Reviews of Commercial Driving School LLC (Driving School)

Matthew kling

I will start by saying I went for the 6 week class for my CDL-A. One of the prerequisites was that you had to have your cdl permit before the class started, although 2 people out of 8 in the class didnt. We used a large book called JJ Keller for school. The first few days we went over all the chapters in the NH cdl book including the school bus section which was a total waste of time. We used that book to study for the permit so it was pointless to go over it again. Also one kid in our class failed to get his permit until the last week of class. He failed 3 or 4 times. So since he no road experience he took forever on his skills practice ,which took away time from everyone who actually could drive on the road. Point is he wasn't taking the test with us with the trooper since he didn't have his permit for the first 5 weeks and still had to do 12- 2 hour drives still. Another big thing that bothered all of us is we had 2 hour blocks of everything including yard manuevers etc. Sometimes we had double blocks. Well the instructors would always show up 10 or 15 mins late before and after every break including lunch from their "smoke" break. Then they would have to set up the cones still and demo the manuever. Over the course of the 6 weeks I would say we lost 10 hours of yard time of practice because of this. I ended up paying after class was over 150.00 an hour on top of the 5500.00 Paid already to practice manuevers more because class ended and the test was postponed 2 weeks due to weather. Also one of the instructors, especially on the first few rides, was non stop texting on his cell phone. It was bad enough I was trying to learn how to shift and he's telling me his life story. In class the main instructor also would stop and tell stories about his personal life, His ex wife and child support etc. Lots of profanity which we were told was grounds for dismissal, but he did lots of it. The instructors were not professional and one would lose his temper alot on drives. I heard this from multiple people in the class So im writing this for them too. If you missed a gear he would yell and say "get it in gear "! With alot more color if u know what I mean. I understand were not children but yelling at us won't help us . If we knew how to do it we would not mess up, and yelling only makes it worse. I really don't think they have the right temperament for the job, nor are they teacher material. One even told us about his multiple accidents, and rolling on the highway in his doubles trying to speed by someone in a snowstorm. Not very comforting coming from our "instructor" who talks about "following distance". We wasted alot of time telling "stories" in class. Time that could have been spent practicing manuevers. I saved 3 years 5500.00 cash, on top of normal bills to pay for this class, and I feel it was not the experience I deserved. I had to quit my job and live on savings to do this 8-5 class.It was all a thought out plan. I finished with a GPA of 90, which was top 3, so im not saying any of this because i failed. Everyone in class was awesome. We all become good friends and helped each other more then the instructors by the end. CONS: WASTED TIME!! I can't stress this enough. Between story time and smoke breaks 1/3 of my 5500.00 went down the toilet. Practice time was nowhere near adequate. On the final day before our trooper test we got 2 hours to split between 7 of us. I got to practice 3 manuevers 1 time. TEXTING TEXTING TEXTING...this is something that annoyed alot of people including my friend who took this class the class before mine this summer. Wether it was in class or driving . They would sit there and text or fall asleep in the chair while the other was teaching. I want to add that I DID NOT FAIL MY ROAD TEST AS THE SCHOOL RESPONDED. It was rescheduled due to snow on test day. Funny how after I posted this multiple people gave 5 star reviews when they had 0 reviews . They aren't taking responsibility for instructors that may be good drivers but not instructors. Keep a closer eye on day to day instruction.

Travis O'Connell

Back in May of 2018 I was laid off from my job. My choice was either bounce around at various non-cdl jobs or take my career to the next step and get my CDL-A. Getting my CDL was the best career move I will ever take. The Amico's, and the friendly instructors (Roy, Ray, and Bobbie) helped me become a safe driver in NO TIME. I had previous experience with tractor trailers as a yard jockey, but had no experience driving on public roadways. I took what I knew and they elevated it to the nth degree. The attitude the instructors carried was calm, clear, and collected, and they translated their knowledge to our class in the safest/most efficient way possible. I will forever recommend this course to anybody who is interested in getting behind the wheel. The only stress I took from this course is which job offer do I take first?! Thank you all for helping me through this. I am forever grateful. You will be too.

Paul Rich

Passed my Class A test a week ago. For anyone going for their commercial license you couldn't choose a better school. The course is very well structured and by the time you take your test you're fully prepared. The teachers Jim & Roy do a great job, they are ex drivers who have a lifetime of experience to impart. The course is laid back but they really get you to where you need to be. Thanks guys, really enjoyed the experience.

brandon hanson

I had a good time for the most part did have some issues with things going on their but again nothing to really gripe about Scott and Roy were awesome instructors and well we had some laughs it's definitely cheaper then going to the other school in mass I give it four stars because as I said It had some issues but overall good experience and I had a great time hope both scott and Roy are doing well

John Gaffney

What an experience CD School of NH. Superb instructors that drive home the prevalent issues of safety, PTI and driving skills. Highly recommend to all those who are serious about assuming a professional driving career. To Jim, Dave and especially to you Roy for all your efforts and patience. I wish all the best to CD School of NH and its future as a premier CDL instruction institution

Tom Pulyak

I chose CDS because of the reviews, location, and program. Although I know a lot about trucks and could drive, hey helped me get my cdl the right way. Its the little things in this industry that will burn you, not the big picture. The instructors have years of experience with invaluable knowledge that you can't get from just renting a truck, trying to pass your cdl course the first time, and jumping into a driving job. To those who are interested: please know that the school takes work..don't expect it to be easy. There's a lot of studying to constantly do throughout your 6+ weeks..so much so that you may not be able to work another job. You also have to be able to take criticism with your driving from instructors...they aren't being mean, they're trying to teach you the proper manner in which to drive. I do have some small criticisms, but overall its helped me get my cdl a... and learn to do things the right way. I can tell you from experience now... you'll be able to find a good job that's a blast to do (drive) every day..and get paid very well for it.

Rusty Shackleford

This has been a life changing thing for me , I love this school and the staff are great . Jim and Cathy are real nice . the teacher Roy is a funny dude with good storys about real life that can help you in your career as a Truck driver. The course they teach is real good and packs you full of knowledge and the trucks they use work great. Don't be fooled by a few bad reviews from other people , they were not cut out to be truckers. this place is a good school . If you want to start your career as a CDL Driver , call today and talk to Cathy , Jim , Or Jordan and they will help you out with that new chapter in you life as a Truck Driver. -Rich S

Scott Gettings

Highly recommended. Ray and Roy are both excellent instructors and are willing to help you obtain your commercial license, all you have to do is listen to what they are trying to explain and be open minded and you'll have no problem passing this course. Thank you both for helping me achieve that goal

Joseph Rabideau

I went here on a unemployment scholarship. I was told right from the word go what to expect of the industry. When I graduated in May of 2015 I left the school feeling very confident in my knowledge and skills to be a competitive employee in this very demanding field. I now have been driving for almost 2 years and recommend to anyone who asks to check out this school. Thank you so much Jim, Kathy, and Jordan. Also a special shout out to both my instructors they were amazing.

Randy Strong

A great base of classroom knowledge and hands skills to start my commercial driving career.

Storm G

I attended this school as a brand new student to the CDL community. I found the challenge of a career change was fearing if I could receive proper & enough training to be successful with such. I did a lot of research to find a school that could help me execute this new direction. Important was finding a safety conscience/focused curriculum, low student-to-teacher ratio, compatibility to the staff and support system as needed. I made an appointment with the school and found educators that are committed to safety overall, instilling State of New Hampshire laws, interstate jurisdictional differences/ responsibilities and Department of Transportation regulations. We had instructors with many years of experience able to apply real world events not found in any book. We were very fortunate to have had a retired law enforcement sergeant (Dave) part of our driving instruction. Kathy and Jordyn were very instrumental in defining the school and my choice -- answering the question will one be able to acquire the necessary skills to be successful in a new career. August 14, 2016 was our last day, the testing by the NH State Troopers. We had a great class very appreciative at the wealth of training provided to us. Many classmates acquired team-building-skills as well as improvement to regular driving skills - above expectation! ((Yes, I do drive seat-belted with both hands on the wheel now in my personal vehicle!!!)) My advice is one cannot learn CDL skills alone by having uncle so and so teach - you need the classroom education, the experience and feedback to take you to the next level. Regarding prior negative feedback; pity-partying, griping about self-failures and lashing out when really simply looking in the mirror and self-evaluation is sometimes all that is needed. A few folks may need extra hours and that's okay don't beat yourself up. (I wish I had a few more hours!!! Time goes by quick!) Take advantage of all of available tools, communicate with admissions and staff -- ask questions, take notes and study, study, study! You will do great. My only critique is of the industry as a whole for not having enough schools for such a high demand of drivers. Safety is so important. I thank Jim Amico, the owner of CDS school of NH for facilitation of one here in NH. To the men & women and veterans joining this industry -- this is a great school with a strong five (5) star rating -- worth investing your time -- for your future and for safety sake. In closing, we were very fortunate to have had such an incredible instructor. Roy's great sense of humor, honest feedback, attention to integrity in the industry and in life, taught us more than just the curriculum -- we are all much better than we started...

Olivia Alden

I went through a class because I GOT A TICKET for speeding. Let me tell you I was really upset that on MY day off I had to go take this course that I HAD GO PAY FOR. It’s a few hours long it was a weekend and I work all the time. I was really mad....That being said this was MY fault no one else’s. The Amico’s are a fantastic family team who made this educational corse to be interesting as well as valuable to my time while teaching me things I didn’t even know about. The price I paid , the time I spent and the knowledge I gained and the license I didn’t lose...was well worth my Saturday. I would highly recommend the Amico’s and their company to anyone needing a CDL, a corse to knock some points off their license or any other services and classes they have available! A lot of these reviews may be biased because they don’t want to be held accountable for their mistakes on the road and pin it on CDS LLC. Don’t let poor reviews deter you from a good company because people who don’t/refuse to take ownership for their actions need-not apply!