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It's back to school time for families across the country and it can be back to school for you too! There is no better time to hit the books again. While your kids are trying to move on to the next grade level, you will be moving on to your next career!  At Advanced Career Institute (ACI), you can take the first step to a new career in trucking or welding. Still not sure? Check out our list of great reasons to start your training today!

• Short Training Time - At ACI, our goal is to get you trained and out in the workforce in a time frame that gets you earning the money you deserve quickly. If you go back to school with ACI, you'll be off to the workforce in 4 weeks for trucking and 38 weeks for welding.
• Job Placement- Going back to school can be scary because of the uncertainty of career placement once you graduate. However, ACI takes care of this worry for you! ACI offers job placement assistance that includes helping your job search, practice for interviews, and spruce up your resume.
• Jobs In Demand - Currently, the trucking industry is one of the most in-demand career paths on the market today. This means jobs are just around the corner for you once your training is complete. Additionally, as a new school year starts, opportunities for school bus drivers will also emerge.
• Tuition Assitance Available - If you go back to school with ACI, you have the possibility to be eligible for financial aid assistance. This assistance can help pay for your training and possibly take away the stress of tuition for you and your family.
• Inspire Your Children- Children look up to and admire their parents. If they see mom and dad are working hard in school, it can encourage your children to do their best in school too!  This can turn into wonderful bonding time.

Back to school season is here! Enroll in a trucking or welding course and start on a path to a rewarding career. Giving yourself a great career can help to provide for your family so that they can succeed too. Contact us today to learn how to get started!

The Department of Transportation (DOT) passed new Hours of Service (HOS) regulations that affect most big rig drivers on US roads. The goal of the rules is to make roadways safer by having better-rested truck drivers. As a truck driver, new or experienced, it is extremely important to understand how these regulations could affect your work schedule. It doesn't matter if you're OTR, short distance or interstate, all Class A drivers need to follow these new HOS rules!

HOS Rules Breakdown

• Your day of driving begins after 10 hours off.
• You can drive 11 hours, then you must take a 10-hour break.
• During your first 8 hours of work, you must take a 30-minute rest break.
• Drivers must reset: they must spend 34 hours or more not driving, either after driving 60 hours in a 7 day week or 70 hours in an 8 day week.

A Day with the new Schedule

• 4:00 am, arrive to work, check your load, do your safety walk and drive.
• 11:50 am, you've been driving for almost 8 hours. Take a 30-minute break.
• 12:20 pm, you're back on the road for 3 more hours after a safety walk.
• 3:20 pm, you've reached your 11-hour limit. You now need to take your 11-hour break. Sleep, eat, explore the city you are in, as long as you are not driving.
• 1:20 am, you have your beauty sleep! Do your safety walk and get back on the road! You've got 8 hours until your 30-minute break.

New electronic log devices (ELDs) are helpful to keep an eye on your 11-hour shift. They also reduce the ability to cheat on a logbook or do any other "creative recordkeeping". Again, the whole purpose of both the new HOS rules and the ELD rules is to ensure that truckers are well rested when they're on the road.

Are you an Exception?

As of August 2019, only livestock haulers and insect haulers are exempt from the HOS rules. Livestock needs to rest and drink, so a livestock hauler may need to go 12 or more hours straight to get to their destination, rather than leaving live animals on a trailer for 10 extra hours at a standstill. **Note that on of August 14, 2019 FMCSA has released some proposed changes to the new HOS rules, but they have not been implemented yet.** At Advanced Career Institute, we focus on training qualified CDL drivers who are employable and safe. Truck drivers are in high demand and these HOS rules are just becoming a part of the job! Contact us if you think the life of a trucker is for you!

Welding can be an exciting career, but as with any job, you need to take the proper steps to ensure your safety. Any experienced welder will tell you to follow these steps in order to have a long successful career. Keeping yourself and your work environment safe is just as important as the welding job itself. Following these steps will get you on the path to workplace safety.

1. Dress for Success

You must always wear the appropriate protective clothing to cover your skin while welding. Any exposed skin could be burned and damaged by the infrared and ultraviolet rays.

2. Find the Right Hood

Make sure you are making informed choices when starting a welding project. Choose the best hood for your needs. One will allow you to do your job well, but also keep your neck and eyes safe.

3. Focus on Your Eyes

For a welder, protective eye gear is everything. Not wearing the correct eyewear can cause burns to your eyes which could result in permanent damage. It is important to protect your eyes at all times!

4. Search the Area

It should become a best practice to always check your work area before you begin a project. Be sure that you have all of the tools required. Also check that there are no damaged tools, lines, or wires.

5. Keep it Squeaky Clean

Keeping your area clean will not only allow you to function better on your job, but it will also keep you safe. Keeping things tidy will help prevent accidents and mishaps while welding. Know exactly where your tools and safety items are at all times!

6. Store Your Gas Cylinder

There is a reason that chemicals have specific requirements for safe storage and it is your responsibility to follow them.  Do not overlook to the manufacturer's guidelines for safe storage. There is a reason they are there.

7. Fire Hazards

Fire hazards are just around the corner with any welding jobs. Any loose clothing or material could easily pose a risk of fire. Be sure to monitor where your sparks are landing.

8. Check the Air Quality

Check your area before beginning a project. Make sure your area is properly ventilated so that you are getting enough fresh air. You don't want to have to worry about fainting in the middle of a welding project.

9. Don't Cut Corners

Don't try to evade safety practices to get the job done quicker. This is asking for an accident to happen. Like mentioned previously, the safety procedures are put there for a reason.

10. Make it a Habit

Making safety a priority every day instead of something optional will get you into the habit of following safety rules, this makes it routine instead of a chore.   Welding is a rewarding career that has unlimited opportunities. If you are interested in starting your training to become a welder, contact us today.

A truck driver's job is to drive, right? Obviously, driving the truck is the biggest responsibility, but it is certainly not where the job ends. As a truck driver you need to take on several additional responsibilities in order to be successful. Here are five of the most important duties that a truck driver has on top of driving:

1. Know the rules:  As a truck driver you need to know and abide by the rules of being on the road. For example, your hours of service rules, traffic laws and how they may vary by state.
2. Know proper procedures: You need to know unloading and loading procedures, how much weight your rig can handle, etc. What are the procedures if you get involved in an accident? Take time to understand these before hopping on the road.
3. Know your equipment: You need to keep your equipment in good repair. While major repairs are handled by maintenance or a mechanic, truck drivers need to do basic, routine stuff like keeping the truck clean, inspection before and after any trip, checking your oil, etc. It's also your responsibility to note anything that needs to be repaired.
4. Become a planner: You need to be a good planner. Choosing the best route is up to you and can greatly impact your success as a truck driver. It helps to be familiar with GPS and other route planning technology. However, be careful to not become overly reliant on it. Even in this day and age map reading is a useful skill. You will need to plan alternative routes to get around traffic congestion, accidents, or weather-related problems in order to get your goods to the client on time.
5. Keep good records:  Although many modern trucks have black boxes that log certain things automatically, truck drivers need to be able to keep all of the required logs. You have to log break times, load and unload times, delivery instructions, etc. In many cases, it is the driver's responsibility to know what should be loaded onto the truck and make sure that the goods match what they are supposed to be.

Being a truck driver does involve long hours behind the wheel, but there are other skills you need to develop as well. Without these skills, you may not find the quick path to success that you were hoping. Take pride in being a truck driver and with that, take the time to perfect your skills. To find out more about getting the best training to prepare for this demanding job, contact Advanced Career Institute today.

So you’ve completed Truck Driver Training with Advanced Career Institute, what’s next? There are a variety of routes you can take in your new truck driving career. In the previous articles in this series, we’ve compared Over the Road, Local and Specialized Truck Driving. Now, it’s time to take a look at the pros and cons of Team Driving. Do you have what it takes to become a team driver?

Team Driving…What Is It?

Team Driving is basically what it sounds like, two drivers to a cab rather than a single driver. Two truck drivers sign with a carrier to deliver loads together. The drivers alternate between driving and relaxing. The goal is to keep the truck in motion and the freight continually moving. This keeps productivity levels high and customers happy.

Upsides to Team Driving

There are many upsides to team driving. First, keeping the truck in constant motion moves product faster, which pleases your customers. Not only are there benefits for the company, but the drivers benefit as well. During the downtime in the truck, drivers are able to relax. You can read a book, snooze a little or catch-up with your family. When a driver works alone, they are required to stop to rest for a period of time before they can resume their route. However, in a team setting, the truck is able to run constantly. Team Driving jobs are always in high demand. Carriers and their customers love the idea of moving product faster, so they are always looking to hire team drivers. Team driving is oftentimes the springboard to securing a job with a desired carrier. Additionally, this high demand also results in higher pay. Since there will be two drivers, the mileage per week will increase significantly.

Downsides to Team Driving

Every career option always comes with its downsides. There are two obvious disadvantages to team driving. First, you will be stuck with another driver in a tight space where you must share everything…cleanliness, your bunks, radio stations, driving habits and endless conversation. Furthermore, you are no longer solely responsible for looking out for yourself and the other drivers on the road, but you have another person’s life in your hands at all times.

How to Choose Your Partner

The most common team drivers are husband and wife. This gives couples the opportunity to see each other regularly, rather than to be away from one another for days, weeks or even months at a time. However, you don’t have to drive with your spouse. You can choose to drive with a friend or a carrier can match you with another driver. Carrier or truck driver matching sites will compare each driver’s location and personality to make sure they are a good fit for one another. Think of this as the E Harmony of truck driving. However, if you prefer to drive with someone you know, sometimes carriers will pay for your friend to complete Truck Driver Training through a referral program. Ultimately, truck driving is a lifestyle, so it is vital to determine which path is the right one for you.   Interested in beginning Truck Driver Training? Advanced Career Institute offers Truck Driver Training for Class A CDL, Class B CDL and Ag Transportation. ACI is a California Truck Driving School with campus locations in Merced, Fresno and Visalia. To learn more about our Truck Driver Training, check out Our Programs! Take a look at our previous blogs in this series comparing OTR, Local and Specialized Trucking Careers. Keep an eye out for the last blog of this series covering Owner-Operator Trucking Careers.

EDITORS NOTE: Advanced Career Institute has discontinued our School Bus Driving Program. We still offer our Commercial Bus Driver Program at select campuses. When you’re looking to jump into the trucking industry, there are many decisions you need to make. The main decision is figuring out which class of CDL you need. Each CDL license enables you to drive different trucks - so how do you know which CDL is right for you? How do you know you want to pursue Class B CDL training instead of Class A?

Well, let's discuss the two.

In short, a Class A CDL covers the operation of vehicles with a gross vehicle rating of more than 26,000 lbs and towing a trailer of 10,000 lbs. or more. A Class B CDL allows the driver to operate a vehicle towing a trailer of less than 10,000 lbs. Drivers with a Class A CDL do have a larger range of vehicles to drive, and with your Class A CDL, you are qualified to drive Class A, B, and C vehicles. Drivers holding a Class B CDL may only operate Class B and Class C rated vehicles.

So, which license is for you?

Jobs for those with a Class B CDL typically include driving “straight trucks,” which is a term for trucks in which the axles are attached to a single frame. By contrast, a semi-truck or tractor-trailer combination has axles attached to multiple frames. and requires a Class A CDL. Other Class B driving jobs include delivery driving and jobs like driving dump trucks for landscaping and construction companies. With the assistance of endorsements, you can pursue other opportunities, like bus driving. With a Class B CDL, there are any number of jobs you can pursue. Driving smaller commercial vehicles and haulers can afford you many jobs, and just as with a Class A license, you can obtain endorsements that can give you additional opportunities in areas such as hazardous materials. At Advanced Career Institute, we offer one Class B Training Program to accommodate your scheduling needs and career goals. Our Class B program introduces students to the procedures and skills found in the driving industry while preparing students to obtain a Class B CDL with a commercial bus certification and endorsements. Still not sure if getting your Class B is the way to go? Call and talk to one of our Admissions Representatives, who can answer any questions you have and help you determine the training program that is right for you. Give us a call at 1-877-649-9614, or simply fill out the request form you see at the top of this webpage. We are excited to help you figure out your enrollment options so you can get started on the road to your new driving career!