Where to go in Mass

I'm in the same boat as you. I looked at Parker & NETTTS. After looking at both, I decided to go with Parker. Why? When I spoke with them on the phone and when I went to check out Parker in Avon, everyone I dealt with seemed like they really had it together. Before I even went to their school to visit, they quoted my the price upfront over the phone ($5k). When I visited, they took me on a ride in one of the trucks that students get to use & actually let me drive it (even though it was just around their parking lot, I thought that was very cool). Nobody at Parker was really using any heavy sales tactics. Everything was very upfront & all of my questions were answered. I even briefly met the owner of the school (whose name is really Parker).
Contrast that with my experience with NETTTS, which made me feel like I was on a CIA mission or a drug deal. When I called their # from the Herald, the guy would not tell me upfront how much the class was or even where the school was. He told me to meet one of their reps at the Wendy's in Rozzy at American Legion Hwy & Walk Hill, kinda by Forest Hills Cemetary if you know the area, and the rep would give me the scoop. The guy just told me to meet "Tony" there at 11:30 and he would tell me everything I needed to know about the program. So I get there right at 11:30 & since the guy I talked to on the phone didn't say anything about what Tony looked like (and I guess I should have asked) , I got there & asked a bunch of people if they were "Tony". Nobody responded in the affirmative, so I bailed. Right when I got in my car, somebody called by phone and asked if I was the guy who was just asking for Tony & said that he was from NETTTS & to come back because he was one of the guys who I just asked if he was Tony & no, he wasn't Tony but he was from NETTTS & they switched reps at the last minute. The guy gave me the lowdown about NETTTS & told me that the program costs $8900 and takes 5 months to complete. This guy was nice enough, but he had that salesman vibe about him. I talked to some of my friends and relatives who are/were OTR truckers & they said that there is absolutely no reason why any CDL-A class should take 5 months unless the student is a complete blockhead. The whole "meet Tony at Wendy's" thing was a bit sketchy overall, in my opinion. I start at Parker in July, so I'll post here again & let you know how it goes.
Good luck to you! GO CELTS!!!

 

@AppleKnocker...well that seals the deal for me! Parker in Avon it is! They were wicked nice on the phone and super informative, 0 pressure. NETTTS' rep. is continually bothering the crap outta me, and frankly I hate high pressure too. Thanks for the response, this is super helpful! I'm already pumped to start on the road to my Class A.

 

Hello, AppleKnocker1975 and prm510

Welcome to the Site

Make sure that there are trucking companies, in your area, that will hire you at 21 years old. Most trucking companies want a minimum of 23 years old. But, truck driver training schools will accept cash payment anywhere from 18 years old. Knowing that the potential for employment is slim for that student.
I know that Schneider Natl. will hire at 21, but, you need to search and research (Homework), as much as possible.
Don't pay for the training before you make sure of the hiring potential. You are in charge of your own success

Keep us posted.

Best of Luck!!!!!

 

Depending on were in MA, NETTS (New England Tractor Trailer Training School) in Somers CT. That is were I went back in 05, they are a accredited school, with job placement.

 

Ok so I started at Parker Professional Driver school in Avon this past Monday (July 12). So far so good. The instructor is really cool with a good sense of humor & seems to have a lot of years of experience as an actual truck driver with plenty of funny stories. The first week is all about sitting in the classroom watching videos and taking practice tests to prepare us to get our permits so that we can hit the road. The class has about 13 people. I was kinda surprised that I'm one of the youngest people in the class (I'm 35). I figured that there would be a lot of people in their 20s & some more 30s as well, but I was wrong. Class is from 8:00am until noon. The good old "roach coach" comes by every morning at 10:30 on the dot for a coffee/smoke break. So far I am still stoked about my decision to go to Parker instead of Netts. I'll check in here again in a few days.....

 

That's awesome! I decided on my Class B for the moment, as I am not too keen on doing OTR, and LTL jobs are kind of scare here at the moment. I'd like to get my B with Air Brakes, Hazmat and Tank, I digress lol This post just seals the deal more for me when I will be in the Avon area Thursday, keep the updates coming!

 

Okay so I have been at Parker since last week Monday. The first 10 days of the program are spent in the classroom so that the students can be prepared to take the knowledge tests that we need to get our CDL-A learner's permits and then we start actually driving on Monday, the start of the third week of the six week program. We have been taking plenty of written exams and have been watching a lot of videos dealing with general knowledge, air brakes, combination vehicles (which is basically how to attach the tractor to the trailor), triples & doubles, hazmat, & tankers. At times it has seemed a bit redundant when we took similar tests over and over again and watched movies from the 1980s featuring lots of old cabovers and a host that looks like an old lounge singer from the 70s, but I can tell you that I know a helluva lot more about big trucks than I did before I started the program as a result of the testing, videos, and the instruction from the teacher.

I went to Watertown Mall today and took my knowledge tests on the computer for my permit and am now a few steps closer to my goal of becoming a professional OTR truck driver! I think we get a new teacher next week for the driving portion of the program. Today was the first day that we actually stepped out of the classroom. We went outside and the teacher demonstrated how to do a pre-trip inspection. Tomorrow is the last day in the classroom, which is fine with me. I could not be more stoked about getting behind the wheel next week! I think I'm going to go chill out at Revere Beach & maybe go to Kelly's Roast Beef to celebrate getting my permit. I'll post here again at some point next week to let everyone know how the driving is going. Hope everyone has a fun & safe weekend!

 

that is not totally true..they have people who work in placement but they only place you in a interview not a job..there is in reality, a HUGE difference..

 

Okay, so I have finished 4 weeks out of 6 in the CDL-A class at Parker. Today was the first day of week 5. The first two weeks were in the classroom, & the rest is driving, a lot of which is in the parking lot of the old dog track in Raynham. During the driving portion we have been spending a lot of time practicing how to back up the truck and parallel park from both sides. Today was the second time that I actually drove the truck on a real road among other trucks, cars, motorcycles etc. It was so much fun! At first, I was having a hard time downshifting, but I am starting to get used to it. One of the instructors and I drove on 24 and 495 for a while. Fortunately for me traffic was not problematic at all. The only other problem that I have encountered has been getting all of the moves down for the parallel parking. It is one of those things that just takes a while to master. Practice makes perfect. Tomorrow we beging practicing how to back into a loading dock. Hope all is well with everyone!!!