Enrollment at truck driver training schools continues to rise as the federal government rolls out a program to attract a younger workforce.
As part of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure and Jobs Act, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is tasked with implementing a pilot program for adults 18-20 years old. Called the DRIVE-Safe Act, people interested in earning good salaries as interstate truckers can earn their CDL and work after meeting heightened requirements.
The FMCSA has slowly begun to get the program up and running. But that hasn’t curbed enthusiasm from young people who want to work hard and get paid well. TRAINCO truck driving school in Perrysburg, Ohio, among many others, has experienced a surge in students.
“Our enrollment is up. So, there is quite a few people getting into training. But I don’t know if the number of people getting into trucking is equal to the number of people who have exited,” TRAINCO’s Mike Moscinski reportedly said. “There are some rule changes coming that aren’t a part of the pandemic, but that will impact some of the driver shortage as well.”
The costs of CDL training and licensing range significantly across the country. Some peg the total cost between $3,000 and $9,000. Expenses typically include tuition, application fees, road test, and the cost of additional endorsements such as Hazmat. Employers have not been shy about announcing many will reimburse upstart truckers in the form of sign-on bonuses.
“I’m a barber by profession and I have a lot of clients that come in, and they’re truck drivers. And they’re just talking about the shortage and the money there is to be made, and I just wanted to get into the system,” TRAINCO student Stacey Fletcher reportedly said.
In California, where supply chains bottlenecks caught national attention, A-1 Truck Driving School enjoyed increased enrollment as well. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the school has churned out truckers for decades. These days, A-1’s Jaime Magtalas indicates improved salaries are attracting more students.
“This place here, we are getting a lot of students,” Magtalas reportedly said. “You know, $35 an hour, $40 an hour” for first-time drivers.
Reports of enrollment spikes began in 2021 as news of an 80,000 trucker shortage and high salaries made splashy headlines. Truck driving school students typically have access to grants, student loans, scholarships, and other forms of financial aid. Some companies will sponsor qualified people to earn their CDL.
“I was looking for a new journey, a new journey I’m life. You know, on your way to provide for my family. The trucker shortage. We need a lot of truckers. They provide everything for these stores, as far as grocery stores and all the necessities,” A-1 student Eugene Allen reportedly said. “These companies that are looking for new drivers, drivers coming out of CDL school. They should be able to get a higher pay rate.”
Never been to truck school, but they turn out all the professional drivers ,great to know that great drivers trained not driven
FMCSA = nothing but lies. The trucking industry as a whole sucks. The pay sucks and whoever said you make between 35-40 an hour is a blatant liar more like 15-17 with no overtime and that doesn’t count all the hours you work for free. If you 100% break it down your making 10-12 and hour. The American people hate your guts and think your all trash. The government regulations are nothing but discriminatory garbage.Your health and life are put at risk, companies don’t care about you, lawyers look to intentionally screw you, there is no safe free parking anymore, You live with threats against your cdl every day by the FMCSA. You have to register in a drug clearinghouse, which is nothing but a discriminatory practice. You have to be prepared for random drug testing, just because you have a cdl. You have to pay for a physical every 2 years and it has to be registered with the state and if the state screws up you can end up in jail, fined or have to retest again. The FMCSA puts illegals and foreigners on the road that can’t read, write or speak English, which by the way is federal law, but they don’t care. I’ve been doing this for 33 years and I tell every person that asks me about driving to stay away from this industry: It grows more dangerous and discriminatory everyday. There is no driver shortage that is a blatant lie. This industry lost 10 of thousands of experienced drivers when they forced Elds into the trucks, which by the way increased accidents instead of reducing them but they will never come out because of the corrupt money they receive from crooked IT companies. So unless you like to be abused, discriminated against, treated like crap, lied to, and work for poverty level wages STAY AWAY FROM THIS OVER REGULATED, DISCRIMINATORY, DANGEROUS INDUSTRY. The US Government and the average individual hates your guts and wishes you were dead as a driver. Putting children behind the wheel is going to make this industry even more dangerous.
Eric is exactly right. He took the words completely away from me. I’ve been doing this for 15 years and every year I’ve been asked to drive in conditions that are beyond my capabilities and the capabilities of the truck. The first rule of driving is do NOT drive beyond the capabilities of yourself and the capabilities of your vehicle. Driving on ice is beyond any vehicle or any drivers capabilities. This industry is full of crooked trucking companies and their owners are sitting on the hill eating like kings. They don’t feel the pinch their drivers do during economic downturns. Now they want to add more 18-20 year olds out here. Dangerous!!!! Just like the military attract them while they’re young and don’t understand. This whole damn industry is a joke.
AWWW aren’t you the poor bitter baby. You’re EXACTLY the reason the public hates truck drivers. So full of hate and jealousy of others! Worry about yourself and do your simple job. ELDs are the BEST thing that happened to the trucking industry because now companies cannot make you take a load by making you run three or four logbooks. I love this job, its so easy that I gained over 100 pounds from sitting behind the wheel and drive. MAN UP and GROW UP
ROOKIE
Really !!!!!
Hey, Bob Lee! Pound sand.
Bob Lee your blind to the truth and unlike you I own my truck and I actually love what I do. But clowns like you are why this industry is so dangerous. The Elds are a fraud and the fact that you think Elds can’t be manipulated just shows how ignorant to the truth you actually are. Get educated about the industry your supposedly part of.
I think both of u r dumb and clueless, but keep trucking numb nut
Keep sucking swallow too and don’t choke on da big one
Amen brother !!!
Amen brother !!
Eric
I could not have explained it better myself. Let me add the FEDERAL RESERVES own Private Police Force the I.R.S.
The IRS made sweeping changes to tax regulations several years ago and erased most tax expense right offs from Company (new) Drivers.
In addition, many new tax expense restrictions were also placed on Owner Operators/ Trucking Companies. A lackadaisical Independent Owner Operator (not using form 1040-V) and earning over $120,000 Should expect this scenario. Subtract -$73,450.00 in lease or operating expense such as fuel, 2290s, cab, trl physical/cargo insurance, eld, tolls, ifta, hwy taxes, plates, admin fees plus other exp).
Add in another -$23,890.00 in additional road expense, CPA tax fee, services, breakdown repairs, minor repairs, tires, blankets, bowls, cleaning items, tools etc;
“ARE WE GETTING THE BIG PICTURE NOW? A driver can still expect to pay the IRS an additional $5500-$8,000.00 tax (on a net $22660.00 plus) even after these new itemized deduction laws; if your not careful!
This is the hard truth and should be considered with Eric’s great outline above.
Oh yeah, I omitted your monthly truck note, engine/egr warranties, roadside warranties; Earnning/making $120,000.00 isn’t “shy’it!”
Aimhigh,
I wasn’t even going to get into the tax breakdown but you described it perfectly sir.
WOW , You must really hate your job, I have been in the industry for 34 years now (part time now) and agree with alot of what you have said.
OTR work dose suck no doubt, but if one can hook up with a local company where you can go home every night its not that bad of a gig.
It just all about money. No other profession is regulated like the trucking industry. My thing is why isn’t cars don’t have to get inspected get a physical every 2 years and all the other things that truckers have to do. There are more autos on the road than trucks. When the government see a way to make money you better believe they will regulate something. Anything you have have to pay for continuously and have to be reported to a agency is ran by the government. With out the people working America falls. We’re being pimped by the government we the people make America run.
Amen brother !!
D S
see Erics comment above then follow it up with my reply.
You are correct, we are being Guerilla pimped with no remorse!
You are driving a 80000 lb rig grow up all the rules have been applied because of previous accidents by drivers or companies not complying with the rules!
I hear comments from road warriors and experienced CDL drivers, and couldn’t agree more.
Right now, FMCSA Director went back to NYC to work for Mayor Eric Adams; no one there for God sake. Second, USDOT Secretary (Mayor Pete) on the job training, what a joke. It’s not fair to bring people in without experience, whether it’s in trucking or political/government positions.
The millennials nowadays can’t even go grocery shopping on their own, much less drive 1000 miles, be on time, take responsibility, have the experience that’s required to perform this job without issues or violations.
It takes few years to learn the job; and it takes people that offer more than just a number. It’s tough job and you can’t go home when you want to. Dedication, Commitment & Focused.
Amen brother !!
Erich…. Matt…D S and JaNay….. YOU are exactly right !!!!!
DO NOT get into the trucking industry !!!!
That’s all the reasons why I left !!!!!!!
And you are 100% right I was a truck driver for 20-plus years just retired last year I know exactly what you’re talkin about you’re right on point
This lowering the driver age requirement is such a bad idea. I got my CDL on my 21st birthday. I’ve driven trucks for 30 years. There’s always an exception, but the majority of 18 to 20-year-olds aren’t ready to pilot these big rigs. Once these accidents and incidents start piling up, more regulation will come out that affects the rest of us. Such a shame to see yet another example of mindless politicians thinking they know best.
So let me get this straight u been driving 30 yrs and got cdl at age 21 , so u were 9 when u started,wow what a man
Where the hell are beginners starting out at 40 bucks an hr? 27 years in and I have never made 40 bucks an hr. That’s just crazy.
There are ads on Craigslist for Fedex Ground team drivers 70 cents a mile split with benefits, 6 months experience required. Should be able to drive 650 miles in an 11 hour shift that’s $40 and hour.
Join the union work for ups take it up rear and wear good knee pads then after 40 yrs if u still alive collect 4300 a month
I retired 10 years ago after putting in 35 years of all kinds of driving. Construction, propane, produce (ugh, the worst job I ever had), food delivery, and finally 25 years in freight companies. The freight haulers are the best place to work. Good pay, usually good benefits, local or their version of OTR (where you go city to city, layover in a hotel, and come back home). I was home every other day (day, not night). I almost hate to say this, but I LOVED my job. I couldn’t wait to go to work every day (or night). I feel sorry for you guys (and gals) who hate your jobs. I really do. I’m dead serious.
We already have enough meat in the seat drivers out here that camp out in the passing lane, cut in and out of traffic like their in a four wheeler, and can’t find the dimmer switch for their headlights. Now the Federal government wants to destroy what’s left of this trade by putting immature teenagers behind the wheel of 80,000 pound trucks. This administration is systematically destroying our country and every job worth having.
Maybe the amazing businessmen who bought trucks should move on to the next great idea…buying a portable grill and cooking burgers at McDonalds as an independent contractor. Maybe they could make 1 cent per burger cooked. Home every night and big money just like the truck brought in.
Or maybe buy a few lawnmowers and compete with the recent immigrant-hey just like what takes place in the port!
Started driving for large old-time freight companies in 1978. Thanks to our contract companies were unable to treat us like animals the way they treated the gypos (but got away with it with them). We were paid for all time spent no freebies. I made great money (ie $78,000 in 1995 running team OTR) had the very best PPO insurance and all the trimmings. Retired in 2011 having just turned 54 with a retirement that exceeded my 40-hour straight time pay. I worked with some very solid people and we stuck together.
There is absolutely no way in hell I would work for most of these current companies. They seem to operate like it was the 1930’s.
Since today’s drivers won’t do anything about it but whine at least some speak with their feet.
K-1 visas and teenagers will not fix this problem.
Oops H-2B Visa
Forgot to mention my retiree medical insurance Kaiser HMO with prescription drugs has been $196 per month has not increased same as in 2011.
Bureaucrats and lobbies. Toxic mix. Spook everybody with autonomous “Truckers are about to become obsolete…” reality sets in not long later that autonomous pipe dream,as predicted by those who saw it coming. R&D into the endeavour absorbed tremendous amount of public funds. Time passes,not much time,and no autonomous. Elon Musk,for one,granted $billions to make this so.Told powers that be what they wanted to hear.Elon Musk sits as King of Con Men in history of the world. Bravo!