financial aid in trucking school?

In most cases you get what you pay for, notice I said most not all. Here is some food for thought, would it be best to pay 5-6-7000 for a CDL school and get a job that pays .35-.40 cents a mile with some benefits and be treated well by the company, or pay 2-3K for school, get paid .23-.30 per mile and be treated like you are not human. Uou should stay at that first job for at least one year before you move on so your situation can be good or very bad for that period. That is a very important aspect of chosing a school that some do not consider.
I know you are thinking this guy must work for one of those high priced schools, well in a way you would be right, I did for 5 years and learned quite a bit in the process, even with all the years driving I have. Good luck in your endeavor, I'm just trying to pass along information that I have accumulated over the years, it may or may not work for you.

 

I've been following your thread. I graduated from a private CDL school the end of June. I spent 3 years researching trucking with my wife before we pulled the trigger, so I might as well be a trucking school guidance counselor You've gotten a lot of sound advice already. I'll just list some things for you to note.

1. Accreditation is a slippery word. Even some recruiters don't know what they mean when they ask you if the school is 'accredited.' Most important thing, just make sure that any companies you are interested in will consider your prospective school(s) as on their 'approved' list - all you need to be concerned about in regard to your employers. Don't shy away from a company you like if the school is not listed among their approved school list. I've come across more than one company that will approve your school after they talk to the school.

2. Make sure your school has the appropriate amount of hours required by your companies of interest. Industry standard is around 160-175. My school was 200 hours. Again, verify between your prospective companies and schools.

3. A typical private CDL school will take 4 weeks. Mine was 8 weeks since I attended evening classes. I paid $5000. 4 weeks and 5k is the norm.

4. Prior to the first day of class, my school required a DOT physical and drug test, and a 10 year driving history manifest. Basically, they wanted to make sure I was hire-able. This is good for the student AND the school's reputation. Granted, most companies will make you take another DOT physical and drug test, plus their own company specific tests, but it is good to know that I already have a 2 year medical card - I knew I'd pass the drug test since I don't take drugs. Too many prospective drivers lay out cash for a private school only to find out that they are not hire-able. Make sure you are hire-able, if you have any doubt, at least pull your driving record and then call a few of the companies you are interested in, be honest and forthright. I recently met a guy who had a 2 year old DUI and slipped through the cracks at his CDl school - a total waste of his time since most companies want AT LEAST 3 years removed from a DUI.

5. Company-paid schooling is a great option. I have known plenty of drivers that went through a company-paid schooling program and had positive experiences. If going this route, I would suggest Prime Inc.

6. I can't be of much assistance with financial aide, but consider opening a 0% APR or no interest credit card to pay for your private CDL school. I would only recommend this route for somebody with good credit and who is responsible managing their money. It's usually better than any bank loan you'll get. I opened a Citi Bank card and put $4500 on it - had to get my limit increased from the original 3800. I have 18 months to pay it off w/o interest - pretty generous deal. At $65.00 minimum monthly payments (w/o interest remember), this is a very affordable option. I have until October 2015 to pay the whole thing off before interest. No problem. There are plenty of credit cards out there like this, but you'll need average to above average credit to apply, and then the discipline needed to make sure you pay the thing off before you get hit w/ the interest.

Finally, don't get caught up in too many details, like whether the school is 'accredited' or not. Make sure it has the required hours, is approved by your companies of interest, and make sure you are hire-able. It's not that complicated. Good luck!

 

One more thing, don't get caught up in whether a company offers tuition reimbursement. Often, but not always the case, a company that will offer a lower cpm plus tuition reimbursement, could even out with a company that offers a higher cpm but no tuition reimbursement. As always, compare apples w/ apples. I paid out of pocket, and chose a company that doesn't offer tuition reimbursement, but will pay a higher cpm after my first year. From what I've gathered, they also have the miles to go w/ that higher cpm - can't have one w/o the other

 

At the school where I used to teach we started requiring students get the temporary instruction permit drug screen and DOT physical before starting any thing because we had too many students taking the school and then finding out they had a DUI on their record, even though they said not. Some had a felony that was not old enough that they would get hired or just could not get a medical card.

Then some of them wanted to blame the school and wanted their money back, usually loans and grants, that ain't going to happen. Each school and state is different but I venture that the above explanation fits a lot of schools.

EDIT: I think post #33 and I were typing at the same time so there is some duplication in what we both said. He gave you some good info that for the most part I think it is right on the money. I would disagree with the accreditation aspect, I think it is very important, but that would be your call, good luck.

 

I wish I could offer more in the line of financial assistance, since that's the main topic at hand. But I'd like to state it once again. Make sure you are hire-able. It is the biggest road block to becoming employed, runner up is if the school is approved by the company. At the end of the day, it is the prospective driver's responsibility to do the research and know the facts. Not implying you fit this description, but I have no sympathy for any prospective student that knowingly conceals info to a school or company - I mean, how dumb can you be? Talk about self-sabotage.

EDIT: LOL, I think the other poster and I are saying basically the same thing. Didn't want to seem like I was arguing about the accreditation aspect. I do respectfully disagree though. Company approval of a school is more important than accreditation. At the end of the day, if the company accepts your school, that's all that counts. More importantly would be if more than one company approves the same school.

 

The word in western North Carolina is that the state is going to provide grant money (with no string attached other than you have to attend the classes) to cover Driver Training this up coming fall semester. And of course you have to be a North Carolina citizen. Isothermal in conjunction with Caldwell Community College will be starting a class on Sept 10th with orientation August 19th. That's the class I plan on attending.

 

Getting your Temporary Instuction Permit is not as simple as you might think. It is not a matter of just going to the secretary of state and picking it up. There is a battery of test you must take and pass before you get it. The test requires some studying and very few pass all of them the first time around. I would wait till I pick out a school, they will give you guidance and may be able to get you a discount on the physical.

Also I hope you are aware that very few companies hire OTR drivers until they are 23, insurance companies running the world again.