Smith & Solomon Driver Training

General information

Mission

Our mission is to provide the highest quality driving courses offered throughout the United States. We are committed to teaching each student the safety and responsibility issues inherent in driving a commercial motor vehicle. At Smith & Solomon, safety comes first. Our training programs and defensive driving course ensure that we only put safe and responsible drivers on the road. They learn driving skills that they can take with them for life.

What this means for our students – Safety skills while on the job. Above all else when you are driving one of these vehicles, safety is the most important aspect – for yourself and others on the road. Our students gain safety skills through knowing their equipment, safety checks, and safe driving skills. And once we place them in a job, they carry these skills throughout their career.

Differentiation

What separates Smith & Solomon from other trucking schools is our commitment to helping you find a job in the transportation industry. Not only do we train our students on standard transmission trucks (what most companies use); our full-time placement specialists do all they can to help you find, apply for and land trucking jobs.

At Smith & Solomon, we don’t cut classes short so we can cut costs like other schools. We provide quality truck driving instruction that prepare you for the real world. Our 160-hour CDL A course ensures that you receive the training you need to be an effective driver. Upon completion of our driving courses, you can be confident and able to handle whatever the road throws your way.

What this means for our students – As a Smith & Solomon student, you’ll meet with our job placement specialists early and often throughout your driving courses. Recruiters from major trucking companies visit our schools weekly to recruit our students for open positions.

As an added value, our free Proprietary Job Readiness 101 course can teach you what to expect when you enter the job market. You can become aware of your responsibilities and rights as a driver and educated on the compliance requirements of possessing a CDL.

Equipment

Our 140-piece fleet is made up of yard and road trucks, buses and forklifts. We have tractor trailers, straight trucks, dump trucks, flatbeds, buses and forklifts to give our students a wide range of training opportunities. At Smith & Solomon, you’ll train on the same equipment you test on. Our equipment is up-to-date and offers you the chance to gain valuable driving experience so you’re comfortable and prepared when it's time to take your CDL exam.

What this means for our students – Training and testing on the same equipment means you will be prepared and comfortable when it's time to take your CDL exam. It's important to train on up-to-date equipment as it better prepares you for the vehicles you will be driving in your job. Most trucking companies cycle through their vehicles to incorporate the latest technologies and weed out the equipment with high mileage.

Classroom

We have developed an advanced classroom training program that incorporates PowerPoint presentations, videos and pertinent, up-to-date training materials, such as distracted driving, CSA, hours of service and more. This course is taught by experienced, knowledgeable instructors who are there to answer your questions and teach you the latest in trucking education.

What this means for you – If you’re like many of our students, you haven’t taken a test or been in a classroom in years. Our programs ease students in and give them a chance to connect with their instructors while getting the hands-on experience they need. It's all a standard part of our programs and included in the tuition.

History

Originally founded as a trucking company in the 1950s, Smith & Solomon joined the truck driver training and education field in 1985 with two locations – one in New Jersey and another in Philadelphia. Since then, we’ve grown to eight locations spread across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The relationships we’ve built with state agencies, nonprofits, churches, trucking companies and community outreach programs in these states and across the country have helped our over 35,000 graduates find jobs within the industry.

What this means for our students – Our experience is highly regarded in the industry which has resulted in a strong, respectable reputation. Because of our experience and reputation we have test spots readily available for when our students are ready to take the CDL exam, we know who's hiring and what they're paying and we are committed to helping our neighbors. As a result of our strong history in education, our students receive the most advanced training techniques that have been collected over the years.

Industry

According to the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment outlook for truck drivers is favorable and growing.

"Employment of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers is projected to grow 21% from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average of all occupations.

As the economy grows, the demand for goods will increase, and more truck drivers will be needed to keep supply chains moving. Trucks transport most of the freight in the United States, so as households and businesses increase their spending, the trucking industry will grow."

What this means for our students – Students are entering a growth industry where positions for drivers are opening daily. Truck drivers are in the unique position of having jobs that cannot be outsourced and offer relatively secure employment opportunities.