From Vet to OTR

Pay for your school absolutely.

A large number of the training companies have their schools in one of those 5 states.

DO NOT jump around from company to company during your first year. You will cripple your chances at a good company later for job hopping.
There's a limited amount of companies that take newcomers. And for the first year, you're relatively dogmeat.
There are local companies that are taking new people and training them.

Start thinking about what you think your niche is going to be in the wide world of trucking.

Van, reefer, flatbed, tanker????

 

Local pays a lot.

Nothing is going to pay top dige when you're new.
Flatbed is a good choice cause you can then get into exotic stuff. Oversize and heavy haul.

If that's what you're going to do, consider a company like Melton that just does flats.

Do not job hop. That's the kiss of death. You'll be fine. You're a vet. They aren't going to lop you in with the street urchins, unless you choose a company that primarily deals with urchins.

The man that drives my second truck is a retired CPO. He took home $6800 today. So yea there's money to be made if you do it correctly.

It's a serious business.

There's a guy on here that came out of the airborne does tankers with Schneider. He does well.

That's what I mean about consider what you want to do in 3 years. That the requirement for a good job ( mostly).

If you have 3 years in tanker, you can walk into a good fuel hauler company and bring down $100K easy. And sleep in your bed.

Even more with heavy haul and equipment.

We just do van. We do ok lol.

Think about what you see yourself doing.

 

Most companies prefer the 160 hr. course. Some don't care how long or short it is. I'd at least take the 160 hr. course.
Every company I posted hires new cdl school grads from Las Vegas.
~
You can submit applications to trucking companies the very first day of cdl school.
You'll get job offers from those applications contingent on successfully completing cdl school and having any required endorsements.

 

thanks for your service !

Most bases have a CDL training program for exiting soldiers.

At least they did last time I was at Benning a few months ago. They had a large banner advertising the soldier to CDL program.

I’m a civilian so I don’t have much knowledge about the program other than seeing the signs and seeing them driving around in the parking lot and on base while I was there doing some Contract work .

otherwise I’d check with your home states community college or vo tech programs.
Or a company like yellow or old dominion that doesn’t require you to sign a $7500 personal loan for their lousy three week class.
Please don’t sign up with a company that requires you to promise to work for them for a year or repay them $7500

 

Some states have programs that expidite the process for vets to get thier CDL... Some even just give you one if your MOS, and training is comparable to CDL school.

 

Midwest is a good place to start imo. For learning the job. Decent money.
OKC and TMC would be a decent start imo

 

You wouldn't even have to pay for the training. I had mine paid for with the gi bill and it was easy to set up.