Commercial Drivers Learning Center, Sacramento CA

I am considering a 'Plan B' route after attending the crash course (no pun intended) offered by Truck Drivers Academy (on behalf of Swift).

I found Commercial Drivers Learning Center (http://www.cdlc4u.com/home.html) and have read reviews on Yelp! that seemed very positive (from prior experience, I can tell when I read a review that was scripted and these did not appear to be). I want to know if anyone has used them and is willing to share their experience.

 

Ok... There are other comments I have made with regards to that subject. But to summarize:

I was sent to Fontana to their school (which I think was conducted at the site formerly used by Swift as their terminal there), but out of 35 students, the class was split into a 4 students to 1 teacher ratio for on the road and 8-1 for parking lot skills. The first week was spent divided into 3 tasks: DOT physical, DMV, and useless videos ( the first day was taken by physicals / drug screening), the 2nd week was not that great. I don't think any of us got more than 6 - 8 hours behind the wheel actually driving (not enough time behind the wheel without recent prior experience to pass the DMV skills tests). So this literally was a 'crash course' and did not have an adequate teacher - student ratio. Had I been paying for it, I would want my money back. I was there under the scholarship that they offer to veterans and did not finish. Those that had, actually had prior experience; leading me to believe that the course was better planned/structured for those that needed to take a refresher course.

They returned me to Sacramento, and I applied for a grant under the Workforce Investment Act, and after a long and drawn out process lengthened by the fact that the first county career center I went to had run out of funds just before I was approved and referred me to a 2nd center that actually declined me when they felt that I hadn't documented the lack of jobs in the field I was leaving (multifamily property management) to justify a grant. I went to the main office to complain and was referred to a 3rd center, where I was ultimately approved, although not for the full amount). I have decided to attend training with Western Truck School in West Sacramento (http://westerntruckschool.com/) based on the following:

1) The staff at the school I encountered were more professional than what I encountered at Commercial Drivers Learning Center).
2) Western Truck school has been in existence for more than 35 years with a better performance record. CDLC hadn't been around 10 years (I have T-Shirts that were older than the school, and was wearing one when I observed some of the training at each of them).
3) Western Truck School is a Veteran Owned business.

 

I spoke with the owner in his office, then went to their skills yard to observe (which I also did with western truck school). In my conversations with CDLC, the owner had his opinions about various other schools and trucking companies (ultimately you can say the trucking companies are customers of a school when they hire a graduate, but it is an indirect customer), he made it known that he had a poor opinion of most trucking companies and talked bad about nearly every one I mentioned having researched. It is because of that, more than one of those companies actually refused to hire CDLC graduates (even ones that I had conditional hire letters from, I was told that the letters were void if I chose CDLC). In my opinion and experience, anyone, regardless of industry, who talks bad about customers or competitors, is very unprofessional and not worth my time.

 

I am done, but have to wait until JULY to test as the soonest appointment is mid month and the school won't allow me to standby to "maybe" test.

My road to this point has sure been a long and strange trip. (bonus points for naming the source of that saying).

I understand the difference between not playing the game and simply being insulting to customers (whether the customer is the direct one with the student, or the indirect one with the trucking companies). His attitude and opinions were well beyond simply not playing the game. This was further confirmed by the low opinions I got from the trucking companies I researched.

Btw; my 13 year old nephew is older than the CDLC. Western truck school is almost as old as my little sister and has a longer history.