Why can't I

[GADawg]

Can I just get a manual and study for my CDL and go take the test? Instead of paying a school $4000.00 or going thru company sponsored program and getting tied to a contract.
Please let me know what you think.
Thanks

[pro1driver]

Originally Posted by GADawg

Can I just get a manual and study for my CDL and go take the test? Instead of paying a school $4000.00 or going thru company sponsored program and getting tied to a contract.
Please let me know what you think.
Thanks

well, you'll need to rent or borrow a tractor-trailer rig.........

if you ain't got no license, you ain't renting one out....

then too, most trucking companies REQUIRE some type of accredited trucking school.

[GADawg]

Ok thanks but I have a buddy that has a license and He is willing to rent it so that takes care of that.
If I can get on with a company that doesn't care about the accredidation then I don't guess it makes a difference.
What did people do before 911 and all the schools????

Did you go to a school? If so what one???

[pcuthbert]

GADawg;

Unfortunately, it won't work that way anymore.

While there are a lot of CDL mills out there, the experience you gain, and the knowledge you gain will be invaluable.

Being able to ask questions, and have them answered by a professional instructor will be well worth the investment you make.

Driving a truck is not the same as driving a car. The rules are not the same, and you will certainly get a better understanding of the difference.

If you really want to go about it this way, you will likely start out as a gravel truck driver. Take a close look, and you will see that most of them are very aggressive on the road. If that is your style, then go for it.

If you are a more laid back individual, then you really should go through a training program.

Check your local State tech/vocational schools. You may be eligible for a "free" course that will get you on your way.

[Luman]

A guy I work with wanted to get his cdl. He has been here several years as a yard man. The boss said he could use the truck to practice. After studying the book he went to dmv to take his written tests. He passed those without a problem. Several months later he went and took his road pretrip/road test. He passed the pretrip portion after the 3rd attempt(the ppl at the dmv where looking for verbatim out of the book). He passed the road trip portion the first go.

Now, of course, he is doing deliveries, I don't know if he will run into problems when he decides to goto a different company without having attended school. If you have some experience under your belt, I don't see why they would hold that against you...

[vwaggs]

The federal gov't used to have a program for displaced workers administered by the employment/work forces offices in some states. If you qualified, they would pay for your coursework and some expenses. If your state is particularly expensive as they tend to be in the north, Arkansas has lots of schools that only charge about $1700. It requires you go there, pay for a cheap motel and transfer your license to that state.