Question:
Just want to share the school progress of this inspired to be OTR Driver. This school is outstanding!!!!! We have a great variety of different trucks and trannies to learn from. The instructor tries to put us in a different truck every time so that we can get the feel of it. We've had the opportunity to drive Cab-over's, International with short and long nose, 379 Peterbilt, with 9 spd, Super 10's, 13 spd, etc. The instructors are very knowledgable in what they are doing. The classes are small and each and I mean each will drive on the road over 1000 miles. You can't beat that!! We are base out of Davie, FL. Yesterday, we drove to the west coast to Ft Myers. We logged around 130 miles. We went though scenic highway, interstates, backroads and we like always stopped at a truck stop and parked. I think that this is great, at least the student, has a feel for the road, truck stops and the real world. We have little over two weeks left of school and I have enjoyed every minute of it. My school mate and I have our "Ducks" in order to continue this momentum right after school. We have been applying for work and have been pre-hire on several places, we just need to finalize which will be the best for us. I will keep the members of this forum in touch with the progress.

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My school went to Ft Myers yesterday, too!
Were you in that snub-nose International ???? I remember seeing a McFatter Technical Center truck, well actually a few of them.

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Nuclear Nick -
Thanks for your report of your experience. I'm curious. How many hours have you spent backing?

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to many. All together I'd say 40 or more. the first weeks were trying to shift on the range. Nick and I got it down pretty quickly after about two or three days, then we just kept going in reverse.
It got very redundant, but it has made up to where we are proficient at it.
Although, backing into the spots at the truck stop last friday was humbling to say the least.

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Originally posted by kiteline:
Nuclear Nick -
Thanks for your report of your experience. I'm curious. How many hours have you spent backing?
Kiteline, I concur what Cessna 172 said. We did it for more than 40 hours. We were all glad when we got to drive forward again.
All of the class members have accumalated more than 600 miles on the road apiece. Today we changed and replaced 24 tires on three different tractors. Getting it ready for the road trip tomorrow to Haines, Fl. That trip we should log close to 100 miles per driver or more and next week we will be driving to Key West. I know it will be tough that Key West trip but I think we can handle it !!
Getting back into the backing. Everyday once we get back to school we backed our trucks and parked them, so we continue to practice, practice, practice.

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Today we did the trip north to Haines City, FL. We got to logged 194 miles each of us. We went up US 27 to Haines City and stopped at the truck stop there. After eating something we change drivers and came back the same way. Had the opportunity to drive thru small towns (Clewiston, South Bay) and then hit it on open highways. We left the school at 4:30 this morning and we were back by 2:30 PM. A very successful day. Tomorrow we will be watching videos and testing.

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Went to Mid Fla Tech book store to pick up my school books ,included -Rules & Regs -Motor carriers atlas -3 log books -Clip board - study book and get this (6hr vhs recording tape) anybody got a clue on this. I didnt realize it was in there till I got home or I would have asked.

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they hammer you for the road atlas?
I know Barnes & Nobel sells the spiral bound laminated one for 75 bucks....29.95 at the truck stops.


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We just finished doing our last road trip for the school. We headed to Ft Pierce, Fl and ate at the Flying J. Two days ago we went to Key West, FL and what a beautiful ride. Nothing prettier than to drive over the sea. The day was sunny and a nice seabreeze. Ate lunch in Key West and drove back. We have logged over 1,000 miles on the road with this course. It has been a great experience this past 9 weeks! I just do not understand how other schools can teach proper CDL with only 3 or 4 weeks of class!!! My last day of school will be this coming Thursday. Next week we will be taking the DOT exam, and the rest of the time practicing backing up. The next chapter of this new career will be the real world, being a company driver and start getting some experience and plenty of miles over the road. I guess I will consider myself a newbie until I get at least a year under my belt. I want to thank this forum for all the info that you provide every day for greenies like me. I have learned so much in such a short period and I hope that I will continue to learn something from all of you, hopefully I can contribute some things to this group.

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Clip board $1.17
Bumper to bumper $28.35
Rand McNally motor c $11.66
Saftey regs pocket book $2.45
V H S video tape $1.99
Drivers log Books-3 $4.11--total $52.91 with tax cant wait till Monday.

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Just to let the group know that tomorrow we will finish school,that will include myself and Cessna 172. It has been a tremendous experience. We had driven more than 1100 miles a piece through all types of city and highway miles. We had the opportunity to drive trucks with 8, 9, 10 spds. Also we had the experience with Super 10's and of course the famous 13 Speed. We had the experience at stopping at different truck stop and the chance to talk to other truckers and share their experience and their wild stories. This last week we spend 80% of the time practicing and practicing our backing. And just imagine we did all this for less than $1500! Now Cessna and I will be sending/faxing our paper work to our future employer to put our knowledge to the test.

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Congrats from the wife of a class of 99' graduate!
It is an excellant school...and it is beneficial that your certificate of completion will say it is a Florida Dept. of Education & School Board of Broward County...
Shows you actually went to a real school, not a 3 day mill that hands out CDL's to just anyone!
Out of curiousity... did anyone not make it through to the end.. I know when my hubby went, there were a few who left and a few who had to take a few more weeks of classes to be able to graduate... just curious..
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http://www.msnusers.com/PrincessPennie/shoebox.msnw

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Thanks for the comments, "Me". On the first week of school we had 2 drop out. One of them could not shift at all and the second student change his mind and decided not to do the course. The rest of us we stuck with it and made it. The good thing was that my buddy, Cessna 172, stayed after class and had the opportunity to drive the instructor 2003, T2000 !!! That was OUTSTANDING !!!!! That was worth waiting for. That T2000 rides like a Lincoln and it was so quite and such a smooth ride!!! That is a sweet ride. That was a great motivating factor. Again, thanks for the comments.
Class of 2003


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I did get to drive the T2000 also !!!!!


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was a pretty good day.
It has been a long road since my accident to get to where I am right now, and I can't wait to see what the next chapter holds in store.
For you newbies reading this do a lot of research in the school you are thinking of attending. A good, accredited school will open doors that would otherwise not be there. Nick and I are looking at opportunities with companies that would usually say no to students. However because we payed close attention in class, listened to what the instructors were telling us, and why. On several occasions we were the only ones awake when we were watching the old 1980's truck driving videos (you know the ones with the porno sounding music), and it clearly showed on our test scores when compared with others.
Let the next chapter begin........