If you’re searching for the best truck driving school, you’re bound to come across Sage Truck Driving School. Like many other companies, they offer CDL courses, and they do so in various locations across the United States.
In this article, we outline the courses on offer, costs, payment options, employment opportunities after course completion, and everything else you may like to find out about Sage Truck Driving Schools.
Sage Truck Driving Schools
Operating in 25 different locations across the US, Sage Truck Driving School has been running CDL training programs since the 1970s. What sets Sage apart from all other truck driving schools is the one-on-one truck driving instruction. Unlike other schools where several students accompany learning drivers during driving training, at Sage, the trainee gets private driving tuition. This means more driving practice, hence better test results and driving skills.
To our knowledge, Sage is the only truck driving school to offer one-on-one driving tuition. Most other truck driving schools have trainees spend many hours observing their fellow students, which, no doubt, isn’t as beneficial.
Sage Truck Driving School was one of the first to receive certification from the PTDI (Professional Truck Driver Institute), and to this day, only approximately 5% of all truck driving schools are PTDI-certified. In addition, all Sage training programs are nationally accredited. This is an important consideration when choosing a truck driving school, as this accreditation will make it easier to secure a job when you’ve got your CDL.
Sage Truck Driving School Locations
Sage truck driving schools are dotted across the US. In fact, today, Sage offers CDL training at 25 different locations. At about half of all the locations, Sage Truck Driving School runs courses in conjunction with local community colleges. At the remaining course locations, Sage operates the CDL training programs independently.
What Courses Are on Offer at Sage Driving Schools?
At Sage Driving Schools, you can choose from a variety of A classification CDL training programs, geared toward entry-level truck drivers. However, not all training programs are available at all Sage locations. Let’s see what’s on offer.
Comprehensive Tractor-Trailer Driver Basic
This is Sage’s most popular A CDL training program, designed for students with no prior trucking knowledge or experience. In total, trainees receive 150 hours of tuition, 44 of which are private driving lessons. You’ll spend 80 hours in the classroom and 26 partaking in yard training.
Commercial Driver’s License Essentials
In this training program, unskilled or inexperienced students learn how to drive heavy-duty trucks, tractor trailers, medium-sized delivery trucks, and dump trucks. Again, the course is a mix of classroom tuition, driving tuition, and study and lab time.
Tractor-Trailer Driver Advanced
This training program is suitable for people who have some truck driving experience but lack the skills to work as a professional truck driver. Over the course of 2-3 weeks, trainees spend 30 hours behind the wheel and many hours gathering necessary truck driving knowledge.
Tractor-Trailer Driver Refresher
Designed for truck drivers with limited experience, or drivers who need to refresh their driving skills, this program takes place over 1-2 weeks, incorporating 20 hours behind the wheel and 20 hours of theory tuition.
Tractor-Trailer Driver Externship
This program is only available at some Sage Truck Driving schools. During a 10-week period, trainees spend 5 weeks at Sage, learning practical driving skills as well as gathering trucking knowledge. Subsequently, trainees spend 5 weeks working with a Sage-approved motor carrier. Nearly all externships are employer-paid. This is an excellent program, making the transition into gainful employment extremely easy.
Straight Truck Class B Driver
At some Sage Truck Driving Schools, you can also prepare for a B classification CDL for straight trucks, waste trucks, water trucks, dump trucks, delivery trucks, and concrete mixers. In a 40-hour period, the trainees prepare for the B CDL and partake in basic skills training.
This concludes our list of Sage training programs, make sure to check out what courses your local Sage Truck Driving School has on offer.
Entry Requirements and Admission
Not all truck driving schools accept unskilled drivers. At Sage, you only need to have a clean driver’s license. Before admission, you have to fill out an enrolment application and submit your driver’s license along with the DOT form of your medical examination. You must be willing to undergo a drug test, and your driver’s license must be free of any serious violations.
Sage Truck Driving School Costs, Payment Options, and Grants
Truck driving tuition costs between $3,000 and $7,000. Check with your nearest Sage Truck Driving School to find out, as prices may vary from school to school. Though this may seem like a lot of money, it’s a great investment, seeing as there are lots of job opportunities.
What’s more, Sage offers a variety of payment options. Furthermore, you may qualify for grant assistance. Sage also provides a truck driving school loans facility that you may be able to opt for.
Some students qualify for employer tuition reimbursement plans; here, an employer covers a cost. Check with Sage staff to see if you could avail yourself of this option.
Finally, some trucking companies working with Sage share the cost of tuition with the trainee who will go to work for the trucking company after successful completion of the CDL training.
As you can see, you have multiple ways to finance your Sage truck driving program.
Sage Driving School Employment Drives
As a Sage Driving School student, you can avail yourself of Sage’s excellent job assistance services. While not all students are successful in their quest, Sage schools across the US have helped thousands of students to find good trucking jobs.
To begin with, Sage helps you to craft a good resume and prepare a new driver application. In addition, you will up your interviewing and presentation skills. Finally, Sage uses its network of trucking companies when assisting you in your job search.
During this process, you will learn about the trucking industry, working conditions, income levels, and more besides.
The trucking industry is crying for highly qualified CDL drivers, so your chances of getting a job after receiving your CDL are rather good.
Sage Truck Driving School Reviews
As one of the top truck driving schools, Sage is consistently getting positive reviews. But you can imagine, some people provide negative reviews, even about Sage. So, what are they complaining about? Well, it seems some staff at some Sage schools have irritated some students, which is to be expected in any educational setting.
One point that keeps cropping up is that some students find the tuition material, especially the videos, outdated.
Still, most people provide very positive feedback.
Final Thoughts
Based on what we’ve learned about Sage Truck Driving Schools, we, along with thousands of others, appreciate the quality of the training they provide. The one-on-one driving tuition as well as the excellent job assistance scheme sets them apart from other truck driving schools. In addition, they seem to do their utmost to help you with financing, which can be an issue for anyone.
As for the negative reviews, well, you’ll always find someone who isn’t happy but that’s just human nature, isn’t it?