All of the instructors at TDI were extremely helpful and really seemed to care a lot about my…read moresuccess as a student driver. Joe, Tim, Sarge, and Dave gave me invaluable advice and walked me through all the steps on the maneuvers range until I got it right. They were tough, but it's a tough job...not for sensitive little flowers that can't take a little constructive criticism!
Terry and Joe were both amazing teachers out on the road. Honestly, I don't know how they keep their cool, driving around with a bunch of greenhorns making every mistake in the book and sometimes nearly wrecking or running things over, but they were both patient and shared lots of helpful tips and advice to make us better drivers.
The recruiters give giant packs of applications that they expect you to fill out by hand and turn in. I did most of mine online, because I didn't want to deal with all of that paper. They have 30 companies they contract with to take TDI students straight out of school, so you won't be struggling to find work. They have a lifetime job placement agreement as well, so don't be afraid to utilize that service if you wind up with a less than desireable company.
I would definitely recommend TDI to anyone interested in starting a career as a driver. Be aware, though...the cost is pretty high for only three weeks of training. It's about $6000. If you have the cash, rock on!
For those who are unemployed, a lot of states cover the cost through their job centers, it just takes a lot of time. So if you're thinking about it, get the ball rolling on getting the school grant ASAP. It can take up to 90 days total, depending on your state and their level of bureaucratic efficiency.
Otherwise, if you have good credit, they can finance you. If it's not, start hitting up your friends or family that do, because you'll need a co-signer. All of the companies that contract with TDI do tuition reimbursement, so as long as you go to work right after school, you'll be fine and won't leave your co-signer holding the bag.
P. S. Just a heads up to anyone who has consumed drugs of any kind. Most of the big trucking companies have switched from urinalysis to hair follicle testing. It's much harder to fool, and it doesn't violate your privacy to cut your hair. So, if you haven't been clean for at least 3 months (honestly, it would be safer if it was more like 6 months), do yourself a favor and shave your head or wait until your hair has a chance to grow out at least 2 inches before you apply for a driving job. If you fail or refuse a drug test, kiss your new driving career goodbye and get ready to figure out how to pay back the $6000 you spent on school, because no one will ever hire you with a failed drug test on your DAC report. Personally, I think it's kind of crappy, considering someone who is trying to get their life together could be penalized for something they did three months ago. But I see the point of view of the trucking companies, too. Clean drivers have less accidents and that keeps the insurance costs down, which is money they could spend on better equipment or driver pay. So, consider it the cost of better living. You'll make good money and your life can be more comfortable, you just can't ever do any illegal drugs as long as you drive. It's a small price to pay, in my opinion. Ironically, you can drink yourself stupid when you're not within 4 hours of driving time...so if you just HAVE to alter your reality, no problem there.
All in all, TDI is a good training center that I would definitely recommend.