Female Newbie Starting Classes Monday

Call Swift in Memphis TN. They will get you in school and give you a job if you graduate too.

 

I agree with what Sara says here....but. There is something that you left out too. Some companies won't hire from certain schools. Some companies that have their own schools want you to go to their school. Not a competitors school so they will require you to take a refresher course or go back through their school all together. It's best to check your options first before you sign up for school and get a company lined up as well.

I can not believe it costs $6000 or more to go though school now days. I for one, knowing what I know now, would not pay it.

The reason I went to school at M.S.Carriers is because that's the company I knew I wanted to go to work for. So I just attended their school and went to work for them as well. Plus they didn't require me to put a dime down. They gave me a hotel and fed me for the time I was in school. Also when I got out and started driving all I had to pay was .02 cents of my pretax mileage pay. I never missed it since it was pre tax.

 

Any school you go to is fine. Company schools have the same state requirements as the private schools and the state community college schools as well. A CDL is issued by the state not the school. Actually you can go take the test and get your CDL on your own. Just no one will hire you unless you have 1 year verifiable experience with an OTR company. Most OTR companies won't hire you unless you go through school first. So you have the dilemma of going to school then getting a job with a starter company.

Either way you do it is fine. Any school is fine. Look at it this way. Your going to have to pay for the school anyway so why not get a good deal. Most people don't stay with the same company after they get their 1st year of experience anyway.

I know I got lucky. I got a good education at the trucking school I went to. I started with one of the best companies there was out there at the time and I got a good deal on the price as well.

This is not to say the good days are over. I'm sure if you look around you can get a good deal on trucking school somewhere. I know of a guy that attended a community college for truck driving last year in South Carolina and the state picked up the entire bill and he was getting unemployment to boot. The deals are out there you just have to look for them.

 

A lot of the companies give what they call COMDATA cards. You will be instructed where to fill up and you'll be able to use this card for your fill ups. The companies can also use the COMDATA cards to give you cash or even your paycheck on. I'm not exactly sure on all the particulars, but that is what I've seen so far from reading this site and also talking to a couple of people...

 

You better not put gas in a big truck!!!!!....LOL. Just kidding girl. If you need any help just ask.

 

BTW the ex paid over $5000 for his CDL at a local trucking school (PDI)
I am sure he could have looked into something different like local community college or have seen if there was reimbursement (unemployeed) but I did not know that at the time as I was not on TTR! *see what I have learned!!*

Sara just ignore the boys...........LOL!!! Be nice guys cuz some day soon Sara is gonna be coming along side you in her own big rig!!!