This is my personal review. Ralph Sanchez. Graduated on April 19th and passed my CDL Class A exam on my first attempt. I came into this school with a mindset of i cant fail because this is what I wanted to do, I came from the auto industry as a car sales man, I had never driven a tractor trailer with a fifth wheel before, when I got there I was like wow am here, we had 14 students in my class. A few had never driven before a few had class b and were transitioning to class A. Instructors like Ligon, Rosanna, Pat, Jim and Steve and the main instructor Phill did a amazing job on teaching me how to operate safely this rig. I couldn't do it correctly for the first week I was getting frustrated and I thought maybe this wasn't for me, they settled me down, broke down everything for me step by step. And on my second week of training it all started making sense, everything I learned on the class room to pass my permit test and everything they thought me to pass my driving test on my very first attempt. Everyone was very helpful specially Phill and Ligon on straight back, offset and parallel maneuvers ,And Rosanna on the driving when you go on the road with her you will learn the mustard and mayo technic of staying in your lane .. Thank you Nico my recruiter. And shay my class manager .. I start my new job as a class A driver this following month in June.. also my classmate helped me out a lot. I recommend this school to all who really want something new in their career and trust in the system it works. But you also have to put in the work .. read more

The instructions at the Cdl school are AMAZING, they know what they're doing and they are very passionate about doing it! I appreciate Phil and all of the instructors there lots of love and respect to all of them. Hands down good energy, good vibes and lots of compassion! From having no trucking experience day one to passing my test on the FIRST TRY! They are AMAZING at what they do! I want to say thanks a lot for EVERYTHING, the cdl school holds a special place in my heart ! read more

STAY AWAY, STAY FAR FAR AWAY!!!!!!!!! Not enough instructors, trucks are garbage, manager in office is extremely rude. Totally not worth it. read more

Went to this school about a year ago to get my Class B. To say I was a little surprised is an understatement. Thank God I already knew how to drive but because NY state passed a law that the only way to obtain your CDL is to go through an accredited school I had no choice. The vehicles aren't maintained. I get they won't be brand new because they are getting beat on but they should at least work properly. We pointed out to the Instructors that the Reg. had expired. They said that's just the range truck but the new reg is in the office and that we will use the other truck for road test. Then we said well that one's inspection has inspired. That is the truck we used on the road test and the examiner caught it. They did let us proceed but they were told they better not see this vehicle again invalid. I did feel bad for the other students in class that were having trouble learning how to drive a manual and some didn't know how to down shift because all we got was 2 days out on the road. 1st day 15mins 2nd day 25mins. And like I said earlier non maintained equipment made it even more difficult for them. The Instructors were nice and like to tell stories of their road days. They did not know what a student knew or didn't know when they brought us to the test. Thank God we taught ourselves. All in all my experience wasn't good especially for the money you pay. I felt like I spent money to rent their truck to take the test. I will say the online part of the school, Jerry the Instructor from TX. is excellent. Yes I did pass but like I said I already knew how to drive. read more

After months of hesitation I finally decided to attend this school to obtain my CDL license, Which I haven't gotten yet because I'm still a student. But it was my best decision that I could make. Is this place a little beat up? Yes! But that's the charm of it. A good truck driving school doesn't need fancy equipment to teach you to drive, it need good instructors, and this place has that! Phil, Bill, and Josh are great instructors I didn't think I could drive manual or back up a big truck but these guys go above and beyond to make sure you know what you are doing! The office ladies are wonderful people very attentive and helpful. Thank You CDL School for teaching me how to become a good driver! read more

XXX First of all please do your research. Many trucking companies will pay for your CDL or bring you out to their school so don't commit until you talk to them. There are two programs in Albany that offer grant money. Go to Career Central 175 Central ave, Albany and ask them. Do not use the CDL school financing unless you have exhausted every other option! That is where they make their money and why they ask for references so they can track you down if you owe them money. The program costs about $6,500 for the 160hr Class A CDL. That equates to about $40 an hour you are paying for the program. What you are actually paying for and what you actually get is to rent and practice on their vehicles in their 75yd by 75yd practice yard. Most people can pass the DMV computer test after studying for it but if you choose to skip this instruction you only save $90. The $90 is worth taking their practice tests and the instruction you get in the classroom. I had Mike and he was informative and knew the course material. They have 9 vehicles on the lot. Four of them are actually inspected and registered for the students to use on the road. Two of the nine are junkers and don't work. The others are in poor condition but run and do the job for instruction purposes. One is missing a shock absorber, one has frayed air lines, one has multiple hood damage and some don't have operationally treaded or matching tires. They all leak and the mechanic was there 5 or 6 times during my 4 weeks. At least they called the mechanic I thought! The office staff is good except for the one who hates her job and the students who pay her salary. They are never seen in the yard and work only from 8-4. I never once saw the director out in the yard, watching the students or supervising her staff. She was only there part time and seemed totally disconnected from the operations. There are only three instructors on site and like today there was just one instructor for four moving vehicles in the yard. Although this is great for the students to get hands on practice with the vehicles I don't think it is smart or safe. The head instructor does not do any instruction. He takes people on road tests and to the DMV test but mostly sits in the bus staying warm or smoking. On three occasions I asked him directly to teach me or show me something and he said no and would not come out of the bus. Either another student is assisting you or helping or you are figuring it out on your own. Most of the time in the yard you are doing straight backing, parallel parking and offset parking. They had a very hard time with the scheduling. They had a hard time tracking which student had done what training, what time should we come in and they could never tell you what you were doing the next day. On two occasions the head instructor was over an half hour late causing everyone to stand around waiting on him to get the keys to start the vehicles. The office staff would print the schedule but the instructor would change the times on the fly and not tell all the students or the other staff. They do not adhere to the crawl, walk and then run training method. They threw me into a 10 speed manual tractor trailer for my first time on the road. They should let you and ensure that all students drive the automatic for their first time on the road to ensure they get comfortable. Learning the upshifting and downshifting is the hardest part of the program. They don't use any simulators or other simpler training aids to teach the movements. There are many places in Albany with large lots where they could take you to practice just the upshifting and downshifting first prior to adding all the other distractions into it. I recommended that they let us get comfortable with double clutching in one of the junkers while they are not running (which works well) but they did not agree. You tube has many good videos on all aspects of trucking and training. Most of your time will be spend waiting, doing pre trip inspections and watching other people do parking maneuvers since they are multiple students assigned to each vehicle. Be prepared to hear your instructor yell at you, grab your hand and leg while shifting and to be condescending and critical. They do not use much positive feedback. I can totally understand this job must be tedious, boring and then stressful at times but not everyone is built to train students. They lack the empathy to appreciate not everyone has 20 years of trucking experience or even driving time. Overall I would recommend the program and course but only if you can get tuition reimbursement or grant money. You have to ask yourself is it worth it? read more

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So I went for interview back in December I filled out application My application was approved except I needed foot surgery in January so I didn't do the financial or the final step Someone calls me in February ask how I'm doing told them I'm still in a cast so she says ok no problem just let us us know when you can start and get the financial paperwork done 3 days later I get a call telling me they were wondering why I wasn't at first day of training? For real I just talked to someone she says oh ok just tell us when you want to start So I called in March told them I need to do the financial part and the connected me to a recruiter and she took all my info says takes 3 days So here it is end of March no answer and they deposited my $100 which will be refunded if I'm not approved for any part of the process hmm I called was told someone will call back still no answer about my $100 apparently I didn't get approved for the financial No go here they are dysfunctional period!! I wasn't refunded like they guaranteed if anyone is turned down read more

STAY AWAY. As other reviews say as well. I went to this school a couple of months ago. I want to start with, the instructors are great they do there job completely. It's the people in the office who are the problem. The recruiters LIE to you to get you to sign up saying thing like "receiving individualized training, specialized training and more. This school well teach you the bare minimum, it is simply to pass the road test, barley. In my class the first 6 students to take there test all failed the first time. To add on, the yard is muddy, full of pot holes. Expect to get stuck multiple times a day during wet seasons. They are also packing the classes with students and there is no organization for who gets to use the trucks, just a bunch of people standing around waiting for one to open. To add on you spend all of your time in the yard, you only get to go out in the truck 5 times (in total) on the road for less then 30 minutes each time. The trucks also barley work, they have fleet mechanics there everyday because they are constantly breaking down. If there is one thing I can recommend to anyone getting there cdl it is to go through any other option expect this school. read more

Great school, lead instructor Ed is great can teach anyone to drive, trucks are nice except one of the really old ones.. But you can't expect to teach people on brand new trucks.. When you take the course, show up on time be prepared to learn, if you listen they can teach you everything quickly and you will be driving in no time! read more

I called a month in advance of my road test to schedule a lesson and was waiting to hear back from them on the day to schedule. I did not hear back for 2 weeks so I called and was once again told it wouldn't be a problem but they would call back and get my CC. Called the morning of the day before my road test and they told me they couldn't accommodate me and that I should have called sooner. I was going to pay them $250 for a 2 hour lesson in my Truck. Road tests take over a month to schedule, and I need my CDL for my Job. Extremely unprofessional. read more

I attended the CDL School after attending another School for a couple of months. The staff and instructors are phenomenal. I was impressed by the training I received. I was given instructions and allowed time to practice the information. The key to gaining as much knowledge as you can is just listen and talk with the instructors to ensure you understand the information that is given. You really have to be present in the moment. The CDL School prepared me to safely operate a tractor trailer. The training you will recieve at The CDL school will allow you to do more than just pass a test to get your CDL. read more

Very unorganized and unprofessional atmosphere. The woman running the office has an ugly demeanor and attitude. She really has no business being in her position. Not much courtesy or respect from some of the staff. Even the instructors feel frustration with the staff in the office. Was left feeling scammed. Not worth the money. I feel bad for the good people that work there. A lot of discontinuity. Many cases of the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing. Very little structure and format. I think the instructors do the very best they can with the resources they're forced to use. The building was grungy and in need of updating. The classroom is dank. I seriously don't know how they take any pride in their business. A lot of smoke and mirrors. I hope this isn't the standard in the trucking industry. I consider myself to be a fair and sincere person and wouldn't bash anyone who didn't deserve it but I feel people walking into this "school" shouldn't expect much. To say the least I'm very disappointed. If not for the few good people that work there and my own perseverance I would have feared for my success. Good luck to all who enroll. It should be your last resort. read more