Financial Aid & Truck Driving Schools

Truck Drivers Institute (TDI) Milton, FL- $4995 cash, $5995 financed. Financing is through 2 school lenders of choice, no names given so I don't know who they are. Six months same as cash if paid within the first six months, no interest. The kicker comes in week two of training when each student who financed gets to watch a video from the lender that explains that if they don't pay the loan off in the first six months, interest is calculated from day one and by the way there is a $3000 additional fee for the financing past six months.

The course is three weeks with minimum of 154 hours to graduate.

I was enrolled, completed a week and a half and was dropped when my financing fell through. I have two weeks to get my own financing or provide clear title to a vehicle and a qualified co-signer to satisfy the lender.

Oh, did I mention I was taking the course only because no one will hire without OTR time or a school certificate. I studied and obtained my CDL A back in 2008. I have HAZMAT, tankers, dbls/trpls endorsements plus a TWIC card that doesn't expire until 2015. I got the CDL while employed with FEMA after Hurricane Katrina. There was no OTR but it was a requirement to drive their class A mobile command centers and mobile disaster recovery centers.

I have straight truck miles and RV miles, worked at the Federal Center in Ft Worth for a while.

But none of that is good enough to get a seat, even a training seat so far.

Unemployed since Mar 1st, 2012. Navy retirement and side jobs keeping the Sheriff from the door...but not much longer.

Sorry guys, I got off track here.

 

@Paluche: I'm certified for the VOW/VRAP program....but...even though they state a CDL certificate school is available for funding, the hitch comes in when you have to pay the school the entire fund upfront and not in monthly installments like the VOW pays. Also you only get the $1437 a month while attending fulltime so a three or four week cdl school doesn't count for more than one payment/month. You would almost have to take a cdl class at a votech or 2 yr college so you could at least get paid for a three/four month program. Everything comes down to dollars...Thanks for the response

 

hey, i you have a winn job center near you and are unemployed they can help get u in a community college cdl prograhm an d may pay for it with wia funds,route i had to go and course is 8 weeks and 1250.00

 

I actually used my WIA funds for two IT computer certifications. Plus when I asked about the CDL training, it would be at the same school I mentioned above and WIA would only pay $5000 of the $5995 for the course. Oh and only three weeks.

 

Going to TransAm orientation next week. Got tired of waiting for local company and PRIME to finish my work verification. They have taken three weeks. That's more than enough. So TransAm it is for a while.

 

Your argument is valid for all Government aid. Not just truck schools but all colleges. Same for Doctor's visits.

 

So much for TransAm as of today. Got an email then a phone call stating that they thought I had completed CDL school. Since I got dropped after the first 75 hours, I was no longer elligible to work for them.

Is someone trying to tell me that I shouldn't be attempting to drive big rigs?.....

I did finally speak with Prime recruiter today. Seems the verification is on hold waiting contact/reply from my four years at FEMA. But they are right, I tried to get ahold of my old work cadre and only got voicemail. I sent an email for them to contact me or advise who Prime should call.

Again, maybe I am not meant to get a seat in a rig.

 

thought that might help ,thats how i had to get started ,i also checked vaterterott college they just started a class near me in memphis,tn according to their staff they are wia app. but i was told at tn emply. off. that they only pay 3 out of 4 thou. for it. vat has a deal for 750.00 up front to pre-hire with werner and they pay the rest if u graduate and work for them, but friend of my son works for them and has nothing good to say about them at all,never home. dont give up hang in ther ,nothing worth having EVER comes easy. took me a year,well 8 months to find school i am going to and still have to wait anoyher wek to get my wia papers and books. let me know how it goes.

 

Be careful on student loans. CDL training is typically in clock-hours - not semester hours, so student aid/loans are very iffy. Many companies will reimburse, but at what rate? It takes a lot of driving to work off the tuition when the company only reimburses you $150.00 per month for your tuition, so do the math. Do you want to be tied to that company for that long? Was there a cut in pay as well?

So what are your other options?

• Talk to your favorite credit union. Take a personal (not student or tuition) loan out for slightly more than the tuition (like one month's loan payment more) and sock it all in the bank, set up the first loan payment for about a month after you expect to graduate, then you've got some cushion while you complete your lower paying training time with whatever company your start with. If your new company reimburses your tuition, then that's just gravy for you. Many will reimburse you up to six months after graduation, just save your receipt/tuition bill.
• Look for Driving Schools that are affiliated with your local Community College, such as the Sage at St Philip's program http://www.alamo.edu/spc/ptd/
• If you've got military veteran's benefits, check with VA on how to work it, i.e. your first year of driving might be called training and therefore allow you to use your GI Bill; then use that GI Bill money to pay off your tuition loan. Many companies advertise this option as a recruiting incentive. Also, check on any State military benefits that you can tap as well, i.e. Texas Hazelwood Act, etc.