The next 5 days you are drilled about company policies, DOT policies, securing your loads, doing the paper work for your company and the DOT. Plus you must within these days also get a physical and DOT JD Truck Training Centre drug screen.
There are a lot of things to learn during this period and you will still need a lot of practice driving and maneuvering the truck. Driving school will give you the bases, but you are no way able to jump right into an 80000 pound vehicle all by yourself just yet.
This is very possible. I have met a lot of truckers that didn't go to a Truck driving school. They learned it right at home growing up. They either grew up on a farm, or their dad took them on the road trucking. These guys who grew up on trucking really have the advantage with the experience they learned through the years.
Many schools will also offer financial aid. The money you are required to put up front is sometimes a big limiting factor on what type of school you can attend. Offering financial aid can open up your opportunities. Find out how long it will be before you are required to begin making payments after graduation. Most schools will allow you 3-6 months before you start making payments.
Out of all the endorsements, you must be fingerprinted and pass a background check for only one: the HazMat endorsement. If you have been convicted of arson robbery smuggling HR Truck Licence bribery or other serious crimes you cannot obtain a HazMat endorsement. Your HazMat endorsement must be renewed at least every 5 years.
Instructors will wander over now and then to see how things are Lr licence going and offer advice. But for the most part it will be students helping out students. This was a popular way of doing things because there wasn't as much stress when instructor weren't constantly watching our every move.
With this list you should be armed with great information. Many truck driving school students fall into the hands of low quality trucking schools. Almost every time the students' story matches up with one of the items above. If you are looking into the driving profession avoid the truck driving schools that match up the list above.