Elite Truck School

I would recommend elite truck school to anyone interested in getting their CDL. Awesome instructors who are very patient with teaching you in a stress free way. They have no issues with giving you extra training if you need it. I just got my CDL as a result of attending elite. I had never driven a stick before and within 4 weeks I was shifting smoothly. Elite is the way to go.

Dear Greg, Suzanne, Thad, Mike, Phil, Paul, and Brian,
As you know, I was a high-​school English teacher who could not find work for a few years but had small children to support. It was not my dream to drive a truck. When my wife suggested it, I felt pretty low. But you assured me you could help me to learn and support my family, which was my goal.
The first week we read the entire Oregon State Commercial Driver manual, with Lead Instructor Mike sprinkling the reading with relevant anecdotes to illustrate the information in the manual. The very first day my respect for truck drivers increased dramatically. Mike said his goal was not just to help us get CDLs but «to know how to drive a truck». A CDL is meaningless if you don’t know what you’re doing. And ETS goes the extra mile to provide PROFESSIONAL training, not just churn out truck drivers. They teach you how to operate the machinery, but they also instill professional values that you will carry with you the rest of your career, and it’s about much more than following the speed limit.
The second Monday, flush with knowledge, we went to the DMV and took the General Knowledge written test to obtain our CDL permits, along with any other endorsement tests we wished to get a jump on. From that day on we were outside: learning the parts of the truck and what to say during our pre-​trip inspection, practicing driving, and learning how to back up a combination commercial vehicle, which is no easy task. The first few days driving, however, Mike said he didn’t want us to worry about anything but learning how to clutch and shift. I had had no idea before this class that big trucks had 10 (and sometimes 13) gears. I was afraid just to get into a truck, let alone drive one!
My first day driving, Tuesday of the second week, I was stressed out. I came home with a headache and took an hour nap. I don’t even remember the drive. What I remember is the next day it got easier. Each day got better than the last, with some bumps, until I was able to add new knowledge and skills to my repertoire. Mike, Phil, Paul and Brian created a safe, encouraging, and fun learning environment. I didn’t know trucks, but I knew teaching, and I appreciated that very much. Phil, the other main instructor, offered a wealth of experiences for any situation imaginable and even some that weren’t. Paul, the backing instructor, knows the science and physics of backing a truck up as well as anyone on Earth – and it is NOT easy.
The third week brought more practice, more skills, and more written DMV tests, just to be ready to go with the endorsements we wanted and needed. We all had our final DMV pre-​trip, backing, and drive tests at the end of the fourth week, conducted by a DMV-​certified examiner who came to the school to run us through our paces.
On my test, I passed the pre-​trip, which you can bank and not do again if you fail something else. That ended up helping me.
I started my backing test and was doing better than ever when I got cocky, made a mistake, got upset, and spiraled down from there. I failed my backing test the first time, which does happen. This was not due to the School but to my own overconfidence and inability to respond well when I encountered a small challenge. Though they had told us repeatedly to stay calm and not let mistakes get us flustered, I was still learning how to respond to the pressure of operating one of these giant behemoths. I can’t deny that, as a former high school teacher, I had the farthest to go to get used to it all.
Only two guys out of our class of twelve failed our tests the first time, and that was because we were both stress cases.
Everyone learns differently at different rates, and I appreciate that ETS understands this. They tailor their instruction so everyone gets what he or she needs to succeed. Other schools in the Portland area charge more for extra attention, and I just don’t think that’s a good way to treat students who are already paying a good amount for professional training.
ETS let both my classmate and me come back in the following week free of charge to practice and learn some more, though the class had ended, and arranged another test for us. Then I felt both humbled and better prepared to deal with the challenge. A week and a half after our first DMV test, my classmate and I were tested again and passed. Sometimes, even when we know what to do, we just need to relax and not freak out.
Now that I have my CDL, I am considering my career options. I am also a better driver in my regular vehicle. I notice what truck drivers are doing right and wrong on the road. Most importantly, I have a new set of skills that will let me support my family. Thanks, ETS.
If anyone wants to ask me more about my experience at ETS, feel free to call or email me. They’re the best.
(971) 258‑6250
Robert Peate
Oregon City, OR

This is the best trucking school for you dollar. My fiancé was a student with Elite Trucking and his career had been very profitable. Anyone SERIOUS about being in road transport should go here. The trucking companies come here when they want good quality, clean truckers.