Truckin' with Tamie
From CEOs to mechanics to truck drivers, women are revolutionizing the transportation industry. Tune in to "Truckin' with Tamie" where host Tamie explores the ins and outs of trucking, showcasing how this formerly male-dominated field is now opening its doors to women worldwide. We cover the issues affecting women entering the industry for the first time, CDL Schools and training programs, and adjusting to life on the road. We will interview women in various positions in the trucking industry, and get the real scoop on what to expect as a woman in this field.
Truckin' with Tamie
Where Do I Get My CDL? A Look at Community College Programs
Are you dreaming of a career behind the wheel? The path to obtaining your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) has evolved significantly with new regulations that every aspiring truck driver should know. This episode expertly unpacks the recently introduced Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements, designed to reinforce the foundational skills necessary for safe and competent driving. We highlight the differences between community college and private training programs, discuss the various costs associated with training, and share personal anecdotes that provide an authentic glimpse into the world of truck driving education.
Discover why it’s critical to choose a training provider that not only prepares you for the test but equips you with the knowledge and confidence needed to thrive as a professional driver. By understanding the expectations that come with your CDL, including knowledge of regulations such as hours of service and vehicle safety inspections, you'll be better positioned to succeed on the road.
Join us for this enlightening discussion, and take the first step on your journey towards becoming a professional truck driver. Don’t forget to subscribe and share this episode with someone who might be interested in hitting the road!
Hi, good afternoon truckers and future road warriors, and welcome back to Trucking with Tammy. I'm your host, tammy. So today we are going to hit the road to talk about CDL schools, whether about your dreaming of driving a semi. If you're just curious how it all works, stick around. I'm going to unpack some ELD requirements. I'm going to dive into a couple of community college programs, we're going to touch on individual states and, most importantly, I'm going to remind you that once you got that license, it's your job to know the regulations, no matter how good your training was. So buckle up, grab your coffee and let's get rolling. So let's kick off with something that you'll hear a lot about when you're starting out, and that's your ELDT. So ELDT is the entry level driver training. It's a federal rule that went in effect back in 2022. So, thanks to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, fmcsa, you're going to hear a lot about them in your career too. They kicked that off and it was designed to give new drivers a solid foundation before they take their CDL skills test or they get their endorsement like hazmat passenger school bus. Their CDL skills test or they get their endorsement like hazmat passenger school bus. So, before the ELD team went into effect. You could have a friend teach you how to drive. You could borrow a truck, you could head down to the driver's facility all by yourself and you could take the test, pass and get your CDL. And nope, not anymore. So now ELDT ruling says that you have to go to a training provider that is listed on the FMCSA's registry. So you're going to go to the provider, you're going to pay them a chunk of money and then they're going to give you two things. They're going to give you theory, which is classroom training, and they're going to give you two things. They're going to give you theory, which is classroom training, and they're going to give you behind the wheel training. So theory time is like vehicle inspections, basic control skills, road safety regs. You're going to learn about your hours of service. You're going to learn the basic rules and regulations Okay. Then you're going to get behind the wheel and they're going to learn about your hours of service. You're going to learn the basic rules and regulations Okay. Then you're going to get behind the wheel and they're going to split that into range practice so backing, coupling a trailer and then you're going to get real world road driving right. So you're going to get out there, you're going to make those turns, um, and you're going to see what it's like to drive a semi on the road.
Speaker 1:Here's the twist Federal regulations do not set a number of hours. That a minimum that you must do to prevent. It's based on your proficiency, uh, and your instructor has to sign off. So, if you go to a school that you've gotten three hours behind the wheel, um, and you can pull it off, you're on your way. Or you can pick a community college that's going to give you a hundred plus hours behind the wheel. Better prepare you before they head out, right? So now, this only applies, uh, after 2022, right? So if you got your CDL before that, you were lucky. You don't have to pay, um that. You don't need some fancy school either. Woo hoo, I went to school, I got mine before that, um. So let's keeping that in mind, um, with the ELDT, let's take a look at what our options are, right?
Speaker 1:So, on the registry, schools are broke down into two categories. You have community colleges, and then you have your private schools. Um, they're everywhere. There, a ton of providers, and today we are going to talk about community colleges. Okay, because community colleges generally are a less expensive option, ranging from anywhere from 1500 bucks to four grand or so, and then they normally have during the week training or evening classes. They might have Saturday only classes, um, and they're generally more in depth.
Speaker 1:I went to Fox Valley Community College in Appleton, wisconsin, myself Great school. I went ahead and pulled up now, that was a while back, but I went ahead and pulled up their truck driving program in Appleton, wisconsin. It's a technical diploma with nine credit hours. Okay, on their website it estimated cost for tuition and fees is $1,400. Okay, um, so when you take a look at their course list, their course is divided um to four sections. They have commercial driver's license theory and then commercial driver's license theory two. They have class A CDL behind the wheel range and class A CDL behind the wheel public road. Their theory instructional hours is 72. Their behind the wheel range is 108 and their behind the wheel public road is 108. So you are going to get 300 hours give or take of instruction going that direction, um, with that $2,400 cost.
Speaker 1:Now I also went ahead and pulled up, since I live in Illinois, lakeland Community College, which is a college here in the town I live. So Lakeland College in Illinois. Illinois State has a minimum requirement on the hours that schools must provide. So Lakeland College, based on Illinois requirements, has a tuition of $4,250. They require a DOT physical and drug screen, which you will have to do to get your permit with any state that you apply to, and then there's a CDL permit via $50. So with Lakeland you will get your permit while you're in the program. Some requirements or some programs out there will require you get your permit on your own and then you start their program once you have that.
Speaker 1:Illinois Lakeland College's website. They do not have federal funding where you could get a student loan for your college. You can pay by cash, credit card, cash money or a personal check, a grant. So if you got a grant and somebody's going to be paying for it. They also work with Workforce Investment Opportunities Act, also known as WIOA, which is generally a displaced worker program, illinois Veterans Grant and the Montgomery Air Post 911 GI Bill, and then there's a local grant. That's here. The course covers 80 hours of classroom, which is your CDL permit, study, map reading, logging, trip planning, dot regulations, and then there's 160 hours covering pre-trip inspections, backing and then the control and safe driving of the vehicle on the road. So in Wisconsin there was 216 hours of range behind the wheel, this one is 160. See, not all programs are the same.
Speaker 1:In Illinois, in order to attend this Lakeland College, you must have a valid driver's license. Well, yes, you must be 21 if you're going to be crossing state lines and 18 if you're going to remain in the state. Only you must be able to read, write and speak English sufficiently and be able to pass a DOT physical and drug screen. So that is two examples of community colleges and how many hours that you have to do for them. Okay, um, montgomery College in Maryland um, they have what's called an Earn Maryland grant that you can check out if you're in that area. Um, yeah, so Nassau Community College in New York partners with a private company to offer a five-week class. You're getting back down there to that private company type of program when you do that.
Speaker 1:So when you're checking out different schools, you're going to want to take a look at what they offer you and how much experience that you're going to get before you get your CDL in your hand. Okay, because here's the part I really want to drive home CDL schools, whether they're a community college, if it's a private setup. Both of you are there to get you to the license right. They teach you enough to pass the test, hand you that CDL and wave you off. But once you're out there, oh, that's when the rubber really meets the road. Doesn't matter if your training was gold star or just enough to get you through. Once you are licensed, you are the professional driver and you are on the hook.
Speaker 1:We're talking hours of service, weight limits, log books, pre-trip inspections, everything. If your school skimped on some details, no excuse. If you nodded off during the load securement talk, no excuse. Tough luck Out on the highway. Dot doesn't care. You're the pro now and it's your job to know the rules and regulations.
Speaker 1:Okay, I had a girl here just a week ago say she got pulled over going across 70, didn't have chains. She got a citation for it. Her excuse is I didn't know. I didn't know does not work out here. I don't care if the trainer is sitting in the seat next to you when you get behind the wheel.
Speaker 1:It is your job to know. It is your job to know weight limits. It's your job to know how tall you are so you don't go into a low clearance. It's your job to know what states. You're required To put chains in your truck. Whether you need them or not, they still have to be in the truck and on what roads.
Speaker 1:So think of your cdl as a starting line, right, but you have to be the one to run the race. Uh, and picking a college or picking a course that gives you that information and get you fully prepared before you start your journey is very important. Okay, because when you start your career and you go to that first training company, while you're getting practice and you are improving your skills, you are still considered to be a professional driver and you are still considered to know what you are doing. You are still considered to take responsibility of your actions and every decision you make behind that wheel. So, really, really focus yourself on proper training and knowing your stuff. All right. So this is our segment on community colleges. We are going to do a second segment on private schools and the different states in who has the stricter regulations on that. So you have a great day. Thanks for stopping by Trekking with Tammy and we'll see you next time.
