Long time listener, first time caller

For me it would depend on the debt level vs the size of the 401k.
Taking 10k out to cover bills and school doesn't seem like much but you would need to be up and running by the time that's exhausted.
With the CARES act you are able to withdrawl without the normal 10% penalty and if paid back within 3 yrs you will not pay income taxes( w amended returns)

The CARES Act lets people raid their 401(k) for cash during the pandemic...should you?

Increasing your income when you get on with a reputable carrier makes that very possible and then some.
You appear to be in a good, heavily traveled area w a good home time possibilities.
Someone like Millis would seem a good fit.
It would be your preference to pay up front or go contract with whomever you might chose.

 

I’m going to push back a little on the stated “facts”.
First, keep your cotton picking fingers off the 401K. That’s sacred.

Second, says WHO you need to go to CDL school with a decade of commercial driving experience, even if it’s class B? Lots of companies operate trucks that need class A drivers, but aren’t “trucking” companies. Construction, mining, agriculture, probably oilfield when it ramps back up. Jump to one of those jobs and use their trucks to take the test for your class A. Get some experience.

I’d do ‘bout anything for a year or two to avoid Mega-bondage....

 

What paycut.
How much are you bringing home a week
At this class B job.
You've got this whole thing backwards.
The paycut comes from class A going to class B.

I love class B work. Just doesn't pay enough.

 

Id rather do a year at a mega, than any of the jobs
You described.
Construction, bottom of the barrel,low pay, seasonal,
Oilfield, please, work today, laid or tomorrow,
Agriculture, 12 bucks an hour and you better
Speak Spanish.
Minings the only one I Don't know.
I've done the rest, they all suck.

Every mega that we hate has outlasted all
These fly by night operations and up and down
Seasonal jobs.

If I'm gonna apply for a line haul job in a year,
I want a year at swift on my resume,
Not a year driving a dump truck for a construction company, or moving tomatoes around a farm,
Or running frac sand for outlaw trucking.
Non of that applies to what their looking for.

Most of those jobs don't even have health benefits,
Or Any type of retirement plan.
Forget vacation pay,you got a better chance of
Being laid off and collecting unemployment then
Getting that.

He's 40 years old, he doesn't have to waste with
That garbage.
1 year is Like a month in these trucks.
He'll be fine.

 

You won't see a happy Dollar General Driver. Recruiters are very deceiving about that account and have to be because the turnover and firing of drivers is very high.
You can take home much more that $600 a week driving a Class A cdl truck and still have a full benefits package.
Nothing wrong with working for a mega. Some are very good and some aren't.

 

Schneider, overall, is a decent company, but most of their accounts, you won't take home $600 a week.
A good refrigerated or flatbed company or tanker company, you'll take home much more than $600 a week.
Several companies that hire drivers with 6 - 12 mos. experience, have a guaranteed minimum weekly pay, such as $1000 - $1250 a week.

 

You would have to be doing something majorly wrong to bring home $600 doing OTR. My first OTR job with absolutely no experience I made $67k the first year. This was dry van and reefer.

The key is running everything they give you and don't go home. I stayed out a minimum 10 weeks.

Check community colleges for CDL programs. Local one to me is $1800. Get a loan to pay it up front then pick one of those companies Chinatown posted that offers tuition reimbursement.