I normally do not leave reviews, but I feel people should know what they are walking into before spending their money here. The instructors were honestly the best part of the school. Most of the teachers were patient, respectful, and trying to do the best they could with the situation they were working in. My issue was not with the instructors -- it was with the overall management, organization, and condition of the equipment. From my first week on the yard, there were constant problems with trucks not functioning properly. Students spent a huge amount of time waiting around for a working truck instead of actually learning and driving. At times, it felt like we spent more time standing around than receiving real behind-the-wheel training. The condition of some of the equipment was concerning, especially for a school that is supposed to be teaching safety and preparing students for CDL driving. Instead of feeling supported as students investing hard-earned money into a career, many of us felt like the focus was mainly on keeping enrollment numbers high and collecting payments rather than making sure students were actually getting quality training and enough seat time. A lot of students attending this school are working hard and stretching themselves financially to be there. The owner is fully aware of that, yet when concerns were raised about the lack of functioning trucks, downtime, and reduced training opportunities, the response was dismissive and focused more on refund policies and money than resolving the issues. Several students in my class had similar complaints regarding excessive downtime and limited access to operational trucks. I personally raised my concerns early during training because I genuinely wanted the experience to improve, but the issues continued. If you are considering CDL school, please do your research carefully. I would strongly recommend visiting the yard in person first, asking how many operational trucks they currently have available, and asking current students how much actual driving time they receive daily. In my experience, this was a frustrating and disappointing experience and not worth the money I paid. Save your money and seriously consider other schools before enrolling here. read more

Katlaw Trucking School is absolutely amazing. It is far more than just a school. It is a true educational trucking community that welcomes you like family and fully invests in your success throughout CDL training. From day one, the program exceeded my expectations. The three days of classroom instruction with Gwen prepared me exceptionally well for the CDL permit test. In fact, I performed even better on the official Georgia CDL exam at the DDS than I did on the practice test at the school, which speaks volumes about how thorough the instruction was. From there, the behind-the-wheel training with Helen and Danny was outstanding. Helen has a true gift for teaching beginners. She made it easy for a novice like me to identify all parts of the truck, learn the pre-trip inspection efficiently, and build confidence quickly. She also helped me begin mastering a manual transmission within just a few days, despite my having no prior experience driving one. The office staff, however, were my absolute favorite part of the experience. They are truly the heartbeat of the organization. Their energy is uplifting, their professionalism is unmatched, and they go above and beyond to make sure every student is supported from start to finish. Bri and Hannah made sure everything was handled every step of the way, and you could always count on leaving the office with a smile. If I ever return for another driving course or to earn additional endorsements, Katlaw Driving School will unquestionably be my first choice. read more

the instructors were Great, but the tools they used to teach, such as the freaking TRUCKS! NEVER WORKED.

The best school hands down. Johnny is the most patient instructor in the lot. Big ups to him!Fred,Cj,Tay are cool and have a great sense of humor. Dexter is the go to if you having any issues they will be fixed. He has a great sense of humor also. Everyone is very cool and laid back. If you can drive Katlaw trucks you can DRIVE ANY TRUCK! I just got my CLASS A CDL and had all the support and help I needed from this school and my student friends. I'm going to miss them! read more

Katlaw Truck Driving School - Me at the DDS just passed my test in the KATLAW School Truck! - Driving Schools Near Me - Austell, Georgia

I went to the school back in 2021. They had great instructors at the time. I can say this, it's all in what you, the student brings to class. The big trucks can be intimidating and overwhelming at times which will take time getting use to. With the knowledge of the instructors you'll become a good driver, and be a ONE and DONE student!!! Like me. read more

I just graduated from Katlaw and now have my CDL. I really enjoyed my time there and learned a lot. The instructors were very helpful, shout out to "Tay", Fred, Dexter and Mike! Bri and the other ladies upstairs were also very friendly and helpful! I had several job opportunities before even graduating from Katlaw. If you want to get your CDL I would definitely recommend attending Katlaw. read more

They helped me learn more about parts of a truck the différents ways I can be safer on the road but it didn't help me pass the cdl

racist director drop me because of arguing with him and his name is brandon..and they don't refund my $4000

Gray school, good instructors. Everybod is always on your side and helps you maintain the process

As an instructor, I was blamed for the crappy trucks they had breaking down. The vehicles are a death trap in my opinion. Their insides are filthy and nasty. reminds me of something you'll see in a junkyard. GO AND SEE FOR YOURSELF. It's a "Scam" and students are left with failure. Be aware, those positive student review are all "fake". Their complaint process is a one-way street. There is no explaining to management if students' team up to enforce a lie because they don't want to put the necessary work in learning yard maneuvers. Speaking of "yard". The yard is all dirt so picture when it's muddy or windy and the rain falls. I have 26 years of trucking experience, a Bachelor of Science Degree, 4 years of U.S. Army and is how I train students: (1) I perform the maneuver myself "once". At each step I get out the vehicle and explain stopping point, turning points and visual points. I take a group of 4 and put one in the truck and explain each step to that student while I explain to the others who are observing also. In all I have shown the maneuver 5 times. They then showed their gratitude by complaining to the office that I only showed them "once". In addition, I'm there working with them all day so they can learn and get their CDL. Showing them a maneuver once is just incorrect because they did not pay their money to watch me learn for them. The training is hands on so don't tell me I don't know what I'm doing. This is the only time I got to tell my side of the story. On the other hand, too many "colored" students that I trained got their CDL and management fumed at that given the environment. read more

My experience with Katlaw was awesome I had doubts in the beginning because of my lack of experience but your (Staff) is great. With the amount of people in your school Repetitious training does work. Thanks to the Office Staff Katie and Melissa for their patience & encouragement and making things happen for me. Thanks to the Field Staff Mike,Gwen & Dan for their patience and Teaching me how to Handle a Big Rig read more

I would say by far one of the best trucking school. I got my CDL's on my first try. The instructors are amazing and are very patient with the students. I got my license in 2016 but I would highly recommend this school. read more

Katlaw Truck Driving School - Driving Schools Near Me - Austell, Georgia

First week here. So far so good. I'll come back and update my review upon completion of the course.

i never drove a manually a day in my life , katlaw taught me in 2 weeks. many days i thought about quitting and giving up , but the instructors was ver motivating ! big thanks to tristin & dexter ! thank you katlaw & katlaw staff ! read more

Excellent school to learn in, the 2 classroom staff are cool as hell, they have the good guy bad guy approach and it works great! They definitely give you the info needed to get you CDL permit, (state test is very tricky)! I passed my state exam with 84 on General 100 on Air Brakes and 100 on Combination, but ran into 21 year old license issues, looking forward to the clearance of that so I can get back to school and finish the driving course. Excellent school, I highly recommend for SERIOUS individuals!! UPDATE!!! Passed all test and ended with 94.6 GPA and made my DDS test with no Problem the first time going! Eddie, Ernest, And Dan are awesome field instructors, I'll miss going to the "yard" because of them but it's on to bigger and better career opportunities!! Thanks again Katlaw, you have my vote !! Helping hint for those that "just don't get it" a simulator would probably save y'all a lot of clutch replacement money... lol read more

My experience wit Katlaw was great, Archie's class was the bomb...shout out to Archie and the rest of the Katlaw team great job....

This school sucks. The instructors don't take time with you. They will yell at you instead of teaching the concepts that you need. This school overbook classes. There are too many students on the range. You have to fight to get in a truck. While in the classroom the instructor goes through the material so fast and he talks too much about things that doesn't have anything to do with CDL. I hate I choose this school because I am not getting my money worth. read more

Great school and teachers! Its kind of a face paced learning but if you set your mind to passing you will be ok. Especially since they provide you with electronic means where you can study the pre trip at home. I really liked how helpful instead of being judgmental they were after I failed the skills part at DDS. I passed the second go round. I would highly recommend this school. The instructors are patient and kind especially Helen and Greg. Katie and the rest of the young ladies are really sweet and nice. May our Lord and Savior Jesus continue to bless Archie, my friend Earnest,Nate, Mr Dan, Greg, Will Helen,Jeff,Katie and Katlaw as a staff, brand, and learning institution. read more

Had a great experience at Katlaw. Started classes the end of October 2014. The instructors were very positive and helpful as long as you payed attention not only while you were in a truck but while watching waiting your next turn in the drivers seat. Dan, Dave, Ernest, Helen, Mike, and Gary were great. The only complaint was during my last week of yard time they were getting the yard resurfaced with fresh gravel so the skills training areas were challenging to maneuver at times. It ended up not being that big of a deal. Based on my experience with this outfit I would recommend checking them out. JB read more

These guys really suck and only care about getting your money. I paid the full price for tuition up front. Went through 4 dreadful weeks of in classroom training with an egotistical jackass who kept trying to bait the guys into a argument or a fight. After getting pass the classroom portion it was time for the actual driving. I met an even bigger jerk once I got to the yard. I actually had no prior experience driving manual transmissions of any type at all before our training. But I ended up getting stuck with a burned out alcoholic bitter asshole as my instructor on the yard. Needless to say, it was a very uncomfortable experience for me from the first day I stepped foot into one of the rigs (which are all pieces of shit by the way) because it's stressful enough just learning how to shift gears while you're driving, but I had to also deal with this old bitter idiot screaming at me and scolding me for every mistake I made. The bastard berated and criticized me (in front of 3 other students might I add) as if I'd been 20 yr veteran who was just fucking around on purpose when in fact I really didn't know what the hell I was doing and needed someone who'd be patient and understand I would take baby steps. As for my experience, it'd take too long for me to detail all of the bad things these people did which hurt my chances of success, but I will say that they will not spend the necessary time you need working in the areas that you're struggling in, instead they expect you to learn the way they tell you it should be done (whether you truly grasp what they're telling you or not) and they don't account for different personalities or learning styles. And if you don't get it down when they decide they're ready to send you to one of their buddies at the dmv to take your test, they don't give a damn if your not ready, about your character, how much money you've already spent there or the time you've put in to get it done. They'll send you off to take your test knowing you're not ready and likely to fail which means you'd have to come back to the school and eventually spend more of your hard earned money with their lousy asses, to try again! I fucking hate this school. I was ripped off and they let me down because they didn't perform up topar as far as training properly. if possible, I wouldn't even give this place 1 star. read more