North
Country Truck Driving School, Inc.
1519 N. 26th Street Escanaba, MI
49829
906-789-6311 / Fax: 906-789-6317
North Country Truck Driving School
Contact us:
jim@nctds.com
North Country Truck Driving School is an institution that offers a truck driver training program. Individuals who understand occupational education and the trucking industry manage the school’s program. We have taken this valuable knowledge and experience and make it available to you. We are committed to training professional truck drivers and feel we have one of the finest training programs in the country.
The mission of North Country Truck Driving School is to provide a quality occupational learning opportunity for adults through its program that is innovative, convenient, accessible, and will allow students to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to enter the transportation industry as a entry level professional driver. This philosophy requires a commitment to our students, the transportation Industry and to the motoring public a commitment that mandates a careful screening to insure that the student has the ability and aptitude to master the necessary knowledge and skills required to safely operate a commercial motor vehicle and to achieve employment in the industry.
The Educational Approval Board of Wisconsin has approved North Country Truck Driving School. If you have questions about the school you may contact the Board at 608-266-3185
President / CEO - James Berthiaume
Vice President - Thomas Berthiaume
Director of Operations/ - Barbara Berthiaume
Admissions
Our instructors are the most important assets of the school’s program. Due to their knowledge as experienced over-the –road professional drivers, our Instructors are highly
skilled and qualified to train students and assist them in meeting their goals of a new career.
The North Country Truck Driving School is located at 1401 N. 26th St. Escanaba, Michigan 49829. The corporate and administrative offices are also at this location. The school is reached by turning at the Zepher Gas Station onto 14th Avenue N. which runs automatically into 26th St We are located in the Penstar Building, 2nd floor.
The facility provides classrooms, offices and a student lounge. The classroom seats 12 students and accommodates lectures, workshop activities, and general classroom instruction facilitated through the use of various audio/ visual equipment, televisions, video tape players, dry marker boards, and equipment models. The adjacent range provides more than adequate room to accommodate our entire tractor /trailer fleet to do our yard maneuvers on, and parking for our Vehicle Inspections.
North Country Truck Driving School utilizes and maintains Tractor/ Trailers like those units currently being operated in daily operations by the Trucking Industry. All street instruction is performed on designated routes selected to allow the student to progress through various degrees of difficulty as the competencies and skills are mastered.
Students meeting the admissions criteria will be admitted to the school without regard to race, color, creed, sex, or national origin. Though some states allow individuals between the age of 18 and 20 to drive in intrastate commerce, the minimum age for driving over-the-road in interstate commerce is 21 years of age.
All applicants must be at least 18 years of age, and have an acceptable driving record, possess a valid driver license, meet all driver qualifications of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, which includes a DOT physical, and a DOT approved drug screen, and fulfill generally accepted industry hiring standards. All applicants must demonstrate an attitude and aptitude consistent with the responsibilities and requirements fundamental to an over-the-road (OTR) professional truck driver.
High school diplomas or GEDs are preferred, but not required. All applicants must have the ability to read, write, and speak the English language and do simple arithmetic. Applicants that apply for the “ Driver Refresher Program” will be required to verify and/or demonstrate prior training or experience.
Persons interested in attending should contact the school and speak to the Admissions Representative .Admissions can be reached in Escanaba, Michigan, by a toll free call to 1-800-377-5567.
applicants must be interviewed by a Admissions Representative, complete a enrollment Application, complete a enrollment contract, and submit other information required to satisfy each of the admission requirements unless waived by the school. All prospective students are encouraged to visit the school for personal tour.
Classes begin every fourth week on Monday, and the cut off for admissions into a specific class is the Wednesday immediately preceding the Monday class desired. The admissions staff will make every effort to enroll students who have not completed the admissions requirements by the Wednesday prior to the class.
North Country Truck Driving School offers the following course and training programs:
Tractor- Trailer Driver Training Course – The objective of the Tractor Semi- Trailer Driver Training Course is to provide the student with the basic skills, competencies, and knowledge required for entry level employment as a professional driver in the trucking industry with class “A” commercial driver license (CDL)
The courses are structured for the adult learner with the following student to instructor ratios:
Classroom: 4 – 12 Students per Instructor
Range (off road) 1 – 12 Students per Instructor
Street (on road) 1 – 3 Students per Instructor
The program consists of 180 hours of training at the Escanaba, Michigan facility. The training program runs for 20 days, from Monday through Friday of each week (4 weeks). (Additional time would be offered to the students, at no additional charge to complete the program due to adverse weather conditions). The school does not provide instruction on the following holidays: New Years Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day.
78 hours 48 hours
Orientation 3.25 hrs. Control Systems 1.75 hrs .
Regulations 15.75 hrs Vehicle Inspection. 4.00 hrs.
Vehicle Systems 11.25 hrs. Couple/ Uncouple 5.00 hrs.
Brake Systems 6.00 hrs. Turning Exercises 9.50 hrs.
Skid Control 7.00 hrs. Backing Exercises 9.50 hrs
Accident Procedures 4.00 hrs. Shifting/ Clutching 11.00 hrs
Trip Planning 8.00 hrs. Slowing/ Stopping 7.25 hrs.
Drivers Logs 8.00 hrs..
Hazard Perception 6.75 hrs.
Visual Search DDC 8.00 hrs.
54 hours
Pre- Trip Inspection 6.00 hrs.
Shifting 2.00 hrs.
Highway Driving 14.75 hrs
City Driving 14.75 hrs.
Lane Control 3.50 hrs.
Emergency Procedure 6.50 hrs.
Speed/ Space Mngt. 6.50 hrs.
Tractor- Trailer Driving Course:
Registration Fee: Included
Books and Supplies: Included
Tuition: $ 2,990.00
Total Cost: $ 2,990.00
Skid Pad Training: $ 25.00 Extra if Wanted
A. All tuition and fees are payable prior to or on the first day of class.
B. Use of all necessary books and supplies, including handouts is included in the
cost of tuition. Textbooks are for the use of the student, but remain the property
of the school.
Additional Costs.
Wisconsin students are responsible for getting their DOT physical and their (TIP) Temporary Instruction Permit, which will be reimbursed after the start of class.The student must arrange for room and board (if necessary) while attending the course.The school will make a tractor-trailer unit available at a Michigan-testing site selected by the school, for the purpose of taking the road test for the actual CDL license. Students wishing to take the test in other states will be responsible for making their own arrangements for the tractor-trailer to use for the actual road test.
Though the school does not have any institutional housing available, the admissions staff will assist the student in arranging any necessary housing. Every reasonable effort is made to help reduce the expenses for the students. Reference materials, supplement texts and other related materials pertaining to the course and program are available to the student. All students have access to these materials, which may be checked out upon request.
The school maintains a permanent record for each student. The permanent records are confidential and only such agencies and individuals authorized by law are allowed access without written permission of the student. The school maintains these records for a period of seven (7) years. Students may review their permanent record upon reasonable written request to the School Director. All such requests will be scheduled during regular school hours under appropriate supervision.
A complete record of each student’s attendance, grades, and any awards earned is maintained on the permanent records. A signed and dated photocopy of these forms represents an official transcript. One official transcript will be provided free of charge to the student. Students who have not satisfied their financial obligation to the school are not eligible to receive a transcript.
Attendance is mandatory as part of the course requirements. Students are expected to attend all scheduled Instructional hours.
B Absences – cumulative absences of more than two days (18 instructional hours)
may result in termination, since such interruption may
prevent the student from
mastering the competencies
essential to the course of study. At the School
Director’s discretion, the student will either be terminated, or as a requirement
of course completion, the instructional hours must be made-up.
C Make-up Work - Missed instructional hours required to be made up by the
School Director can be completed by attending a regularly scheduled class
at no charge. If individually scheduled, an additional charge of $60.00 per
Hour is required, payable in advance.
D Leave of Absence – The school realizes that extenuating circumstances may
arise where it would not be advantageous for the student to maintain
enrollment. In such cases, upon written request and at the School Director’s
discretion, a leave of absence may be granted. A leave of absence indicate,s
that the student sincerely intends to resume his/ her vocation. The student
who is granted a leave of absence will be terminated from the school if the
student does not enroll at the start of the next class or on the predetermined
date scheduled by the student and the School Director. A student will be
granted only one (1) leave of absence.
E Withdrawal and Re-Entry – The School Director may allow a student to
voluntarily withdraw from a class and re- enter at a later date that may
not interfere with the students training and is acceptable to both the student
and the school. Students terminated may be allowed (depending upon the
reason for termination) to re-enter, at the School Director’s discretion, only
one (1) time at a future date determined by the School Director, but no earlier
than 30 days from the student’s last day of attendance.
Students shall at all times, conduct themselves in an exemplary manner in and out of school. North Country Training Center is committed to the standard of professionalism required by employers in the industry and expects the same commitment from the students who are preparing for a career in the industry. As such, students will be terminated for any of the following incidents:
The school is not responsible for injury or property damage incurred by a student as a result of the student’s own negligence, unsafe behavior, or other misbehavior or failure to strictly adhere to the schools’ policies and procedures.
Student grievances / complaints will be referred to the School Director. Any grievances / complaints that cannot be resolved by the school Director, may be addressed to the President of the school. Complaints regarding training standards / methods, that conflict with published curriculum standards can be addressed with the Educational Approval Board. Wisconsin students may call (608-266-3185) Michigan Students may call (517-241-6860)
Each students progress is constantly monitored and evaluated against the school’s performance standards and must maintain a cumulative grade average of at leased 75 % or better in each module (classroom, range, road) of instruction and pass all tests and examinations administered on pass or fail basis in order to complete and graduate from all the school courses, Monitoring is performed through the use of written tests, practical examinations, instructor evaluation of range, road and other criteria as the school deems appropriate in the training. A student is allowed to retake tests / examinations one (1) time. The grade achieved in the last examination will be the grade credited.
The grading systems are:
100 – 94 = A (excellent)
93 – 86 = B (above satisfactory)
85 – 75 = C (satisfactory)
74 – 69 = D (unsatisfactory)
68 – 0 = F (not in compliance)
The school’s purpose is to impart the skills, knowledge, and competencies necessary for the student to gain employment as a professional truck driver in the trucking industry.
Progress and mastery of the required competencies are measured and graded against the school’s minimum performance standards. The school advises the students of their progress verbally, on an on-going basis, in addition to normal and regular events such as test scores and practical examinations. No less than once a week (a week being defined as five days of scheduled instruction) each student will evaluated against the minimum performance standards and discussed individually with each student to determine if the student has met the minimum performance standard and is progressing toward the objectives, the completion of the entire curriculum and obtaining a certificate.
The evaluation must be complete before the student is allowed to continue with the next week of training. Students who fail to achieve minimum performance standards are counseled concerning their performance. Counseling notes are maintained and kept in the student’s permanent record. Students whose performance does not improve following such counseling will be placed on probation. Student’s will be provided with a written notice of probation, by the school director, clearly stating the period of time the student is allowed to improve their performance. In no instance shall the period of time exceed one week. The notice of probation shall be maintained and kept in the student’s permanent record. In the event that the student fails to achieve the school’s minimum performance standards within the period of time allowed, or in the reasonable judgment of the school director, it appears that it will be impossible or unlikely that the student will do so in the remainder of the time allowed, the school shall terminate the student. All individual school records of the student are available to the student to examine upon request.
The minimum performance standards are:
The candidate for the certificate must have successfully completed all specified requirements for the certificate, be free from all indebtedness to the school or have made satisfactory arrangements for the payment of tuition and fees.
Upon graduation, the student will receive a certificate as evidence of the student’s successful completion of the course of instruction, a US Department of Transportation written test and road test certification card and a certification for the completion of the National Safety Council’s DDC-8 Defensive Driving Course.
With every graduating class, the student with the highest overall average will receive the “presidents award”, with any student maintaining an overall average of 90% or better at graduation will receive an “outstanding” completion award.
North Country Truck Driving School, provides free placement and job counseling assistance and services to students and graduates. Satisfactory completion of the program course work and the development of personal qualities, in conjunction with the necessary aptitude, attitude and ability, are the first steps in the employment process.
The school’s placement services include course material and employer relations and we will work with each student prior to graduation to determine areas of employment interest as an over-the-road driver.
State regulations prohibit the school from guaranteeing to students employment or set wages.
A student may cancel the enrollment agreement at any time. A written notice of withdraw is not required except during the three business day cancellation period.
A student who does not attend classes or provide an explanation for seven (7) calendar days is considered to have voluntarily terminated. The school may terminate a student for insufficient progress, nonpayment, failure to comply with rules, and other items noted in the catalog. This catalog gives specific details.
The student will receive a full refund of all money paid if the student cancels within a three business day cancellation period. The refund will be made within 10 business days of withdrawal. A student who withdraws or is dismissed after attending at least one class, but before completing 60% of the instruction in the current enrollment period, will be refunded a pro rata refund as follows:
At Least But Less Than Refund of Tuition
1 unit/class 10% 90%
10% 20% 80%
20% 30% 70%
30% 40% 60%
40% 50% 50%
50% 60% 40%
60% None No Refund
The school will make every effort to refund prepaid amounts for books, supplies and other charges, when and if they should apply. A student will receive the refund within 30 days of termination date. If a student withdraws after completing 60% of the instruction, the school may refund a pro rata amount, if withdrawal is due to mitigating circumstances beyond the student’s control.