SALAMANCA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Frustration mounts for students at Buffalo Tractor Trailer Institute (BTTI) as the trucking school remains locked and inaccessible, with machinery blocking the entrance.
That is the case for the Buffalo location.
Despite the facility on Lakeshore Road in Hamburg being closed, New York State DMV said the institute is still open. However, students seeking commercial driver's licenses (CDL) have been left in the dark.
The fallout has continued as more students came forward with complaints, Wednesday.
Student Receives Partial Refund, No Explanation
Twenty-one-year-old Ryan Perkins was in the process of changing careers to over-the-road trucking when he enrolled in BTTI's Class A CDL course at its Salamanca location.
He said he paid $4,200 for the course, which began Dec. 16, 2024, but said the program was not what he expected.
"I really had one week in the truck and two weeks in the yard doing maneuvers," Perkins said.
The last day he recalled being in class was Dec. 31, 2024, just two weeks. In NYS, on average, it takes about 4-8 weeks to complete, depending on the program.
"Some days, I was only there for an hour," he said. "I'd get there by 8 o'clock and be out of there by 10 because there wasn't anything else to do."
Nearly a month later, on Jan. 26, Perkins received a group text from his instructor stating, "As of 1700hrs 1/25/2025 BTTI ceased operations. (For)any questions contact the school phone numbers for Salamanca or Buffalo. Steve and I are no longer employed and can't answer any questions. Thank you, Dave."
"I called the school number so many times and could not get a hold of anyone," Perkins explained over Zoom.
On Wednesday, he received a check in the mail for $1,600, less than half of what he originally paid.
NOTE: The check states BTTI is located in Blasdell, but the website states it is located in Hamburg, so 7 News chose to follow the latter.
"On the memo of the check, it says 'refund unused tuition', but that doesn't make sense to me because there wasn't a truck for more than half of the class," he said.
Training Hours Not Documented
To make matters worse, his coursework had never been documented in the CDL driver training system.
"I contacted another PA school," he said. "They went to look me up in the CDL driver training system, and I don't exist. So they never put any of my hours under anything that I did. I have to start all over in this other class."
Perkins chose to attend BTTI's Salamanca location instead of a Pennsylvania-based program because of its proximity to his home.
"Personally, it's just frustrating because one: my time," he said. "Right now, I'm working part-time, and I had my schedule changed around so I could take this class during the day and work the night shift. With this class being closed now, I am out with a whole bunch of time that I could have been still working and money."
What's next?
To clarify, it remains unclear what led to BTTI's sudden shutdown and whether additional refunds will be issued.
Isaac Cobo, who spoke with 7 News last Friday, confirmed Wednesday, he received the full refund of his $3,000 payment.
7 News reached out to Congressman Nick Langworthy's office, as the address for both BTTI branches fall under his district, and has yet to hear back.
7 News will continue to investigate and will provide updates as more information becomes available.
