Company sponsored training: Someone point me in the right direction, please.

Call Swift, they train !!

 

well, the FIRST thing you can/should do, is go down and get the CDL manual for the state.

Study the piss out of it and get your permit. It's only a written test. Go down to a dealer and just tell a salesmen what you are doing, going over the manual and looking at that truck at the same time.

Once you ever do get on the road, you are as much a salesman of yourself as you are a truck driver. You need to have killer people skills.

Once you get comfortable with things, go take your written test and then you will at the LEAST have a permit.

Call a company like prime, swift or any of the other biggies then.

Don't be afraid to cold call. It will make life easier here.

 

It may not seem so, but it is often a really good choice to go ahead and get financial aid to attend a good, and accredited "Professional Driving Institution" like AIT in Arizona, or other schools that actually teach enough to get you rolling with a company mentor/trainer/finisher for a few weeks.

Even when a person doesn't have much money, getting Pell grants and a reasonable student loan amount can allow a person to take that month to 6 weeks to get some valuable training. Most of the schools have relationships with companies that actively recruit their graduates, but I would suggest that not every company (in particular those that actively recruit from these schools) that says they will give you tuition reimbursement for your CDL school loan repayment is created equally.

That said, a person needs to be very discriminating in both their selection of a school, and the company they choose to go with once they graduate. It is entirely possible to make bad choices in both, and if you're going to make that kind of investment in your future, do so armed with accurate information. There are schools in my area that don't meet that criteria, and companies that hire from the good ones that are ALSO bad choices, even though the school is a good one. AMHIK. lol

The good news is that at worst, you have a small monthly student loan payment, and if you do a full 6 months to one year at your first company, you've paid the loan off, have experience, and can find work at companies that require you to have it.

 

Hey Frank, great to hear from you today. Please return to the web site if you didn't see the program information guide under the heading "For Complete Information" at http://www.isothermal.edu/truck. The last page of the info guide is the 2012 schedule of classes. Included in the web pages there are links to other information relative to truck driving school. This is a 5 week, P.T.D.I. certified program, featuring "one on one" training in the truck. (www.ptdi.org) Job placement available, through several different "over the road", nationwide motor carriers.Tuition cost is $3,575.00. Class size is limited, so let us know when we can help get the enrollment process started. Attached, you will find a check list of requirements for enrollment and some accommodations options. For specific questions, please phone the office.

The next day class available March 12, 2012. The classes start every 3 weeks.
Evening classes are open enrollment. March 19, 2012 is the next planned class.
We also offer refresher programs, specialized training and Third Party Testing.

The Truck Driving Program is not eligible to receive Pell Grants. The five week program requires 168 hours of training time. None of the hours result in college credit so the program does not qualify for federal financial aid.

If you are receiving unemployment benefits, you may qualify for funding through the Employment Security Commission. You should contact your local office to see if you qualify and to see if funds are available in your area. Our program is on the approved list for NC and SC funding agencies. www.ncstars.org

The credit markets remain very tight at this time. Some loan sources that students have used in the past have withdrawn their commitment for tuition loans for truck driving programs. Students should seek professional financial advice, or talk with someone at their local bank where they normally do business. The Sage Corporation is not licensed in North Carolina to offer loans and employees of the company are not formally trained to give personal financial advice.

For Information from the US Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook 2010/2011 click on the site below.
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos246.htm#outlook
http://cvta.org/member-news/38-public-news/368-mike-oconnell-on-fox-business-november-9-2010.html
CNN report:
http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/09/news/economy/truck_driver_shortage/index.htm
http://www.cnbc/id/15840232/?video=1621928649&play=1

Sincerely,

Van Bridges, Director
Sage Technical Services
Isothermal Community College
Spindale, North Carolina 28043
828-286-3636 ext. 221

The above information is what I was told when I asked for financial assistance

 

another place to look for career outlooks.

http://www.iseek.org/

truck driver
http://www.iseek.org/careers/careerDetail?oc=100341

Granted, this is MN specific. There is also some information in there for national trends too.

The company I just hired on with is replacing most of the drivers. Not because of the fact they are quitting....But because the drivers are over age 65 and retiring.

Small company with only 26 Road haul trucks.