This is actually a copy of a post I made in another area...... but I wanted to get some feedback and this area is always fairly active......

Has anyone considered the fact that there are numerous government paid programs that sponsor/pay for truck driver training?

A majority of truck school graduates do not even pay for their own training!

The fact is that the government is paying for individuals who are UNEMPLOYED and receiving government assistance already in one form or another.... to be trained as truck drivers.

Often, if the "recipient" is not willing to complete a training program in one of the offered areas......... they will stop receiving their assistance....


Soooo....

• you have people who are on assistance and already have issues with getting/keeping a job....
• these people are told they MUST complete some kind of training to keep getting "their money"
• they are given options like hard manual labor (welders/construction) and "sitting in a truck and driving"....
• the training is provided free to these people so they have no personal stake or investment
• these people then go to a truck driving school and get "trained"

Why is it such a surprise that many of them do not make it as truck drivers????


I am confused by all the confusion???

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The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. — Albert Einstein

They should display those individuals in a seperate report...

You must be confused, if your stating everyone that goes thru a CDL mill or driver training school. Is coming from public assistance or unemployment case. I think the people you are referring to are just a small percentage. That affects the survey mentioned.

A majority of people that quit within the first 90days has many factors in it. Some not knowing what the industry was like and lack of researching it first. Then you have the people with accidents. To the extremes of these CDL company mills pushing drivers to the edge for being a newbie.

I personally gone to one for the training I paid for out of my own pocket. Because they offered a xmas deal and I got a cash discount. After training they kept insisting I lease a truck from them. I told them no, give me a company truck or I'm walking. That lady in the office didn't realize I paid for my training out of my pocket and I had no obligation to that company. I ended up walking out of there. After reading this site, I'm glad I did.

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"Small percentage?"

I know in our area well over 50% of the students have their training paid for by one of the variety of programs.

Anything over 50% would be considered a "majority" so that is why I used that word.

If you really want to get into the statistics...... add in all the new drivers who go to one of the carriers so they don't have to actually pay for their training..........

What it comes down to is that a majority of new truck drivers have actually not paid any of their own money to get into this profession..... When someone doles out their own hard earned money for something they have a much greater chance of sticking to it because of the investment..... when it is "handed" to them (in whatever form) they have less motivation to stick through the difficult parts......

I would be willing to make a bet with anyone that if you could get the stats on drivers who last over a year in the industry you would find that a majority had made a cash investment in their training ......... and on the flip side I would bet that a majority of those who left in less than a year had participated in one of the carrier or grant/assistance programs.....

Alot of these people don't want to work and at the same time they may have bad driving records felonies ect ect.

It has been many years ago but I meet this lady when I stopped by a trucking school to do a little recruiting for the company I worked for She really wanted to go trucking and was doing great in the school (goverment paid) We talked for a little while and she had a DUI and a few minor felonies no one would hire her.

But the local goverment offices have to make it look like they are helping people or their money gets cut.. It's all a sick circle

I agree with some of your concerns. Treatment of drivers and turn over numbers.

Disagree with a lot

Financial aid, is provided for many people in all walks of life. For a lot of other jobs, not just trucking. Most of the people I know who file for financial aid, come from prominent families with money, who could pay for it.

Trucking, is one of the few jobs that allows you to start making money within 90 days of applying for a loan or grant.

It is also one of the few jobs, that allows you to quit within your first year. After receiving the loan/grant.

Reason: Other loans/grants take 2-4 years for completion. So it will be 3-5 years before that person decides to quit, for any reason.

The numbers seem widely skewed, due to the large amount of time that passes in other industries, from application of loan/grant to actual employment.

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Insuring polititions fear that
which goes bump in the night.
Seek out their personal homes
and family members. -- SU 83
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out of 30+ students I trained only 2 had the financial means to pay their own way while in training.

most were "down and out" and some were just shy of homeless and destitute.

the biggest hurdle I had was teaching a lot of these guys basic financial sense.

kinda sad to explain basics to a grown man - but it had to be done.

unfortunately like with most who have never had any cash flow - they got stupid with their new found career and income and wound up deeper in debt than when they started.

I would much rather use someone else's money to find out what a true POS occupation that OTR truck driving has spiraled down to.

Rarely is a "free" education ever really free. Even "subsidized" drivers get to pay for their company training in one way or another. Be it in the form of lower than average wages or being an indentured servant for a year, that training wasn't free.

Frankly I'm glad I threw away my cdl. The urge to come back is relentless but I know the job is barely recognizable compared to only 5yrs ago. I doubt I'd even make a yr because of all the changes that I find ridiculous & unfair.

statistics can be skewed as you choose and possibly by the question being asked. as I read it... we train 30 guys and only three stay...

this isn't saying all the others went back to welfare or that they are UNEMPLOYED.

I paid my tuition, went to transport america, orientation/training/solo otr.

"POOF" I was gone.

not unemployed or out of trucking...

true a large percent could be problem children???? but I highly doubt the validity of 90% and the connotation this number implies.

If I cut an apple into ten pieces and give you the "one" with a worm in it you can assume the apple was rotten, worm infested, and not worth anything.

I feel most studies are very biased to either the opinion writer's point of view or else to the financier's.

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Though your argument is very clever, I don't think it will lead to the results you desire. gandhi

Sorry, but I am lost here.........

latanea did say that out of 30 trainees only 2 paid their own way...........

I can't find where anyone said "three stay" or "90% leave".....

Sorry, confused again...... but then this issue confuses me anyway so I guess I shouldn't be surprised......

Huh?

I agree with the statement...... it is part of logic..... but where does this fit?

Clarification please.......

This was just a discussion on why the high turnover in the industry.....

It wasn't aimed at anyone who is posting on this site....... or is currently driving....... just kinda a macroeconomical view of the industry's high turnover rate.........

I don't think anyone is worried about where the drop-outs go........ we were just throwing around some ideas about why so many new drivers leave.....

It is a fact that most people in this country work most of the time.

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The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. — Albert Einstein