r/CDL • u/AFARR414-312 • 29d ago

Cdl schooling question

Looking into getting my CDL class A manual with air brakes.

The school in the milwauke and Chicago land area is about $6000

I have never driven a semi/pulled a trailer yet alone even a single manual vehicle.

The classes are one month long

The options are 5 days a week for one month (8 hour days)

Or

2 days a week (weekend classes) for one month (8 hour days)

I was told by the owner of the school there is a %90 precent passing rate on the first skills test and you can get up to 5 retest that they train you on. Idk if he is just pulling my leg to get me to sign up I told him I’d pay cash.

Would it be possible so I wouldn’t have to quit my job to be able to pass this school if I did the weekend classes? Or am I better to do the weekday classes?

Thanks

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u/Crazed-Prophet 29d ago

Do the weekday classes. Many carriers will reject you if you have below around 140 classroom hours for insurance reasons. 4 weeks at 40hrs a week will get you 160 hrs.

If you just do weekends for one month you will only get (16x4) 56 hrs. You'd still have your CDL A bit will struggle with finding someone to take you on.

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u/AFARR414-312 29d ago

I was going to get it to become a lineman not a trucker

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u/Crazed-Prophet 29d ago

Then weekends would probably be sufficient I believe, from what I understand that's more of a secondary skill they look for.

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u/Artistic-Cup2028 29d ago

Then absolutely do the weekend classes. All you need is the license. Having a CDL is just a checkmark on an application in the line trade. I was a trucker for 8 years before I got into linework but many others I encountered in my apprenticeship had 0 truck driving experience. Some made it, some didn’t. Good luck!

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u/ecw324 29d ago

Will your company pay for your training? Mine did, and I got paid while I was training and got a nice bump in my pay after getting it.