US Marine Gets CDL in Time from Southern California Truck Driving School

We want to congratulate another US Marine who attended our Truck Driving School in Southern California for passing her CDL test on the first try.  Connie is very special to us because she was from Camp Pendleton and we love helping US Marines.  She actually was granted a full scholarship to attend our Truck Driving School in Southern California because she was not eligible for Tuition Assistance.  We had hundreds of US Marines use their Tuition Assistance program to attend our California Career School just this past year with a 96% success rate of receiving a real career after separating out of the military with no previous training or experience.

Semper Fi,
Chuck

Connie wrote us the following letter:

“I wanted to get my CDL because it’s what I know. I grew up around trucks and equipment and I’m a mechanic in the Marine Corps. My Grandma is a truck driver and drives long hauls with her husband as team. Just recently my Grandpa had surgery and isn’t able to drive like he used to, so my Grandma is counting on me to help her drive across country when needed. I also have a job lined up helping my cousin drive his truck so I wanted to be able go to school and help my Grandparents when needed and not worry about losing my job.

I heard about ************** and started taking their courses. I would go at lunch time to do the class time and then I was driving on Saturdays. I tried to attend driving classes during the week but they were usually gone by the time I got off work. I felt like I was imposing on them by asking them to come in on Saturdays. One day I ran into one of the instructors that used to work there and he asked if I was still going through the course with **************. I told him that I was having difficulty getting drive time based on my schedule. He then told me that they changed the rules and you now have to have 200 hours before you can take the DMV test and that I should check out California Career Schools.

I was pretty discouraged at that point and thought I might have to wait until I got to Texas and practice on my Grandma’s truck. I realized I really needed to get my license before I went on terminal because my Grandma hasn’t had an income for a while and she is counting on me to drive with her as soon as I get back home.

Although I was discouraged, I contacted California Career School and they told me that they could develop an accelerated training plan for me and that I could obtain my CDL before I went home. To make a long story short, California Career School lived up to their promise and reputation and I obtained my CDL last week on my first try with a very high score.

I would wholeheartedly recommend California Career School to any military personnel who is interested in obtaining their CDL. After attending both programs, I can say that the CCS program is a better program.”

Sincerely,
Connie Fowler

P.S. Connie was not eligible for Tuition Assistance and did not have any money to pay for this program, so California Career School gave her a scholarship that covered all of her training expenses. Good luck helping your grandma drive the family trucks Connie!

Former Marine Secures a Civilian Firefighter Job with the Help of California Career School

Amanda Smith stands in front of her fire truck on the Camp Pendleton Marine Base as she thanks the CCS instructors for helping her obtain her CDL license which enabled her to secure her civilian firefighter job.

Congratulations Amanda, and good luck in your new career!

Amanda Smith” As my time in the Marine Corps was coming to an end, I decided that I wanted to further my firefighter career in the civilian side. Obtaining my class A license became a priority. I first went to another school that offered a class A license and after only attending a couple of weeks I dreaded going to class and began to doubt I would obtain my license. Because of personal reasons I had to drop the school and postpone getting my license.
About six months later I met with one of the recruiters from California Career Schools and just from speaking to him for fifteen minutes my confidence was back to obtain my class A. After going to class and meeting the instructors I realized how fun learning to drive a tractor and trailer could be. The instructors at CCS were always there to answer questions and always made going to school fun and stress free.

I would recommend CCS to any and all individuals interested in obtaining their Class A. I had to go through the hassle of dealing with another school and wouldn’t want someone else to make the same mistake. I thank all the instructors and CCS personnel on my class A success.”

Sincerely,
Amanda Smith

Marine Looking for Career Change

Update!

James passed bus today, Wednesday, March 2, 2011! He is now both a Class A and Class B driver. CCS wishes him a big congratulations and a thank you to Don for making sure that his training went smoothly!

As am I writing at this very moment, James Kilkelly is taking his commercial driver’s test for his Class B license out in Yuma, AZ. Donald Jacobs, our instructor, called to let us know that James passed his Class A test yesterday and that he was quite ready for his Class B right away.

In a few hours, I should be able to find out about Mr. Kilkelly’s results. So in the meantime, he’s given us a few words to share with any prospective students interested in commercial truck driving!

Author: Sarah Bantay

Veteran’s Day in Yuma AZ

In commemoration of Veteran’s Day, our Yuma trucking students decided to share a few words:

– Saul Solis

– Carlos Lopez

– Alberto Sotelo

Today is one of many days to take the time to thank our troops for the innumerable sacrifices that they have made throughout all of these years. Thanks to all who gave their all and more. We support our troops.

– California Career School

Moving Day Update

Our Oceanside instructor Jose Ballesteros went down to the Hyatt Huntington Beach Hotel for the 3rd time yesterday to continue the furniture move coordinated with Liz Diaz at Camp Pendleton’s Family Readiness Center.

According to Miss Diaz, one trailer will definitely not fit what will be transported this Wednesday. She has asked if we will be available again today. More updates later on the event!

Here are a few clips from the previous trips taken by one of our students with his phone:
YouTube Preview Image

Author: Sarah Bantay

Helping Marines At The Hyatt

On September 24 and October 8 of this year, Camp Pendleton’s Family Readiness Center combined efforts with California Career School’s drivers and the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach to bring this furniture donation effort to fruition.

Where was this furniture going? To the Family Readiness Center at Camp Pendleton to be donated to Marine families in need of furniture to set up their households.

CCS instructor Jose Ballesteros worked with 15-20 Marines and 1 student during each visit to the Hyatt to load up furniture into one of our trailers for transportation to Camp Pendleton. Having previously worked as a supervisor in a shipping company for 2 years, Mr. Ballesteros communicated the proper way to load up furniture as compactly and safely as possible, thus enriching the training for the participating students Soane Langi and Wayne Pak scheduled to graduate this year.

During the first visit, over 2/3 of the trailer was full. However, the second visit proved even more successful – the efforts of the Marines and drivers completely packed the trailer and, according to Mr. Ballesteros, there was still more furniture left over. With such a high volume of material, there could be no doubt that the furniture would be helping a significant number of families settle into their homes.

Furniture Transported on Day 2:
50+ mattresses
10-15 couches
70+ chairs
40-50 tables
100 lamps
80+ nightstands
8-9 TVs

Many thank yous to Camp Pendleton Family Readiness Center, USMC, Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach, Jose, Soane, and Wayne for making this happen!

Author: Sarah Bantay

CRST’s Appreciates California Career School’s Training

crst“I have been very impressed over the last twelve years with the high quality of training offered at California Career School and with the caliber of students who graduate from there.    Combine this with the dedication and integrity of the school’s staff and you’ve got the best truck school in all of southern California.  We would rather hire a graduate from California Career School than from any other school.”

Stan Ferdyn
CRST
Driver Recruiter

California Career School would like to recognize CRST as one of our premiere companies that keeps us on the right path!

California Career School Is Your Best Choice for High Demand Occupations

We have fun here at  California Career School. We’ll be posting more videos so come back often. We would love to have you come in and become a part of our California Career School family. Train as an Auto Technician, Commercial Truck Driver, Computer Numerical Control Operator/Programmer, or as a Security Specialist.

California Career School Shares a Video

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