Owner Operator

Between 1977 and 2022 I worked in operations, management, training and safety.

Hired, worked and qualified hundreds of drivers, many being self employed truck owners.

Many drivers were ex-owner operators and they often were among the best in the barn as they understood the whole picture.

Those guys were often older guys who decided it was time to sell the headaches and just drive.

 

I would go to the community college route like I did, that way you’re not locked into a contract.
He said your brother-in-law’s already a truck driver, so you can bounce ideas off him and what he knows to get you through the rough spots.

 

You could get your CDL and go to any company that offers training. Completely skip their process all together of obtaining a CDL through them. Believe it or not, the only reason they offer that CDL training to begin with is to corner you to working for them. If you already have your CDL when you come on, they can't charge you any "driving school" costs. I sometimes wonder if companies that do offer CDL school training actually get a grant in the students name. Long shot, but I wouldn't doubt that some companies may, or have at least tried. I imagine only way to be sure would be to use the Freedom of Information Act to find out. But if it was me, I would get my CDL myself, and then go to a company to "train". Not sure about now, but back when I got my CDL in 2005, Texas only required passing the written tests, having the permit and taking the road test. Wasn't any special school or anything like that.

 

So last year the law changed and you are now required to attend some sort of "accredited" school for a minimum of 160 hours to be able to obtain a CDL license.
I have checked into some companies that offer the training and do the CDL test themselves and pay you while you are in the training. Some require longer "contracts" to drive for them, usually one to two years but some of those will "pro-rate" what you have to payback if you choose to leave and go to work for another company. The quality of the training can vary a lot so, do your homework on prospective trucking companies.
If you are interested in flat-bedding, TMC and Maverick have pretty good reputations.