My question is as follows.
I signed up to take a Truck Driver's course at American Institute of Technology and get my CDL-A. I had to pay thousands of dollars but it would allow me to stay close to home while I did my training.
There would be 10 weeks of In-Class training and 8 weeks on the range (an area on their property to practice backing techniques) and actual road driving with an instructor.
In the classroom part I attended, we had 4 different instructors in the 10 weeks and all had different ideas about what was correct. The last one I had was there only 2 weeks and was nasty and controlling. Every day was an argument and yelling in the classroom with the other students. I didn't get into it because I only wanted to get my license and make a living for my family. It was too much drama.
That instructor finally ended up going to the outside to teach driving on the road and gear shifting.
I finally finished the class room course with 81% and went to the range. On the range we had an instructor (former driver) who had his own way of teaching. He said that he would show you how to do things a couple of times and then you were on your own. He used to sit around with some other students (a truck had broken down so they were just sitting around for 2 weeks until it was fixed - they had 3 trucks that they usually had in use - 0ne on the range and 2 for the road) where we drove and make derogatory remarks about the new drivers techniques (the others siting there smoking and making comments also joined in). When you finished your different backing situations, you sat down among these guys and listened to them ridicule us.
I put up with that too but I was having trouble with one move called "The Serpentine" (backing up around 3 obstacles) and I asked for help but was told that it was "up to you to get it right".
The school advertised on their web site that they would "give extra assistance where need because the students were important!" I started to get frustrated and asked to be given some shifting practice on a side street (the instructor drove to a quiet area and showed you how to shift). I ended up with the nasty instructor from the inside who constantly swore at the students and banged the gearshift if you didn't get it right. Finally he said that "if you make one more mistake, I will put you back on the range!" I made a mistake and ended up back on the range. This was running around the 8th week on the outside and I had never been on the road yet when they said we had to "test out."
All this stuff and being exposed to a leaky outside stove gave me some congestion which turned into an inner ear infection which affected my balance so I couldn't have driven if I wanted t at the time.
I contacted the head office and they said they did everything they were supposed to in their educational duties and I was out of luck. They said I could have a 2 week extension but by then I was fed up with it.
Also, during one school day, (we usually go 8 am -6:30 PM) the rest of the students were sent home and I was told I was going to go out for some shifting assessment (I had only had a few times were I was taught “4 gears” out of 10 and did not learn to downshift yet) and with us came all 3 instructors. There was the guy from the range, the guy from the classroom who went outside and a guy who did the DMV testing (also known for his lack of finesse). Here I was alone in the truck on a side street with 3 instructors and the DMV guy says, first of all about himself, “I am a prick!” I guess it was supposed to be means of showing his authority. He told me to shift through the gears and I did the 1-4th gears as I was taught. He then asked me to go to 5 and up and then downshift. I told him I had only had training for 4 but then he went ballistic. He asked me why I wanted to be a truck driver. I said I needed the job, my brother-in-law drove for a company and I needed to support my family. He chuckled and then there was derogatory input from the other 2. Finally we went back to the school and parked. I went home and felt sick and threw up from the stress. We had gone out at 3pm and come back at 5:30 pm. I spent 2-1/2 hours getting run down by these guys.
It was a terrible experience to have them swearing at me and berating me. I hadn’t expected this when I paid good money to learn the trade.
Obviously no-one will admit what was said and the school said they did all they could and it was my own fault I did not succeed. They were sent a letter and one came back with different copies of my training history.
I do not know where to go from here or if it is worth pursuing. All I want back is my tutiution.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
BTW, I have been taking medicine for stress since that period but is still inside me.
