Pennyless

if were me i would get my cdl first , work on that first , with a cdl you can get a job, then look for a temp agency , like a hire right or something like that, i know your in the city and it's harder, but out in country you can drive a farm tractor with a grain cart with no lic, then slowly after you get your cdl , jump into a grain hopper simi, you will gets tons more experience then any driving school will teach you

 

Do you think there might be a church in your area that would help?

 

Swift will not charge you up front for housing or training, but you WILL have to pay for your food. If you don't have 3 weeks of food you can bring with you (or more if you are slow to learn and have to stay extra weeks), you will be hungry. Truck driver training is very physically intensive and without a good source of protein, you will not make it. You will also have to pay for your physical and your DMV test (costs vary depending upon your state).

Check into your local unemployment office for grants. Trucking is NEVER something you should get into out of desperation. Spend a few months working at Wal-Mart or McDonald's to build up a food fund before heading into trucking.

If you want it bad enough, then take the time to do it right.

 

Go sell your plasma twice a week most places pay $40 a pop. You can then swing buy the day labor place an sign in get there at least 30 minuets before they open they usually give you a check at the end of each day. Put what ever you have worth anything on craigs list and sell it. If your motivated enough you could make enough in two weeks to put several hundred dollars in your pocket to cover your expenses. Good luck!

 

^^^This.

I spent more than a few days at Labor Ready when I was between jobs. The work sucks, but the $50 at the end of the day is pretty nice to have.

Also, you might have a hard time getting a job by staring at a telephone. When I needed a job, I made looking for a job my job. Like others have said, you need to make sure that this isn't a "no other option" choice. Tens of Thousands of others in your shoes have decided to take trucking up as a quick fix to their financial woes...only to wash out a few months later thousands of dollars more in debt and 1 less spouse than they had beforehand. There is a reason why there is a +100% turnover rate in this industry. We're just trying to save you some heartache.

And there are better training companies out there besides Prime...

 

there ya go.....

 

When you are ready to take the plunge, take a look at Stevens. The school and training was actually pretty good. I will admit that it does go downhill after you go solo but just stick with it 6-8 months then move on to something better.

Stevens requires very little (something like $50) up front and that is to cover the cost of your CDL if I remember right. Everything else is payroll deducted after you go solo.

If I remember right you can get a $50 cash advance once a week while in school and $50 twice a week after school.

Truck stop food is expensive so I would suggest as was already mentioned, buy groceries at WalMart. Much cheaper.

Good luck...

 

He would need a friend or family member with an address in Texas to train at Stevens, their website doesn't reflect this yet but they no longer can train out-of-state students as per a recent law there

 

The $150 is for his CDL permit fee and first DOT physical - the same fees that are due up front at any driving school. Your room and meals are covered while in Springfield, and Prime loans $200 per week to students to cover meals until they are hired after obtaining their CDL. After that, they're on the payroll.

One caveat... be painfully truthful about your past, your driving record - everything, no matter how minor or embarassing. If there are any contradictions that concern the folks doing the background check, you may end up having to find a way home on your dime.