Company Sponsored Training or Independent Schools?

The same thing I think about all company training schools - you have no options. You're stuck with Prime. And if you don't stay a minimum amount of time (you quit or they fire you), they'll send you a big fat bill for the cost of the training.

You should find and read the tread from the guy who went to Swift's school and then they didn't offer him a job. He's screwed because he now owes Swift a chunk of cash for the school and no one else will hire him because the company that trained him didn't even want him!

That's what happens when you go to a company school and have only one place to go to work.

Go to an independent school, preferably a community college and you'll have dozens of options. And they'll even help you find a job!

I almost screwed up and went the company school route. So, glad I found this site and people here set me straight!

 

My suggestion is to look for a community college in your area that has their program set up to qualify for FAFSA (federally funded financial aid). Depending on your circumstances you may be able to get a grant for it. Or at least a very low interest low payment loan. Community college programs are usually spread out over a longer period of time and cover a lot more driving and menuevering than a CDL mill, gives a person more time to get used to driving and more experience. The certificate you get from one also seems to carry more weight. I'm just finishing up at a college and feel really comfortable with the drive time and training.

With getting the training outside of a company school I'm not a slave to that company till their funds are paid back. Plus, if you hire on with a large carrier a lot of them will repay at least a part of your loan.

 

Great! Then disregard all of the other advice that anyone here gives you and just go with the decision that you seem to have already made and go to Prime.

Just FYI, you can almost always find someone to agree with you. That's why you find the same company on this very board listed in both the "Good" and "Bad" areas -- because people have different opinions.

But if I were looking at a company or school, I wouldn't just focus on the positive input about the company/school I was looking at. Instead I would weigh the good with the bad and make a decision from there.

Rather than only listening to those that agree with you, perhaps you should listen to those who don't.

As the philosopher Dudley Moore (no, not the actor) once said, "I've never learned a thing from any man that has agreed with me."

Opinions aside, there is one fact that is pretty indisputable, when you choose to go to a company school, you have ONE CHOICE of where to work after you graduate. When you go to an independent school (preferably a community college) you have DOZENS OF CHOICES. I don't know about you, but I like to have as many options as possible.

As for local or regional jobs, going to a Prime school is probably not going to help you there either. As I said, you'll have one option with a company school. Going to an independent school provides options. But honestly, most of the local jobs that I see in my area require EXPERIENCE not just graduation from a driving school. I don't know about your area.

But you seem to have already made up your mind, so just go with your decision. Keep us updated and let us know how your time with Prime goes.

 

Thanks for that info almostthere, much appreciated! I've been looking for my best option and that seems like it could be it.

 

I remember Western's commercials way back when I was a kid.

Have you called and asked about price? Would you be going to the Sacramento location? Unfortunately the Sac yard is not too impressive in my opinion. But that doesn't mean they don't have an off site location somewhere...

 

Well, I'm not going to pass judgment on Prime. I haven't driven for them and thus have no opinion of my own about them.

HOWEVER, if you "haven't heard anything bad about Prime", I would encourage you to do more research.

It certainly seems that you have made up your mind as every time someone tries to caution you about Prime, you jump to their defense citing a handful of people that you've communicated with who think that Prime is fine.

So, perhaps rather than defending Prime at every opportunity, you should actually consider the opinions of those willing to take the time to respond to your questions. Otherwise, it's a waste of yours and our time.

As I said, if you feel so confident in Prime, then go to their school and don't look back.

There is very little in this life that I'm "sure 100%" about.

Both the CDL mills and community colleges will help you find opportunities, but it's up to you to actually GET the job.

BTW, you do know that going to a company school does not mean that you'll actually get a job with that company, right?

I've read a number of stories of people who went to a company school and then either didn't get a job with the company at all, or got a job with the company and then were dismissed shortly afterwards. And after they were dismissed received a bill from the company for the cost of the driving school.

So, going to a company driving school doesn't seem to have any advantages over an independent school and many more disadvantages.


BTW, I started applying at companies as soon as I had an estimated graduation date and I've received "approval for hires" at all but a couple.

So, now it's just a matter of deciding which companies' orientations that I want to attend. While you'll have one choice coming out of the Prime school, I have 5 and counting.

There are a number of threads on this site on that topic.

Here's one: Community College or CDL Mill

As for Western Pacific Truck School, I don't know anything about them and thus am in no position to offer an opinion about that specific school.

I personally feel that community colleges are better than the CDL mills, for a number of reasons discussed in the thread I cited above.

But, like everything else, you'll find opinions on both sides of the argument. I mean there are plenty of people who actually think they received their money's worth by "attending" the University of Phoenix online. And then there are companies that won't hire anyone with a degree from University of Phoenix online.