Who would be a good starter company???

You may check to see if there is a state vocational school or community college in your area that offers CDL training. Their programs are usually longer than the private schools, but they may have grants or student loans that you could qualify for that would get you going. I am not familiar with all of the company sponsored training programs. One other place you might check is your state employment office. They might know of some funding for which you could qualify or carriers who would train you.

 

There are a number of reasons not to go with CRE. For instance you only need a few months experience to be a trainer. Can you say the blind leading the blind? How about running team during training instead of training? If I were homeless and hungry and they were my only choice, I'd just walk out in front of one of their trucks!

You need to research and find out what the important questions are. You can make an above average living but you will make sacrifices that other jobs don't require. Read the "good companies" and "bad companies" section on this forum and get an idea of what company you want to work for and what kind of trailer you want to pull. Don't just go to school and then try to figure out where to go.

I don't know your financial situation. Don't take training from a company if you can afford it or get it with financial aid. You will be their slave for up to year. If you leave they will trash you DAC and credit record. Check out your local community colleges and employment office.

Just know that most training and trucking company recruiters will do nothing but lie to you. They will let you talk about what you want and then tell you what you want to hear. Trucking is about moving freight to make money for the company. Your home time, family, paycheck and everything else comes second.

It is not like any other job. Local is usually backbreaking delivery work 10+ hours a day, 6 days a week. Often you unload dozens of times a day or you are a salesman. In my area most dump truck jobs pay less than a good factory job. Regional is lots of loading and unloading time, fewer miles than OTR and not as hard as local but will wear on you and push your HOS limits. OTR is out 3 - 5 weeks with 3 - 4 days home, less manual labor and more miles.

You'll probably have to pay your dues before you get the gravy job. Weekends off, if you are lucky enough to get something like that starting out, may be home Thursday afternoon and leave Saturday night or home Friday night and leave Sunday afternoon. Loads deliver on Monday early and you leave in time to get them there. Often your home time will be in the middle of the week.

Regardless of your driving choice, after school you will go through company training. For OTR this can be six weeks to three months with little or no home time. The first phase is usually $400 a week and the second phase is $500-550 a week. Some pay less. One company pays 12 CPM for training.

One last thing, you don't want to wait around too long after training or you'll have trouble finding a job. If you get out before you have a year in, when you try to come back a few months later you will find they want you to start over.

 

Try Stevens transport

 

If you are on unemployment or a vet check with your state unemployment office and VA. Both agencies pay for you to go to a private CDL school in many states.
I always advise people to obtain their CDL BEFORE going to work for a company. It gives you many more choices and you are not an indentured servant while working off your loan.
That being said, in addition to the companies mentioned above, Stevens does CDL training as well.

 

How about Schneider or US Xpress?