Questions For Prospective Driving Schools

1. What is the total number of training hours offered?

2. How is that time broken down between driving instruction, yard instruction, and classroom instruction?

3. What are the classroom topics and are any of them “certificate” courses?

4. What are your classroom facilities like? Are there student facilities for things like a lunch area?

5. Is there any online training component and can I access that training from home?

6. What qualifications do your driver trainers hold?

7. Is your school registered with the government, do they meet the Ministry of Trades Colleges and Universities training standards and other professional organizations recognized by the trucking industry? (eg: TTSAO)

8. Do you offer job counselling and introduction to potential employers?Do you hold job fairs ?

9. Do you help me with resumes, interviews and explain driver’s abstracts and criminal searches ?

10. Do you partner with employers (carriers) that offer potential employment upon graduation? If yes, why those particular carriers? Can I contact them before committing to training with you? Can you provide contacts at those employers?

11. Can you provide references from graduates and/or testimonials from graduates?

12. Can you tell me about the equipment you use for training? (standard, automatic, loaded, empty, highway tractors, day cabs?)

13. If I do not pass the ministry test/your test on my first attempt what are my options at that point?

14. Do you offer the in cab training at different times of the day & week to provide experience with varying traffic volumes as well as day/night driving?

15. Can I complete your course on nights and weekends? (for those working and looking to change careers)

16. Do you assist with financing, registration with government funding programs etc.?

17. If personal conflicts develop between trainers and students what recourse do I have?

18. What is the general complaints process?

19. What accommodations will the school make for my learning? Are religious accommodations available (if applicable).

20. What support would I have if I feel my gender/age/sexual orientation/race/religion has become an issue?

21. Do you provide a full course outline with timelines, objectives, estimated time of road test and graduation before the first day of training?

22. How do you supply evaluations: after every training component? Do you supply written evaluations after each lesson ?

23. Is additional help/training available when clarification is needed ?

24. If I plateau in my learning and am unable to complete the program, what recourse’s do I have?

~Evaluations are a key component for training of any type~

* *You pay a lot of money for this professional training. Students should not forget THEY are customers and very much in the driver’s seat with their own training **