How to Enroll in the Right Truck Driving School near Holman New Mexico
Congrats on your decision to become a truck driver and enroll in a trucking school near Holman NM. Perhaps it has always been your fantasy to hit the open road while driving a monster tractor trailer. Or maybe you have conducted some analysis and have found that an occupation as a truck driver provides good wages and flexible job prospects. Regardless of what your reason is, it’s important to receive the appropriate training by selecting the right CDL school in your area. When evaluating your options, there are several factors that you’ll want to consider prior to making your final choice. Location will undoubtedly be an issue, especially if you have to commute from your Holman home. The cost will also be of importance, but selecting a school based entirely on price is not the optimal method to make sure you’ll get the right training. Don’t forget, your goal is to learn the skills and knowledge that will allow you to pass the CDL examinations and become a qualified truck driver. So keeping that goal in mind, just how do you select a truck driving school? The answer to that question is what we are going to cover in the remainder of this article. But first, we are going to discuss a little bit about which commercial driver’s license you will eventually need.
Which CDL Should You Get?
To drive commercial vehicles legally within the United States and Holman NM, a driver needs to obtain a CDL (Commercial Driver’s License). The three license classes that a driver can apply for are Class A, Class B and Class C. Given that the topic of this article is how to select a truck driver school, we will highlight Class A and B licenses. What differentiates each class of CDL is the kind of vehicle that the driver can operate together with the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) or GCWR (Gross Combination Weight Rating). Following are short descriptions of the two classes.
Class A CDL. A Class A Commercial Drivers License is needed to operate any vehicle that has a GCWR of greater than 26,000 lbs., including a towed vehicle of more than 10,000 lbs. A few of the vehicles that operators may be able to drive with Class A licenses are:
- Interstate or Intrastate Tractor Trailers
- Trucks with Double or Triple Trailers
- Tanker Trucks
- Livestock Carriers
- Class B and Class C Vehicles
Class B CDL. A Class B CDL is required to drive single vehicles having a GVWR of greater than 26,000 lbs., or a GCWR of greater than 26,000 lbs. including a towed vehicle weighing up to 10,000 lbs. A few of the vehicles that drivers may be qualified to operate with Class B licenses are:
- Tractor Trailers
- Dump Trucks
- Cement Mixers
- Large Buses
- Class C Vehicles
Both Class A and Class B Commercial Drivers Licenses may also require endorsements to operate certain types of vehicles, for example school or passenger buses. And a Class A licensee, with the proper needed endorsements, may operate any vehicle that a Class B license holder is authorized to drive.
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How to Assess a Trucking School
Once you have determined which CDL you would like to obtain, you can begin the undertaking of assessing the Holman NM truck driving schools that you are considering. As already mentioned, cost and location will undoubtedly be your primary considerations. But it can’t be emphasized enough that they must not be your sole concerns. Other issues, for instance the reputations of the schools or the experience of the instructors are equally if not more important. So following are some additional factors that you need to research while carrying out your due diligence before choosing, and particularly paying for, your truck driver training.
Are the Schools Certified or Accredited ? Very few trucking schools in the Holman NM area are accredited because of the rigorous process and expense to the schools. On the other hand, certification is more prevalent and is provided by the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI). A school is not obligated to become certified, but there are certain advantages. Interested students know that the training will be of the highest standard, and that they will be given plenty of driving time. For example, PTDI requires 44 hours of actual driving time, not simulations or ride-alongs. So if a school’s program is certified (the program, not the school is certified), students know that the curriculum and training will comply with the very high standards set by PTDI.
How Long in Business? One clue to help evaluate the quality of a truck driver school is how long it has been in operation. A poorly rated or a fly by night school normally will not be in business very long, so longevity is a plus. However, even the best of Holman NM schools had to begin from their opening day of training, so use it as one of several qualifiers. You can also find out what the school’s track record is concerning successful licensing and job placement of its graduating students. If a school won’t supply those numbers, look elsewhere. The schools should also have relationships with regional and national trucking companies. Having numerous contacts not only points to a superior reputation within the profession, but also bolsters their job placement program for graduates. It also wouldn’t be a bad idea to contact the New Mexico licensing department to confirm that the CDL trucker schools you are considering are in compliance.
How Effective is the Training? At a minimum, the schools must be licensed in New Mexico and employ teachers that are trained and experienced. We will talk more about the instructors in the following segment. In addition, the student to instructor proportion should not be higher than 4 to 1. If it’s any higher, then students will not be obtaining the personal instruction they will need. This is particularly true regarding the one-on-one instruction for behind the wheel training. And look out for any school that claims it can train you to drive trucks in a comparatively short time frame. Learning to be a truck driver and to drive a tractor trailer skillfully requires time. The majority of Holman NM schools provide training courses that range from three weeks to as long as 2 months, depending on the class of license or kind of vehicle.
How Good are the Teachers? As already mentioned, it’s essential that the instructors are qualified to teach driving techniques and experienced as both instructors and drivers. Even though a number of states have minimum driving time criteria to qualify as a teacher, the more professional driving experience a teacher has the better. It’s also important that the instructors keep up to date with industry developments or any new laws or changes in regulations. Assessing teachers may be a little more subjective than other standards, and perhaps the ideal approach is to pay a visit to the school and talk to the instructors in person. You can also speak with some of the students completing the training and find out if they are happy with the level of instruction and the teacher’s ability to train them.
Sufficient Driving Time? Above all else, a great truck driving school will furnish lots of driving time to its students. Besides, isn’t that what it’s all about? Driving time is the real time spent behind the wheel operating a truck. Although the use of simulators and ride-a-longs with other students are important training methods, they are no substitute for actual driving. The more training that a student receives behind the wheel, the better driver she or he will be. And even though driving time varies between schools, a reasonable benchmark is a minimum of 32 hours. If the school is PTDI certified, it will furnish at least 44 hours of driving time. Contact the Holman NM schools you are looking at and find out how much driving time they provide.
Are they Captive or Independent ? You can obtain free or discounted training from some truck driving schools if you enter into an agreement to drive for a specified carrier for a defined amount of time. This is referred to as contract training, and the schools that offer it are called captives. So instead of maintaining associations with numerous trucking lines that they can place their graduates with, captives only work with one company. The tradeoff is receiving free or less expensive training by giving up the freedom to initially work wherever you choose. Naturally contract training has the potential to limit your income prospects when beginning your new career. But for some it may be the best way to get affordable training. Just remember to find out if the Holman NM schools you are considering are captive or independent so that you can make an informed decision.
Offer Onsite CDL Testing? There are a number of states that will allow 3rd party CDL testing onsite of truck driving schools for its grads. If onsite testing is allowed in New Mexico, find out if the schools you are reviewing are DMV certified to provide it. One benefit is that it is more accommodating than battling with graduates of other schools for test times at New Mexico testing locations. It is moreover an indicator that the DMV considers the approved schools to be of a higher quality.
Are the Class Times Convenient? As formerly mentioned, truck driving training is only about 1 to 2 months long. With such a brief duration, it’s important that the Holman NM school you choose offers flexibility for both the scheduling of classes and the curriculum. For example, if you’re having difficulty learning a particular driving maneuver, then the teacher should be willing to dedicate more time with you until you have it mastered. And if you’re still working while going to training, then the class scheduling needs to be flexible enough to fit in working hours or other commitments.
Is Job Assistance Provided? The moment you have acquired your commercial driver’s license after graduating from trucking school, you will be eager to start your new profession. Make sure that the schools you are looking at have job assistance programs. Ask what their job placement ratio is and what average salary their graduates start at. Also, ask which local and national trucking firms their graduates are placed with for hiring. If a school has a lower job placement rate or not many Holman NM employers recruiting their grads, it may be a clue to look elsewhere.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Trucking schools are similar to colleges and other Holman NM area trade or technical schools when it comes to loans and other forms of financial assistance being offered. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial assistance department, or at a minimum someone who can help you understand the options and forms that need to be submitted.
Certified CDL Truck Driver Training Holman New Mexico
Selecting the right truck driver school is a critical first step to launching your new vocation as a local or long distance truck driver. The skills taught at school will be those that mold a new career behind the wheel. There are many options available and understanding them is crucial to a new driver’s success. You originally came to our website because of your interest in Certified CDL Truck Driver Training and wanting information on the topic Tractor Trailer Driving School. But first and foremost, you must obtain the proper training in order to drive a large commercial vehicle in a safe and professional fashion. If you are lacking money or financing, you might need to consider a captive school. You will pay a lower or in some cases no tuition by agreeing to drive for their contracted carrier. Or you can choose an independent truck driver school and have the option of driving for the trucking firm of your choice, or one of several associated with the school. It’s your decision. But regardless of how you get your training, you will in the near future be entering a profession that helps our country move as a professional trucker in Holman NM.
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David Holman
David Holman is a former television producer and executive who worked in New York and Los Angeles.[1] In his six years working for Jim Henson and the Muppets, he helped launch the original The Muppet Show in 1975,[1] and worked on Sesame Street,[1]Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas Special, and The Muppet Movie.[2] He later produced and managed dozens of productions, including several thousand individual shows from daytime soap operas to primetime shows such as Mad About You,[3] and late night shows such as The Dick Cavett Show.[1] He won an Emmy Award for his work at ABC Sports on the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games.[1] He currently develops screenplays.
Holman began his career in 1962 at KTBC-TV, Austin, TX, while attending the University of Texas, Austin, TX, where he was studying Radio & TV Broadcasting. First as a Floor-crew member at KTBC-TV and worked his way up to being an award-winning TV director. In 1964 while still at KTBC-TV he produced, directed, choreographed & danced in a "music video" before music videos had even been know or become popular. That short B&W 16mm film got Holman this first job in New York City that same year as an Associate Producer of national TV & Radio commercials with Norman, Craig & Kummel Advertising, one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. Within 3 months Holman was made a producer and produced over 100 TV & Radio commercials, a few of which became "classic" including Ajax Laundry Detergent's "White Knight" and Hertz Rent-A-Car's "The Flying Man". After 3 years, ABC Sports hired Holman to be a Unit Manager for Wide World of Sports covering sporting events in the U.S. and England including NBA basketball, NCAA football, Track & Field, Swimming & Diving, and PGA Golf tournaments, including the British Open in Blackpool, England. After 3 years Holman was promoted by ABC to be the first Production Administrator assigned to a multiple of TV series and specials including The Dick Cavett Show, the Tony Awards, the Grammy Awards and the EMMY Awards. While in this ABC position in 1973 Holman met Jim Henson.[2] ABC was producing a Muppet TV Special called A Muppet Valentine Special with actress Mia Farrow as the only human guest star.[2] (Miss Piggy had not been "born" yet, nor was Kermit the Frog the host) When ABC ordered a second TV special, The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence for a possible Muppet TV series in prime-time, Henson hired Holman away from ABC to be his associate producer for that second pilot.[4][5] After the two Specials aired it was surprising to Henson and Holman to learn that the network "passed" on hiring the Muppets to be in prime-time.[2] The two other networks at the time – NBC and CBS – also "passed".[2]The Muppet Show was picked up as a syndicated TV series by several affiliates instead,[2][6] and later became a hit in syndication.[2] "By the second season, the series was breaking syndication records and broadcasting in more than 100 countries. And it won several EMMY Awards."[2] Holman worked as the production manager over-seeing Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, the first year of NBC's Saturday Night Live.[7] During these 6 years (1974-1979) Holman also produced 3 seasons of "Big Bird's (of "Sesame Street") Live Symphony Concerts" all of the U.S. & Canada. Also while at the Muppets Holman conceived the Parker Bros. "The Muppet Show Board Game" for Henson.
Holman continued his career in Los Angeles first as Merv Griffin's Unit Manager for the Vine Street Theater. In 1971 Paramount produced the first season of Entertainment Tonight on the same stage as The Merv Griffin Show. ABC Sports was preparing for the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games and hired Holman to be a Production Administrator in 1982, and then promoted him a year later as the Head of Logistics for the International Broadcast Center (IBC) on the Sunset-Gower Studio lot. Holman won a TV Emmy Award for his work on that world TV event. After Holman wrapped this 2-year free-lance position he was named Director of Live & Tape production for Columbia Pictures Television. Within a few years Holman was named VP of Production for all of Columbia's TV productions at the Sunset Gower Studios and later after Sony purchased Columbia, most of the TV productions were produced at Sony Pictures (formerly MGM) and the Culver Studios, both in Culver City, CA. During this time Holman worked on several thousand episodes of television series and pilots, including The Young and the Restless,[1]Days of Our Lives,[1]Punky Brewster, Designing Women, What's Happening Now, Who's the Boss?,[1]227,[1]My Two Dads,[1]Entertainment Tonight,[1]The Nanny,[3]Mad About You,[3]King of Queens, Married With Children, Jeopardy, and Wheel of Fortune. After his retirement in 2000, Holman wrote his first essay about his experiences with Jim Henson and The Muppets and that was published in the December 2004 issue of Palm Springs Life.[2]
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