I want to be a truck driver

Hello, I would like to introduce myself. I'm 27 from Switzerland, met my wife there and now we live together los angeles. I worked for 10 years in a food company as a food technologist. My goal is to become a trucker. Now I have lived for 2 months in LA and working as a cook and realize that this does not make me happy.
I would like to start a career as a trucker here in the usa.
I speak english (but not perfect) and can read and understand well.
Can someone recommend a good school in the LA area? Should I pay the school myself or find a future employer who pays the school and I have to commit myself? Is it possible to find a job well after passing the cdl exam? And how much would the estimated starting wage would be?
Thank you

 

You will get better advise from others but here is mine!

Find a local flatbed company with a great reputation and walk in and apply.

F trucking schools.

 

At least you admitted that folks will give better advice hahaha, but seriously whether you pay yourself or go company paid training, you can't go wrong with either. You want to focus on getting better and experienced. The first year can be tough, but if you can make it through that year, it'll get better. I personally went through school and paid for some of it myself. I got a grant from the state to pay for the majority of it. Check your career center and see if they offer those programs.

 

Find a friend, or a friend of a friend who drives truck. Have them teach you. Trucking schools are expensive, and train you to the minimum to pass the road test. Same thing you can get for free from a person with their own truck. Also without the debt. This is in my opinion the best way to learn form an experienced driver that has been out there.

 

I paid for my license out of pocket. I'm not about to let someone hold me by the nuts.

 

What is a food technologist? Sounds pretty serious.

 

"A food technologist is a science and engineering expert who researches and develops strategies to process, package, and safely distribute food products. Some professionals work in laboratories to investigate the physical and chemical properties of foods, while others are employed by processing plants to design new production techniques."

 

Do you want to drive OTR, you usually go out for weeks at a time won't be home to see you wife. I hear pulling tanks pay better or if you want be home ever day a local job like YRC or restaurants food delivery like Sysco pay good but it crazy hard work. You really just unload food and to delivery and drive the truck part time. It's lot more labor work vs drive like OTR is driving all day.

 

Just search local Craigslist. Or maybe YRC or ABF for local new CDL jobs. Worst case, apply to Swift for OTR.

 

Pay for your own traing. Don't be beholden to anyone. Second reasearch your new employer. Everybody needs drivers and being compensated fairly is important. Good luck.