Category: CDL training

How To Find The Perfect Fit To All Your CDL Training Needs

Posted on January 20, 2021 by - CDL training

You’ve made the decision to be a trucker, now you’re saying ‘what’s next?’ The next step after you’ve decided to venture into this career is choosing where to get your CDL. Just like any major, life-changing decisions there are many factors that go into choosing what CDL school works best for you. Things to consider would be financial responsibility, duration, and community. We are breaking down differences, similarities and important factors to help you make the right first step for your new career.

Financial Responsibility

Paid

Paid CDL training is also known as company-sponsored training. This is when a company pays the upfront cost of your training. Normally companies will cover both your transportation to the training facility and hotel accommodations while in training. In some cases there are companies who pay for the cost of meals and even loan you money to pay your bills while you are taking their course.
In return for the paid training the company sponsoring you will require you to drive for them for an agreed upon period of time, or until your tuition is paid off. Not every paid CDL training is identical, so it is important to do extensive research.

Private

Private CDL trainings are with independently owned truck driving schools. Typically there is a requirement to pay tuition upfront. This structure is ideal for those with families who wish to be closer, as they will commute back and forth. Being that this more of a risk than company-sponsored training, prospective students will want to get as many pre-hire letters as possible and ensure that the companies they’re interested in hire from the chosen institution.

Tip: If choosing either option you are looking at “paying back” or paying upfront $4,000 to $10,000. We suggest you go with the best value, not just the lowest price.

Duration

The amount of time you’ll have to dedicate to your CDL isn’t a matter of paid versus private. The duration is contingent on your choice of license class, desired endorsements, whether you’re a full-time or part-time student, and class and driving hours.

The requirements of each state are also different, so we’ll take the word of most CDL instructors who say your training will take anywhere from 3 to 8 weeks.

Community

Obtaining your CDL in the best environment for your learning habits is vital to how well you succeed. Knowing the student to instructor ratio is also important. If you are the kind of person who thrives on 1-on-1 interaction, choosing a school with a 40-to-1 ratio isn’t going to cut it. This is your career, so your success in the field is based on your success in the classroom.
For students going the company-sponsored route, the community makes all the difference. How a company trains its prospective employees is a reflection on how they treat their actual employees, so be super aware of this.

Dash Cameras: Are They Helpful or Harmful?

Posted on May 21, 2019 by - artificial intelligence, best dash cam, CDL training, dash cam, Distracted driving, expresstrucktax, freight, information technology, pros and cons, tech, truck dash cam

Over the last few years dashboard cameras (dash cams) have become the must-have accessory for road voyagers. Next, to artificial intelligence, this new device has some hefty pros and cons. If you’re considering getting a dash cam for your next long-haul we have made a list of things for you to think about. Before you press record or invest in a dashcam we want you to make sure it’s the right thing for your truck.

Pros

There are some obvious pros to dash cams that are changing the game for truckers and one of those would be that it prevents staged accidents. Often times passenger vehicles blame large trucks for accidents that just never happened. It’s easy to play the blame game when there are no witnesses or proof. Statistics say that of the car-truck crashes approximately 80 percent of them were at the fault of passenger vehicles. This number may be increased as more dash cams are installed. Dash cams can save you from a rise in insurance and keep you from being blamed for a staged accident.

Other Pros of Dashcams Include the Following:

Improve Driving Skills

CDL instructors and company freight trainers are beginning to use dashcams to train new drivers and help prevent common mistakes. Dash cams are becoming a new method of learning and are creating a culture of safety on the road. Some dash cams can even store information technology that may assist in the training process. CDL training is slowly improving with the help of gadgets like dash cameras.

Document Your Trip

Being away from family on long-hauls can be extremely tough, but once you come home watching the footage from the dashcam will give you a chance to bond with loved ones.

Prevents Theft

Cargo theft can cost you thousands, but with the use of a dash cam, you can capture the culprits and possibly retrieve the stolen cargo.

Cons

The cons of dash cams are a little lighter than the pros, but there are a few things that should be considered.

Driving Distraction

Dash cams can easily be a distraction. Technology has a mind of its own and while you’re driving something may happen and you feel the urge to fiddle. The combination of fiddling with one hand and using the other to operate a 55,000-pound truck may not end the best way.

Rule Breaking

There are some states where recording without consent is illegal. You may be arrested, charged, or even fined, so making sure you are aware of the laws of each state line you cross will save you from facing some heavy consequences.

The technology that is dash cameras can come in handy and can also lead to tragedy. Knowing the ends and outs of the specific camera you purchase is the most beneficial way to ensure it is right for you and the long-hauls you’ll be making. Hopefully, these basic pros and cons will give you an idea of what to expect from all trucker’s new favorite gadget and help you in finding the best dash cam for your truck.

5 Ways to Survive Truck Driving School

Posted on November 14, 2016 by - CDL, CDL training, healthy living, school, sleep deprivation, tips and tricks, truck drivers, trucker fitness

Every year, tons of hopeful truckers enroll in schools and programs to get their CDL’s. As with any training program, the work is tough, and you get out of it what you put in. But how can you make sure you survive the whole process? Let’s run through this!

Start Early

So once you’ve been accepted and enrolled into a program, you need to hit the ground running. Find out what books and training materials you need as soon as possible, and start reviewing.

Review everything. It’ll be tough, but you will understand more of what you’re learning later. Learn the definitions of words, or at least familiarize yourself with them.

Also, look into some online communities and learn what you can from there. Whether that’s lingo, or survival tips, you can find plenty in forums, social media, and blogs!

Study Hard

Oh, nobody wants to hear it. You need to study hard. Yeah, you’re going to spend a lot of time learning all this in your classes, but you’re gonna have to put in a ton of time and study hard.

Think about it, not everybody passes their CDL right away. You want to become a trucker, so you’re going to need to get through your training and learn as much as possible.

You don’t want to be a rookie trucker forever, do you? Or worse, a CDL dropout?

Start Sleeping Well

This is a tough one. You might not know this, but sleep is crucial for success, health, and happiness. While you might imagine a gruff, short-tempered trucker as the standard cut of the cloth, that isn’t actually the case.

But plenty of truckers out there have sleep problems from the lifestyle. Of course, this leads to risks. Without sleep, you can find yourself with a grumpy disposition, impaired immunity system, and unable to concentrate.

That’s why you need at least eight hours of sleep, which is even more important once you’re a truck driver. So start doing everything you can to improve your sleep schedule!

Start Being Healthy

When you’re learning the ins and outs of your CDL, you should also spend some of your time off implementing healthy habits that will stick with you in the cab.

Start with your fitness by creating a good workout routine that will stick with you. Learn how to use your environment and your own body, or find mobile fitness tools and routines you can take with you.

We’ve given you fitness advice before, but we’re also big proponents of healthy eating. Ask any trucker about food on the road, and you’ll find out that truck stops are full of convenience foods — not health food.

Now, we’re not saying you need to eat kale chips every day (they’re good, I swear!), but you should do what you can to eat plenty of fresh veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins. Your diet will affect your disposition as much as sleep and fitness, so start eating right!

Of course, there are other problem areas for truckers — like perpetual back injuries from sitting all day, for example. You will need to watch your health as a trucker, bottom line.

Plan Ahead

Our first bit of advice is to start setting personal goals beyond getting your CDL. All things considered, you will put in the hard work and it’ll pay off with a CDL, and hopefully a trucking job!

But then you will have to decide what kind of job you want to have, where you want to be based out of, and all sorts of other considerations.

While you’re still in school, figure out what you like about driving a truck, learn about company drivers as compared to owner operators, and connect with other students.

No matter what you do, getting your CDL is hard work. With all the hard work you put in, you’ll be a truck driver before you know it. Once you’re a trucker, we’ll be ready to help you e-file Form 2290 right here at ExpressTruckTax!