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.