Thinking about school, but..

Diesel Direct sometimes hires new cdl school grads.
Diesel Fuel Delivery in Iowa | Fuel Delivery Near You

 

Doll Distributing (Oh, well, looks like this one is to far away)
1901 De Wolf St, Des Moines, IA 50316
Qualifications:

• Must be 21 years of age
• High school diploma or GED
• Driving record within MVR policy guidelines
• Obtain Commercial Driver’s Permit including General Knowledge, Air Brakes, and Combination Vehicles within 30 days of hire
• Obtain Commercial Driver’s License within 45 days of receiving Permit
• Ability to read and comprehend written instructions and information in English
• Basic mathematical aptitude
• 

 

Darling Ingredients
https://www.darlingii.com
140 Nevada St, Waterloo, IA 50703
This one may not pay what you need, but you can ask and find out.
Various types of trucks.

 

Here's one that had a mishap and was carrying animal remains. This company also has tankers and grease trap straight trucks. I don't know which trucks they use out of Waterloo.

 

Yes, you are beyond the TSA limit and eligible for HazMat and TWIC

 

Driver Training - Halvor Lines

 

Home | Paschall Truck Lines, Inc. | CDL-A Driving Job
Paschall Truck Lines offers dry van, expedited, regional, dedicated, and Mexico services with over 1100 tractors and 3000 trailers. Find out how to apply, search jobs, track freight, and contact locations …

 

I would not expect over $50k in first year of trucking. It makes no sense to get into trucking unless you have an employer identified that hires people with your background and pays more than you currently make. There are too many truck drivers and not enough freight. THERE IS NO TRUCK DRIVER SHORTAGE no matter how many times the media pushes the same bogus press release from the ATA. IMO, the only smart way to enter trucking is to have the employer identified, have assurance from the company they will hire you once you have the CDL, or stay out of trucking. Most newbies rush into trucking, do zero research into which employer fits them and then quickly quit the industry forever. It doesn't take too many weeks/months of little work, being away from home, and have tiny paychecks, plus the normal headaches of trucking, before 80-90% of newbies quit forever. Just being stubborn isn't enough to make money in trucking. It seems you have turned you life around and that speaks well of you. A willingness to work for whatever company that will hire you is very very common until the reality of working at a company that hires a few thousand drivers per year because a few thousand drivers quite every year. If you find that employer then I think you are a pretty good candidate if never being around people for weeks seems like a vacation. Your typical conversation is the "thanks, have a nice day" said or heard from a cashier or clerk daily. If you like being around people, trucking isn't a good match.