Let me start off by explaining who I am, and how i know what i know.
I was a truck driver of over 10 years, i trained for 2 of the biggest truck driver schools for over 8 years.
I have worked as a CDL Trainer, Training Director and a State CDL Examiner.
I am not some angry employee looking to strike back, am very far from that.
Just a guy that's tired of seeing peoples life's destroyed by these "farms".
This information will pretty much apply to any trucking school out there, so don't just think it applies to C1, every school has the same idea in mind.
To flood the school with students and pump you out, you are a commodity to them and that's it.
Trucking schools have many ways of getting payed, C1 for instance dosent really deal with financing, but they have deals with trucking companies like Pam and USA Truck, where they will train you to get your CDL and the Trucking company will pick up the bill for you; But not the interest.
Ahh, yes your first hitch they don't tell you about. The school cost 6,000.00 but the financing is around another 3 to 5 thousand that you must pay.
Not to mention, C1 will recruit you and tell you everything is good to go, have you make your own way to the school and a few days later they will send you home.
Why you ask, cause C1 dosent really pre screen the students, all the school recruiters care about is getting you in that door and they will say anything to get you there.
On any given week I would count 40 to 50 first week students, by the 3rd day, it was down to 75% of that, and by the 2nd week it was half.
That every single week.
FACT: The Indianapolis C1 School has 15 or more instructors, and only 12 to 20 students are graduating weekly.
Now how do you start with 40 to 50 students, and only average 12 to 20 grads weekly? Cause they lied to you to get you there, and now you got dropped by your carrier and tossed on the street, forced to find a way back home with your tail in between your legs.
NOTE: Each Instructor starts with 4 new students every other week.
There usually down to 1 or 2 by grad time.
Now if all that don't scare you, lets go in to the taining department, lead by the famous Walter B. Of the Indy office.
Walter, a man with less than 2 years OTR and about 15 years working for C1, he first starts off with students by intimidation, don't think i ever had a student that didn't make a comment like that.
He truly believes in the training manual and the information in it, i got to say that some of it is real good information, but the way its forced down your thought, you probably going to choke, like most students.
The only real problem with the training, is all the instructors are forced to train by the book, and it would work great if everyone was the same, and not person, but people are, and nobody learns the same way.
Well most the instructors know this, there is little they can do about it because of Walter, you will basically fail because of this silly rule.
On top of that, you will be juggled around by many instructors, most of them will say completely different things to further your frustration.
And there might be a slight chance that 1 or 2 of the instructors will belittle you and curse you out like a little kid.
Now for the best:
If you manage to get through all of the above, and you actully head out to work, you will go for training for 2 to 3 months with a trainer for the company you are working for.
Once you get out on your own, i have no idea what you will make.
But, unless its. 50 cents per mile, you cant survive.
Only putting this here because i have seen good people quit their jobs, spend all there cash on the promise that you are going to have this great job and make big money.
The truth is the trucking industry is dying every day, if you compare mile per hour, you would make twice the money at McDonalds for less work.
Trucking Schools, Trucking companies, Law Enforcement and Truck Stops see you as nothing more than a cash cow, and are doing anything they can to get your money.
My suggestion, if you really want to be a trucker, even after reading this.
Pay cash for a school, and try to never work for the big companies "farms"
My other suggestion: Go work in medical or computers.
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