teaching.  Instructors who are not experienced do not have much to teach.  "Know it all" instructors will not teach the proper way of doing things and will purposefully or inadvertently influence students' attitudes with their own.  Instructors without any guidelines to follow in their teaching method will teach how they themselves do something; whether it is the right way or the wrong way; the easy way or the hard way.  This lack of consistency among instructors will lead to a student’s frustration and confusion, which is hardly conducive to learning.

• High ratio of students to instructors, especially in the area of driving.  If there are four or five students in one truck, no one will get much driving time.  Many schools will remove the sleeper berth and bolt multiple chairs to the floor.  Some schools actually cram up to 6 in a truck.

I wouldn't say that a CDL Mill is always the wrong choice, nor that attending a CDL Mill ensures failure.  Many trainees will go on to a successful career but many will not make it through their first year over the road.  Poor training is a strong contributor to this problem.  There are, however, limited instances in which it might actually work, but these are unusual and there is usually a better option. 

Drivers who have been out of the industry for a few years often return to find that their experience is, in the eyes of the carrier, "outdated". In the case of an "outdated" driver, a short program is likely the best option. Many reputable schools offer refresher courses for this reason.  They would likely be a preferable alternative.

I recently had the opportunity to speak at length with a driver who said he had attended a "CDL Mill".  It was a very interesting conversation.

The driver I spoke with did not want his name revealed so I will call him only "John".  John attended Prime's school in Springfield, MO.  I surfed Prime's website for more information about their training programs but found little.  More surfing revealed that they use MTC Truck Driver Training in Springfield, MO and St Louis, MO.  I would provide a link to Prime's site, but on their site is a warning that says:  "External Links directed to www.primeinc.com or any of its web pages, is forbidden without the express consent of Prime, Inc."  All I can wonder is who would want to link to this company's page, anyway?  So, I guess if you want to surf their site you will need to cut and paste the above web address 'cause Prime will get mad if I link to it. 

In my opinion, after what I have been told, Prime has a lot more to worry about than external hyperlinks. 

John's three week long class started with twenty seven people.  Thirteen were left at graduation. The first week was spent, according to John, "being given the answers to all the CDL written tests."  I asked John if they covered anything other than material that would be on CDL tests.  He said they glossed over the logbook but that his trainer had to teach him how to do it because the school hardly covered it.  "Nothing was even said about winter, mountain grades or snow and ice," John said.  "The focus was getting the answers for the CDL tests only."

The second week was spent driving the highway or one of three pre-set routes and backing.  Backing consisted of the 45 degree alley dock and straight line back over and over.  They did not work on any other backing exercises.  John said the instructor showed you how to do the 45 once or twice and then the student was left on his/her own to figure it out.

The third week they were CDL tested by a 3rd party tester who took students on one of the three routes that they had practiced in the second week.

John said the instructors were "impatient and discriminatory."  I asked John how he had made it when many others had failed.  He said, "I never did very well in high school when it came to classes like English and Math but I found that I was good at working with my hands.  I could build things.  I could take them apart and put them back together.  Shifting and driving came pretty naturally to me."  John credits his mechanical aptitude when it comes to passing the course.

The cost of the course was $4500.00.  John said that by the time a student paid the interest, the price doubled to $9000.00.  He said that a student had 72 hours from the start of the course to walk away free.  If they left at a later point, they would be responsible for the entire debt.  I am not able at this time to verify this.  I can understand it if a student is held liable for the cost of a physical and drug screen, but for the entire fee?  That's robbery.

I asked John if he had any advice for new drivers when it came to choosing a driving school.  He went silent a moment and then said only, "Go to a community college program."

So, is MTC the only "bad" school out there?  Of course not.  There are many more where they came from and more go into business all the time.  There is but one well known private group (Professional Truck Driver Institute)  that has been basically "self-appointed" to set standards and guidelines in truck driver training.  They encourage schools to certify their courses.  This is supposed to help ensure the trainee that he/she will be taught according to PTDI guidelines.

While this is better than nothing, there are certainly holes in this system as well.  Schools certify their courses, not the actual school.  Therefore, a school may offer a certified course as well as one (or more) that are not certified.  It is up to the trainee to "read the fine print" as to the course he/she will take.

Certification is fairly expensive.  According the the PTDI website, an initial certification costs nearly $4000.00.  Re-certifying their courses costs slightly less, $3465.00, and must be done three years after the initial certification.  Some smaller and/or "mom and pop" schools who charge a reasonable fee for good instruction simply cannot afford this. 

After the re-certification at the three year mark, the PTDI may then allow a school to go more years before recertifying a course.  Many things can happen in 3, 4, 5, 6 years.

At the heart of it all, if you use PTDI certification as a measurement of a school's course, this must mean that you trust fully in what they have established as guidelines for instruction and curriculum.  While these standards seem to be good, at times they do appear vague.  Less reputable schools, then, can and do become certified.

It is evident that the trucking industry is not going to properly police itself when it comes to truck driver training.  PTDI does nothing to prevent and/or shut down CDL Mills.  You can't even call the PTDI impartial... contribute to their clubs and you can get your company listed on their job opportunities page and in their publications.

The only defense we truly have is educating prospective drivers and exposing the rip off artists.  As time goes on, there will be more research and information available as to the correlation between those who succeed and those who fail and how it relates to how well they were trained.  Someday we will likely hear of a trainee who crashes a truck and turns around and sues their driving school for not having properly prepared them. 

• To read and/or submit comments about schools:

  Jilly's Place  (Sorry, has apparently disappeared from cyberspace.)

  Newbie Driver School Database

• View List of Driving Schools 

  Truck Driving Schools USA  (Name, Location & Web Address (if available).)

  Newbie Driver School Database  (Smaller list of schools with details.)

• Questions to Ask of a Truck Driving School

• Driving School Tips

• PTDI

  PTDI Curriculum Standard Guidelines for Entry-Level Tractor-Trailer Driver Courses  (.pdf format)

  PTDI Skill Standards for Entry-Level Tractor-Trailer Drivers  (.pdf format)

A Quote By Jim Johnston, OOIDA President, from a keynote address to the International Truck and Bus Safety Symposium at the University of Tennessee.

"

"Additionally, the lack of mandatory standardized training has left the door open for many abuses and a continuing influx of new and unprepared drivers. It is absolutely ludicrous that occupations such as barbers, hairdressers and insurance agents are required to go through mandatory training in order to be licensed, but that no training at all is required to obtain a license to operate an 80,000-pound truck over the highway."