How to Find the Right CDL Driving Classes near Valley Lee Maryland
Congratulations on your decision to become a trucker and enroll in a CDL school near Valley Lee MD. Maybe it has always been your dream to hit the open road while driving a big ole tractor trailer. Or possibly you have done some analysis and have found that an occupation as a truck driver provides excellent income and flexible work prospects. Whatever your reason is, it’s important to receive the appropriate training by choosing the right CDL school in your area. When reviewing your options, there are several factors that you’ll want to think about prior to making your ultimate selection. Location will no doubt be an issue, especially if you have to commute from your Valley Lee residence. The expense will also be important, but selecting a school based entirely on price is not the ideal means to guarantee you’ll receive the appropriate training. Don’t forget, your goal is to learn the knowledge and skills that will enable you to pass the CDL examinations and become a qualified truck driver. So keeping that objective in mind, just how do you select a truck driving school? That is what we are going to cover in the remainder of this article. But first, we are going to talk a little bit about which CDL license you will eventually need.
Which Commercial Drivers License Will You Require?
To operate commercial vehicles legally within the United States and Valley Lee MD, an operator must obtain a CDL (Commercial Driver’s License). The 3 classes of licenses that one can qualify for are Class A, Class B and Class C. Since the subject of this article is how to select a truck driver school, we will address Class A and Class B licenses. What distinguishes each class of CDL is the type of vehicle that the driver can operate as well as the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) or GCWR (Gross Combination Weight Rating). Following are short summaries for the two classes.
Class A CDL. A Class A CDL is needed to drive any vehicle that has a GCWR of more than 26,000 lbs., including a towed vehicle of more than 10,000 lbs. A few of the vehicles that drivers may be able to operate 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 Commercial Drivers License is needed to operate single vehicles having a GVWR of greater than 26,000 lbs., or a GCWR of more than 26,000 lbs. including a towed vehicle weighing up to 10,000 lbs. Some of the vehicles that operators may be qualified to drive 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 might also require endorsements to drive specific types of vehicles, such as school or passenger buses. And a Class A license holder, with the appropriate needed endorsements, may operate any vehicle that a Class B licensee is qualified to operate.
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How to Assess a Truck Driver School
Once you have determined which CDL you would like to obtain, you can start the process of assessing the Valley Lee MD truck driving schools that you are looking at. As earlier mentioned, location and cost will no doubt be your initial considerations. But it can’t be emphasized enough that they must not be your only concerns. Other factors, for instance the reputations of the schools or the experience of the instructors are equally if not more important. So below are a few additional things that you should research while performing your due diligence prior to choosing, and particularly paying for, your truck driver training.
Are the Schools Certified or Accredited ? Not many truck driving schools in the Valley Lee MD area are accredited because of the rigorous process and cost to the schools. However, certification is more common and is offered by the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI). A school is not obligated to become certified, but there are certain advantages. Potential students know that the training will be of the highest quality, and that they will be given plenty of driving time. As an example, PTDI calls for 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 training and curriculum will measure up to the very high benchmarks set by PTDI.
How Long in Operation? One indicator to help evaluate the quality of a truck driving school is how long it has been in business. A negatively ranked or a fly by night school normally will not be in business very long, so longevity is a plus. On the other hand, even the best of Valley Lee MD schools had to begin from their first day of training, so consider it as one of several qualifications. You can also ask what the school’s history is regarding successful licensing and job placement of its graduates. If a school won’t provide those numbers, look elsewhere. The schools should also have relationships with local and national trucking firms. Having numerous contacts not only affirms an excellent reputation within the industry, but also boosts their job placement program for students. It also wouldn’t hurt to contact the Maryland licensing authority to confirm that the CDL trucker schools you are reviewing are in compliance.
How Effective is the Training? At a minimum, the schools must be licensed in Maryland and employ teachers that are experienced and trained. We will discuss more about the instructors in the next segment. In addition, the student to instructor ratio should be no greater than 4 to 1. If it’s any greater, then students will not be receiving the personalized instruction they will need. This is particularly true concerning the one-on-one instruction for behind the wheel training. And watch out for any school that insists it can train you to be a truck driver in a relatively short period of time. Learning to be an operator and to drive a tractor trailer skillfully takes time. Most Valley Lee MD schools provide training courses that run from 3 weeks to as long as 2 months, depending on the license class or type of vehicle.
How Good are the Instructors? As already mentioned, it’s essential that the teachers are trained to teach driving techniques and experienced as both drivers and instructors. Although a number of states have minimum driving time criteria to qualify as an instructor, the more successful driving experience a teacher has the better. It’s also crucial that the teachers keep current with industry developments or any new laws or changes in regulations. Assessing teachers might be a little more intuitive than other standards, and perhaps the ideal approach is to visit the school and talk to the teachers face to face. You can also talk to a few of the students going through the training and find out if they are satisfied with the level of instruction and the teacher’s qualification to train them.
Plenty of Driving Time? Most importantly, a great trucking school will provide plenty 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 driving a truck. Even though the use of ride-a-longs with other students and simulators are essential training tools, they are no replacement for real driving. The more instruction that a student gets behind the wheel, the better driver she or he will become. And even though driving time varies between schools, a good standard is 32 hours at a minimum. If the school is PTDI certified, it will provide a minimum of 44 hours of driving time. Contact the Valley Lee MD schools you are considering and find out how much driving time they provide.
Are they Independent or Captive ? It’s possible to get free or discounted training from some truck driver schools if you make a commitment to drive for a specific carrier for a defined time period. This is referred to as contract training, and the schools that provide it are called captives. So instead of maintaining associations with many different trucking lines that they can refer their students to, captives only work with one company. The benefit is receiving free or less expensive training by surrendering the freedom to initially be a driver wherever you have an opportunity. Clearly contract training has the potential to limit your income prospects when beginning your new career. But for many it may be the ideal way to get affordable training. Just remember to ask if the Valley Lee MD schools you are looking at are captive or independent so that you can make an informed decision.
Provide Onsite CDL Testing? There are some states that will permit third party CDL testing onsite of truck driving schools for its graduates. If onsite testing is allowed in Maryland, find out if the schools you are considering are DMV certified to offer it. One advantage is that it is more convenient than competing with graduates from competing schools for test times at Maryland testing locations. It is also an indicator that the DMV deems the approved schools to be of a superior quality.
Are the Class Times Accessible? As earlier noted, CDL training is only about 1 to 2 months in length. With such a short duration, it’s essential that the Valley Lee MD school you enroll in 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 prepared to commit more time with you until you are proficient. And if you’re still working while attending training, then the class scheduling must be flexible enough to accommodate working hours or other obligations.
Is Job Assistance Provided? The moment you have obtained your commercial driver’s license after graduating from truck driver school, you will be eager to begin your new career. Make sure that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs. Ask what their job placement percentage is and what average salary their graduates start at. Also, find out which local and national trucking firms their graduates are referred to for hiring. If a school has a poor job placement rate or not many Valley Lee MD employers hiring their grads, it might be a clue to look elsewhere.
Is Financial Assistance Provided? Truck driving schools are similar to colleges and other Valley Lee MD area technical or vocational schools when it comes to loans and other forms of financial assistance being offered. Find out if the schools you are examining have a financial aid department, or at least someone who can help you navigate the options and forms that need to be submitted.
CDL Drivers License Training Valley Lee Maryland
Choosing the ideal truck driver school is an important first step to starting your new vocation as a local or long distance truck driver. The skills taught at school will be those that shape a new career behind the wheel. There are many options offered and understanding them is crucial to a new driver’s success. You originally came to our website because of your interest in CDL Drivers License Training and wanting information on the topic CDL Driving School Cost. However, you must receive the necessary training in order to operate a big commercial vehicle in a safe and professional manner. If you are short on money or financing, you may want to look into a captive school. You will pay a reduced or even no tuition by agreeing to drive for their contracted carrier. Or you can select an independent trucker school and have the option of driving for the trucking company of your choice, or one of several affiliated with the school. It’s your choice. But regardless of how you get your training, you will in the near future be part of a profession that helps our country move as a professional trucker in Valley Lee MD.
Truck On in These Other Maryland Locations
Maryland Route 244
Maryland Route 244 (MD 244) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Medleys Neck Road, the state highway runs 10.48 miles (16.87 km) from MD 5 near Leonardtown east to MD 249 in Valley Lee. MD 244 parallels MD 5 in central St. Mary's County, serving several communities on Medleys Neck between Breton Bay and the St. Mary's River, including Beauvue. The state highway was constructed as part of three different state highways—MD 244 from Leonardtown, MD 250 from Valley Lee, and MD 251 through Drayden—between the late 1920s and late 1930s. MD 244 assumed the courses of MD 250 and MD 251 in the mid-1940s. The portion of MD 244 east of MD 249 was removed from the state highway system in the mid-1980s.
MD 244 begins at an intersection with MD 5 adjacent to Leonardtown High School, Leonardtown Middle School, and the St. Mary's County Fairgrounds. The state highway heads south from the Leonardtown area as two-lane road Medleys Neck Road through a forested area. After crossing Moldier Run, MD 244 passes by Foxes Point Lane, which leads to the Indian Village Archaeological Park. In the hamlet of Beauvue, the state highway intersects Breton Beach Road, which leads to a series of small beach resorts on Breton Bay and the Potomac River. MD 244 curves to the southeast and passes White Beach Beach Road, which leads to the namesake community. The state highway continues east, crossing Poplar Hill Creek before passing Mulberry Fields Road, which serves the namesake historic home. At Chingville Road, MD 244 curves to the south toward Valley Lee. In Valley Lee, the state highway turns east onto Blake Creek Road. MD 244 passes St. George's Episcopal Church before reaching its eastern terminus at MD 249 (Piney Point Road). A former section of MD 244, Drayden Road, heads east from MD 249 a short distance south of the MD 244 intersection. The county highway heads east toward the hamlet of Drayden and the historic homes Porto Bello and West St. Mary's Manor on the St. Mary's River.[1][2]
MD 244 was constructed as part of three highways: MD 244 from the Leonardtown end, MD 250 from the Valley Lee end, and MD 251 along Drayden Road.[3] MD 244 was constructed from MD 5 to Beauvue in 1925 and 1926.[4][5] The state highway was extended east in 1-mile (1.6 km) segments in 1930, 1933, and 1934.[6][7][8][9] MD 244 was completed to near Chingville Road in 1939.[3][10] The first section of MD 250 was Blake Creek Road from MD 249 to the present right-angle turn onto Medleys Neck Road.[4][5] MD 250 was extended to near Chingville Road in two sections beginning in 1930 and completed in 1935.[6][7][8][9] MD 251 was constructed from MD 249 east to Cherryfield Road in Drayden in 1928 and east to Porto Bello in 1930.[6][11][12] The gap between MD 244 and MD 250 centered on Chingville Road was closed with the construction of 1.6 miles (2.6 km) of connecting highway around 1942.[13] By 1946, MD 244 was extended east over the lengths of MD 250 and MD 251.[14] MD 244 was reduced to its current length when the Drayden Road portion of the state highway was transferred to county maintenance around 1987.[15]
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