I want to express my deepest appreciation to SoCal Truck Driver Academy for helping me obtain my Class A Commercial Driver's License. From day one, I was incredibly impressed by the entire team and their clean, top-shape trucks.A special thank you goes out to Norm for being the absolute best instructor. Their private, one-on-one classes mean you aren't stuck in a group; instead, the instructor's attention is focused entirely on you. You have a teacher by your side the entire time, similar to having a personal trainer at the gym.Because they are federally FMCSA-compliant and state-approved, they prepare you the right way. If you are looking to get your Class A license, I highly recommend SoCal Truck Driver Academy. Norm, without your dedication and expertise, I never would have made it! read more

SoCal Truck Driver Academy - Driving Schools Near Me

THIS SCHOOL IS A SCAM. Take warning. This is an unlicensed truck driving school. The owner, Normand Pineault, is currently being sued for fraud, breach of contract, and sexual misconduct. Here is what you can expect in return for your $3,800 enrollment fee: INADEQUATE TRAINING Federal regulations require truck driving schools to teach you certain skills like how to drive on the freeway, how to couple and uncouple the truck from the trailer, and how to dock the truck in different Positions. This school teaches none of that. They spent a few hours teaching me how to back up the truck straight and they had me drive circles in the parking lot of Westminster mall. State regulations require all commercial license applicants to complete at least 15 hours of behind-the-wheel training before you can take your DMV driving test. The owner scheduled me for three 5-hour lessons, but my instructor typically showed up an hour late and left an hour early. He did not let me drive on the freeway because the vehicle is only covered by the insurance policy when the owner is driving. After 3 days, the owner told me that I had received all the training hours I paid for because he includes the instructor's driving time. He will submit false certifications signed under penalty of perjury to the DMV so that you can take your exam without being properly trained. BEFORE you start your first day of training, you will be required to sign the form stating that you've received 15 hours of training that you will never get. If you fail the test, he will offer additional training for $1,000 per day. UNQUALIFIED INSTRUCTORS Federal regulations require behind-the-wheel training instructors to have 2 years experience driving a commercial vehicle. My instructor was hired only 2 weeks after receiving his license. It was very obvious that he did not have any training or experience because he couldn't answer my questions and he routinely put himself in danger by doing things like standing in front of the truck while I was driving. The DMV form that lists your training hours had the owner's name pre-printed in the space for the instructor's name. The name of the actual instructor was not listed. BUSTED EQUIPMENT The school promised me that I would use the same truck for my training and testing, but on the day of my DMV test, they swapped the trucks and I had to take the test on an unfamiliar truck with mechanical problems. When we began the exam, the truck would not even start, and I had to call the owner to do his special trick with jiggling the keys in certain way so the truck will start. The mirrors are improperly mounted and one of them was missing, so I was not able to see where I was going when backing up the truck for part of the examination. The truck I was given for the exam also had a busted transmission, and the gears would grind whenever you try to shift. You will lose points on the exam each time this happens. I have been driving cars with manual transmissions for more than 25 years. I know how to shift. The truck I was given for the test also had some extra pieces of metal sticking off the back of the trailer, and the examiner failed me because these were sticking out beyond the test boundaries. NO TRAINING FACILITIES There is no actual training facility for the school. The business address that is listed is actually the owner's home address in a gated community in Irvine. You can't even drive a truck on those narrow streets. Instead, you will meet your instructor in the parking lot of a storage facility in Irvine where the trucks are kept. There is no room to drive there, but you will practice backing up the truck in the small parking area between customer storage units, so you will need to watch out for people loading and unloading their Ikea furniture. The owner does not have permission to operate and remember that you are not covered by his insurance policy, so try not to run anybody over, because you will be held liable. For additional training, I was driven to Westminster mall each morning (30 minute drive. You will ride in the passenger sear and you can send text messages to your friends while your instructor texts with the owner). Then you will get to practice backing up in the parking lot behind the Best Buy. Delivery vehicles, security guards, and mall patrons will drive through the alley during this time, and you will need to stop to let them pass. Federal regulations require the school to provide a private range to practice your maneuvers uninterrupted. Oops! You wont get that. Try not to run over the Korean man who jogs through the parking lot every morning. Remember, you are uninsured. The parking lot is nothing like the DMV test area, so this will not prepare you at all for your test. Normally we would test with 2 orange cones, but sometimes the instructor will forget to take the cones out of the other truck, so you will practice with only 1 orange cone. Sometimes we used orange hockey pucks instead. read more

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I chose this driving school based on positive reviews, but unfortunately my experience didn't match. Once you sign the contract and pay (cash only, which raised my first red flag ), the promises quickly fade. They completely disregarded my schedule, offering lessons only at 4 am. (yes, am!), which meant I had to wake up at 3 am. If you can't make that work, they bluntly tell you it's your problem. The length of my training seemed to depend entirely on the owner's mood. My lessons stretched over nearly four months, with just one or two sessions per month. Before signing up, I explained that I wanted to learn on a manual transmission. His assistant assured me this was fine, saying many CDL students start without manual experience. I got one manual lesson, but then Norman convinced me to switch to automatic, promising I'd get my license faster and could continue manual training while working for him. This ended up being a trap, as he showed little interest in teaching manual afterward. In the end, I trained for almost 4 months and didn't pass. Lessons were so spaced out that by the next one, I'd already forgotten the previous material. If you enjoy unpredictable experiences, this school might be for you. But if you value your time and $3800 I'd recommend looking elsewhere. Be safe read more

SoCal Truck Driver Academy - Driving Schools Near Me

big shout out to Norm and his team! passed my DMV test first try! They get straight to the point, theyre very patient, i was definitely OVER prepared for my DMV test. As long as you do your part, they will do theres. would definitely recommend! Thanks Norm! read more

Just got my Class A CDL after completing education and training with SoCal Truck Driver Academy. There is very little wasted energy in their approach. You are provided with the materials and behind the wheel training/techniques needed to succeed. The instructors I worked with were great. They were supportive every step of the way and go above and beyond for their students because they want you to succeed. Highly recommend! read more