Reviews of United States Truck Driving School (Driving School)

RIcky Staatz

This was the only school locally that offered a night class. I was able to work my normal job and go to class after. It was a long 6 weeks but worth it. Brian was amazing and really cared. All of the instructors were approachable and willing to help. This school will definitely open several doors and has a good reputation outside of the state. When you graduate, don’t think your training is complete. There is still a lot to learn with the company you go to. But it will definitely give you a step ahead not to mention confidence that you can do the job.

Reese Hardy

Worse truck driving school in the country.. some instructors are rude and talk down to you. If you pick up the driving as fast as the instructors want the talk badly about you to other instructors. Outdated equipment and rush students through training. I do not suggest this school for any driver!

DaddysGaming

Boooi

Nick Robinson

My class started on 3-12-2018. As the 3 weeks went on I met several people and felt that I grew as a person not just a professional driver. The instructors that made the greatest impact are Reid, Johnny, James and mark. From double clutching to roadways they always had great advice. I would highly recommend this school to anyone and everyone looking to become a truck driver.

TJ Lueders

Wonderful experience got me confident and ready for my new exciting career! So many great instructors. There is not enough room for me to write all the good this school has and does for their students. If you want to drive this school will get you there!

Jason Ellis

Very tough training, but it was all worth it. This school thought me how to parallel park, alley dock and numerous other things. Mark was my instructor and JJ did my test. Their school bus is pretty old. It's as old as I am. 23 but it's surprisingly in good shape. I got a job with a school district a few months after taking my driving test.

Raymond Lovett

Yes, there are numerous truck driving schools throughout the USA. However, USTDS is not a "if you can't do it, teach it" type of business! Obtaining a CDL license is not easy, and you have to study and earn it! All of the instructors give you one on one training. If these years of experience from the instructors is applied, you will get your CDL license at the United States Truck Driving School! See you on the road!

Drew Clymer

I graduated from this school on May 3rd 2000 Ol man Doc was my classroom instructor. I have to say everyone in my class not only graduated and obtained their CDL but also did it in two weeks. Very good school when I went there, and I'm still trucking over 16 years later with a accident and ticket free record.

N T

Like all learning experiences, you get out what you put in. In my own case I did not attend this school but rather a similar school in another State. If you go to a Tech School or a Private School, they will all be very similar in many ways. Track or course trucks that do not go in the roadway are going to be older and not as nice. That's because it would be cost prohibitive to the student just learning. All on road trucks and,equipment are going to be within current industry standards and DOT legal. But again brand new equipment for beginners would be cost prohibitive to the student. My advice is to absorb and retain as much information and,training in class and behind the wheel as it will be necessary for you as you advance your careers. Especially when you start for a company and go through a week of orientation and 4-24 weeks of driver training with a seasoned driver. Be safe and stay alert.

Richard Hoffman

Had a very short window to get a driving test done Leonard, and Shelly were great getting it scheduled. Victor was an awesome instructor, very knowledgeable, courteous, and professional. I highly recommend using them for your CDL needs.

L. A.

This is the worst place to learn the proper knowledge and skills to safely and properly operate a commercial vehicle! First thing to know and understand! They train to TIME not to STANDARD! What that means, is you will do your ten-hour day every day you are there. If you need EXTRA training, you WILL NOT get any!!! They will tell you anything to get you in the door and sign a contract with them! Once you have signed they could care less if you attend, learn, or pass their course. Of all their instructors, I would say two are respectable, several unexceptional, and remaining very bad and are just there to get a pay check and not help or train students in any way! One instructor will tell you one thing then another will tell you something else on how to do thing like backing; no standardization in teaching, instructing, or even testing. They have been at this location since the 1980s and it shows in the facility and their equipment (trucks and trailers) which have not been updated, cared for, or serviceable to train new students on the proper and safe way to a commercial vehicle. Have them show you the facilities starting with the classrooms, then the training materials, training packets, course outline, how many test, what do the test cover, what is their retest/failure program to get people passed. Then ask to see their trucks and trailers; you need to asked which ones will you be learning driving on, are they the same ones you will learn backing on and do your testing (look at these tractors and trailers inside and out…do a complete walk-around! They say they have 80 acres to train on! Again, have them show you the whole training area. Ask where will you be training and doing what, where is the practice backing done and where is the testing for backing done; will we get to practice on the test area with your test truck and trailer (Trailer size same for practice and testing?). Note, when they show you the training to the east and northeast of their building image how nasty it gets when wet (rain, snow, sleet…); it all becomes a giant mud hole/swamp and they don’t care. Remember, the have been there since the 1980s! You will be “MUCH” better served to attend any other CDL training program in the area or even go to another state since now you can test in any other state and it will transfer back to Colorado. Good luck and be safe…!

H S

I have to agree with A. G. and E. S. and their assessment of this school, training program, instructors, teachers, equipment, and training facilities! They will say and do anything to get you to sign up and get your money. Once that is done they feel they have no obligation to train you to achieve successful completion of their CDP program. E. S. provides a very detailed list of key areas (Training materials, instructors, facilities, equipment…) they are lacking and show no initiative to improve on to help train their students to the skills need to be successful as a CDL operator. If you have them on your list then go check them out and ask a list of questions from training requirements, testing, equipment, grading, standards and get it all in WRITING!!! Since it seems no one knows what is going on: Front office is on one sheet of music, trainers on another, testers on other, and neither talk to the other to A-line their overall program which sets you the student up for failure at every turn of their program. Something you don’t need…! Your final day at the course is your pre-check, backing, and driving tests. When I was at the course I saw over 15 x people all fail on backing. When asked why so many people were failing they always said it was the student! Not once did a school individual acknowledge that they may have a training problem that need to be address to get people to pass. Note: They will put you in a vehicle with a larger trailer (53’) that you have never been in or trained on for the test. Here are other programs in the area that I’ve investigated and will far out preform USTRS in all areas. Commercial Vehicle Training Center CDL School in Watkins, CO Springs Truck Driving School in Colorado Springs, CO Sage CDL License Testing Center in Denver, CO CDL College LLC in Denver, CO

Brandon and Jenny Nielsen

I would say I was a little intimidated at first to go to this school because I deal with social anxiety and the whole starting a new career thing. By the time I graduated I had made friends with everyone at the school, and it felt like a family atmosphere. I wish I could stop by and see everyone , but I got a really good job up north in Wyoming driving heavy wreckers. Finding a job afterwards was the easiest thing I have ever done I had companies fighting for me to join them! The bad reviews I see people leave are people that don't belong in car much less a Semi.

Randy Mason

Martin, both John's, and Karl really made this a fantastic experience, thanks to all of you! Special shout out to the mechanics James and Vic who were awesome. Leonard, you make everybody feel uncomfortable when we see you strategically lurking around trying to get people in trouble. Plus, you can smile bud, it's ok! Office staff was always super friendly and very helpful. The people here make this a good experience, but I have a few suggestions for improvement. Assign students 1 truck all the way through. I did like getting to know the feel for all the old trucks, but test day is a bummer because you are put into a much newer truck that you have never driven before and everything acts just a little different. Pave the backing yard. It is going to be expensive, but the loose traction on the dirt is hard for new people to learn on because every time you back the trainer responds different. You test on concrete, which is the first time you get to back up on concrete. Assign us one instructor. I personally liked learning many different ways to drive, but I missed points on the final test because of conflicting advice for different instructors. Let us have a practice test the day before the actual test to freshen up our memories. Buy some cones! Anyways, thanks a bunch, I really did learn a lot, I enjoyed my experience and won't be forgetting all the great help I had here. Thanks!

Paul Wright

It was overall a great school, really enjoyed my time there. The instructors were very experienced drivers who knew not only how to drive but also how to teach. It was a positive, encouraging environment and a small school which helped students and faculty all get to each other better. The size also meant we got more personal instruction. Unfortunately, while I was at school, due to weather we weren't able to get much time backing and the backing time we missed wasn't made up to us. If we had missed school, it would have been made up; but we were there and simply couldn't use the backing pad for some maneuvers, so it wasn't made up to us since we technically were getting our required hours. This issue never even came up for some people but for others it was a major issue. Besides that, my only other complaint was that one of the instructors, Hank, was really cranky and rude. But he wasn't even there most days, and he was still very knowledgeable. For the most part, great school, I'd recommend it. And yes, I did pass :)

Steven Parker

Amazingly awesome people! Taught me well. Taught me safe. Taught me quick. Recommend highly.

Neal Crescentini

This school is what you make of it. If you apply yourself and work hard all day every day you can make it and obtain your Cdl. My instructors were very knowledgeable. Kenny,Brian,Steve and Stan all brought something useful to the table. Only thing I would like to have done was driven each truck just for the experience in different vehicles. Otherwise you guys did great and if I had to do it all again I would come back to train here. Thanks USTDS.

Kate Marquez

I just finished my classroom portion of truck driving school at this location. My teacher in was Roger H, and I have to say he was fantastic! He made it easy to learn, interesting enough to stay engaged. Thank you Roger, you have had a big impact on my future sucess, im sure of it. ill never forget you!

Daniel Horvath

Graduate, holding my CDL A. You start off with 5 days in a classroom, that costs you $250 a day, watching VHS tapes from 1970. While you're in the classroom you will be taught outdated ways of keeping records. The teacher will be a retired driver, who should be permanently retired, cranky, short, lack of knowledge, kicked a student out for not understanding. The actual trucks you use are not safe they could all be shut down any day of the week any time for numerous dot violations. The very first time I drove a semi on the highway at speed it had no working turn signals. The office staff threatened me physically and verbally. Also making outrageous claims that I had been there for half a year??? They threatened to call the police on a classmate of mine and then did the same thing to me the next day. Horrible attitudes with no sense of service whatsoever. For a day, I was in a truck with 6 guys total, 4 shoved in the back, trainer, driver. Most uncomfortable day I've had in a long time, plus about 25% of the behind the wheel time I should have gotten that day. Most days it was cram in 4 students. If the GI Bill is not floating the cost for you on this stay clear of the school otherwise good luck. If you have any other option besides this school I highly recommend staying away.

Adam Morton

I attended USTDS Fountain, Colorado location at the behest of the company sponsoring me. Classroom training is outdated with occasional use of an overhead projector that breaks down frequently. The saving grace of the classroom is the knowledge of the instructor. Formal driving & inspections are conducted with former truck drivers. Some instructors have good communication skills and some do not which can frustrate the student at times. I had the misfortune of 1 instructor losing his temper with myself & 2 other students while driving he went into a tantrum jumping up in his seat when each one of us drove and his seatbelt pulled him back down while he screamed profanities for an extended period. That poor fellow should NOT be an instructor. The practice field for backing is a dusty field complete with pot holes, gullys from rain, and lots of excessive dust. Quality of training is hit & miss at best. Of my class of 6, 5 failed our first final test the 1st time. School was understaffed most of the time I attended which gave a high ratio of students to trainers and myself and several students were unable to drive on 2 days due to lack of trainers. Based on my experience I would not recommend the school at this time.

Destinee G

Took night classes. Had JJ as my instructor. I liked it. I passed first try. We even got an extra day of backing due to weather and rally racers. Trucks are old and crap but you're students so it makes sense not to use nice new trucks. Did those of you who rated this school so low fail? I enjoyed my time there and felt like I learned a lot. Yes it was fast paced but it's not medical school.

Kean Kaplan

I'm sitting here laughing at the negative comments that a few people have posted on here. I scratch my head...my first thought is, how do they know that it's the worst school in the country? How many schools have those losers been to? Secondly, not a question but observation, the fact that the equipment is old or out dared as they say, well is really an advantage to you learning how to drive extractor trailer! That goes for the lot and the deplorable conditions that one person was whining about! I just chuckle at that, just wait to you get out in the real world driver! I attended this school 18 years ago. I understand that's a long time. But I must say it was very good and the instructors where very knowledgeable. I remember that they made you "double clutch". I never knew of such a thing and actually never did it again. But I'm glad they taught us that way. Thank you

Rob DeKemper

My Grandfather graduated USTDS back in the mid 80's. He was an instructor here for a little while after retiring. I graduated back in 2006. Great group of instructors. I had the honor of learning so much from CARSON (RIP Sir, the things I learned from you I still put to use today). These days I haul Super Loads grossing over 200,000lbs. The best part is I work for myself. My equipment, my company. This school is a great place. I had a lot of fun and learned many things. It's all what you make of it. Just my two cents... But what do I know? LOL