ATI Virginia Beach

Mikeww7936, I don't know much about ATI, but I attended TCC back in 1999 and they were ok but I am sure their curriculum has changed since then. I have been out of trucking for some years now. Next week I am scheduled to start at TNCC to reup my CDL the company is 4CDL and I hear good things about them. Good luck and if I can help in any way let me know.

 

Mikeww7936,

I'm a newly retired 30 year Navy CWO4 and my wife was a high school English teacher until this summer when we decided to go trucking as a second career. We are also recent graduates (last week) of ATI's trucking program in Va Beach and we really enjoyed the training we received there courtesy of the Post 911 GI Bill. The instructors were great and the trucks were decent (2005 Kenworth T2000's and 99 Frieghtliners along with a mix of 48 and 53 foot trailers) as were the facilities. The rest of the staff were very helpful, polite, courteous, and genuinely interested in helping you if you needed assistance.

The first month (4 days a week for 4 hours) is all rules and regs, logbooks, trip planning, pre-trip inspections, etc. The second month (5 days a week, 8.5 hours a day for day class) is all driving (first week is backing which includes straight, curved, blindside, and parallel parking) and you can expect at least a couple of hours a day behind the wheel in all kinds of driving situations. You will become very proficient in shifting, especially downshifting into the lower gears. They really push professionalism and safety too, they won't hesitate to put you out of a truck (or class for that matter) if you can't live up to both. You will also get an opportunity to chat with a lot of recruiters while you're there; we had people from TSC, Schneider, TransAm, Werner, Prime, Averitt, McElroy, and a few others I can't remember come talk to us and pitch their companies.

If I had to complain about something it would be the air conditioning in the trucks but that would be about it. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend ATI to anyone looking for a career type school, especially the tractor and trailer driving course. And yes I'm a little biased as I graduated from their Auto and Diesel programs back in the early 90's.

Good luck to you, my wife and I are getting ready to head off to orientation with Covenant as a hazmat team.

 

I am considering TNCC in the next few months and can't find much info on them....please let me know how it goes.

I have heard good things and see good equipment at ATI (they look good on the roads); but for me, TNCC (4CDL) is a little cheaper.
Good luck.

 

Not too Happy with TNCC and 4CDL. Only other options on the Peninsula is Shippers Choice, which I don't know much about. I would recommend TCC as a first choice, I know the cost is a bit more but I feel you get what you pay for.

 

Why weren't you happy with 4CDL? I see them quite often. Their equipment looks very nice, I am considering them so I can just train on the weekends instead of during the week when I need to be working to cover my expenses...