Starting out for rookies

I am at united trucking right now, which of course is a private school. It costs 5 grand, BUT... out of pocket is only 85$, and most companies will pay for your schooling once you hire on, so the class is basically free (as long as you work for them, but it's atleast not a contract). There are ways around not being able to afford a private CDL school is the point I'm trying to get across.

 

Yeah, but you probably won't get $5k reimbursed with your first check--or even within your first year. Mostly companies I have talked to whom had a 'tuition reimbursement' program would only shell out $100-150 monthly. This means you will not recoup the $5k for 33 to 50 months! I sure hope you ain't at a Stevens or CRE and needing to stay there even half this long.

 

Yeah pretty much same old same old with these stories no money down but you'll be owing the company at the end of your training its just another way of getting slave labor legally. The only way around it is to save up enough money to get your own private training. If not your at the mercy of these companies.

 

As I understand it, the repayment by the company for your schooling is taxed as income as well.

 

Blue you are right the tuition reimbursment is placed on your check as income and is then taxed.
As far as slave labor I see your point, but this is how I look at it. I was a Certified Nursing Assistant made a whopping $10.50/hr but the 6 week training was free and I would have a guarenteed job if I passed, a lot like trucking.
At Central you go to a 2 week school, orentation and 4-6 weeks on a trainers truck. All 4-6 weeks you are paid between $350 and $475 per week. Over the 4 weeks you will earn $100 for orentation $350 the 1st week on the truck, $375 2nd wk, $400 3rd wk, and $450 the 4th week that comes to $1650. You agree to pay $3k for their school. So if you look at it like the CNA training above that was slave labor, we got paid nothing for that 6 weeks of training (and after the 1st week we were working and "learning on the job"
What I'm trying to say is if you go through Centrals traini g and walk away you are only really out $1300. Just think about all those yahoos (like me) who are tens of thousands of dollars in debt acter 4 years of school and can not get a job. Those are the ones who are slaves you have the option to walk away and work at McDonald's if you want, they are stuck trying to pay off student loans not even being able to use their degrees. That sucks and you cant even get rid of a student loan through bankruptcy.

 

When you tally the hours on the truck, say, 10 hours per day for seven days per week, the first week at $350 you will earn roughly the equivalent of $5 per hour, the second week of earning $375 equals about $5.35/hour, the third week you will earn $400 which comes to about $5.71/hour and the fourth week you will earn $450 which comes to about $6.42. Factor in the fact that you're on the truck much longer than 70 hours (which is roughly your driving time) per week since you're sleeping on the truck and the wage goes down even more. Now, when you graduate, you'll be making about what, 28 cpm? Figure the hours you'll be on the truck and boom, you're at or below what you were making as a nursing assistant (probably less). I'm not saying this to discourage you, as if this is way to get you a new career, I understand completely, but if you're doing this for the money, you can make at least the same or more doing what you're doing now IF you put in the same amount of hours you'll be giving the company for however many years you work for this pay. Read the post here http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...entral-refrigerated-10-month-reveiw-long.html where the rookie averaged around 2000-2200 miles per week for four months. Let's go with the higher figure. At 2200 miles per week at even let's go with 30 cpm, you're making $660 for the week. Add the hours up each day (11 hours per day, seven days per week) and you have 77 hours at about $8.57 cents per hour. Staying put where you are, earning $10.50/hour for 77 hours (almost a two week period in the "civilian" world) comes to $808.50. Just make sure you have it all in perspective and know what you're getting into.

 

You also have to look at the fact you do not get paid over time that cuts your hourly wage down even more. One positive is what job are they going to give you 70+ hrs per week? So if you got 40hrs at $10.50/hr that would come out to $600/wk and you would be home every day!!! I can not go back to where I was a CNA because I married the boss and that is the only place in out tiny town.

Good points to make. Do this because you want to do it not for the money.

 

I think I am going to have cash to spend on school so I should definitely go to an independent school instead of a company school ?

Hey bt.....Looks like we're neighbors, and both getting into trucking at the same time...I was just curious if you have got any leads for any decent companies up our way hiring newbs ?

 

worldtrvlr...I'll look you up in 6 months. I'm up in Pompano. $1800 at .45 cents is 4000 miles per week. Lots of miles for solo. 4000/6 days=666.666666666 hehe

 

This is all discouraging to me.