trucking school worth it?

$9,000 is a rip out of pocket, but if you sign on with a company that will reimburse you, then how exactly is that a rip-off? Then it's not your money that's being ripped off, it's theirs. So what if you have to pay a small portion of the school tuition? At least that company loaned the money in the first place.

$9,000 sounds like a top dollar trucking school. I doubt anyone would pay that much anyway.

Also, what Bachelor's degree are you referring to? A bachelor's for washing toilets?

 

yea I kind of figured that after failing in E-Z Wheelz Smith and Solomon admissions coordinator told me they class takes 4-6 & they the only school I know that doesn't charge anything extra after 140 of practice driving is up they don't charge anything extra to give students more hours to practice and they the only school that will keep bringing there students to the roadtest until they pass. and and as for accredited CDL schools. they don't hire students only from there but you can very well tell they want to know if you been in a accredited school my Schneider recruiter ask me since I been in Smith and Solomon she would like me to fax her my certificate. I just pass my bus roadtest for yesterday so now I got my passengers endorsement I want to go to the dmv but its snowing outside so I know most cases there closed.

I strongly agree I believe $9K is tooo steep

 

C-1 North Little Rock, AR would also allow students to continue and re-take road tests had they failed their initial one. It seemed not everyone that was enrolled there got that many chances, but they did let people work on campus to help with reimbursing their fees. I never heard of this 'Smith and Solomon' trucking school, but i can tell you that they aren't the only one out there that's reasonable.

I'm glad you mentioned the certificate though. I never received mine. I guess I need to get in touch with C-1 for that, unless they transferred it to PAM. Which they may have since PAM owned my dept pretty much. Hmm, maybe C-1 still has it on file. Why wouldn't they?

 

Well the driving school can give you a lot of knowledge before getting into the trucking industry. Just time and experience and asking questions from Senior truckers will help you out more in your career.

Good Luck.

 

9K sounds really expensive. I paid 3k, and I think the school I went to was one of the more expensive ones around, it took about 2 months, and most everybody there had the tuition paid for by a government agency (welfare, prison release program..).. We all earned in CDL's and I think almost all of us got jobs after graduating. Only people who had to pay their own way were responsible people that did not go on welfare at age 18 with 3 kids, or commit a crime and go to prison. Me and the other guy that payed our own way use to joke about being the only ones paying our own way.

 

IRONICALLY, many trucking companies will NOT hire an applicant with a criminal or prison record.

If a welfare recipient is going to truck driving school to learn how to professionally drive a truck, this means that they are trying their absolute darnest to become responsible productive citizens who want to contribute to society, while EARNING A LIVING THROUGH THEIR OWN HARD WORK.

These individuals will be become the FUTURE TAXPAYERS of America, (federal, state, county, and local taxes), along with paying into Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, along with unemployment compensation and workman's compensation taxes being paid into the system by their FUTURE employers.

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

 

sorry for the delay prostar I didn't get a email saying anybody responded to this thread. yea Smith & Solomon is located throughout the tri state area except in NY. my school is in Linden NJ. the certificate basically just certifies you did what ever amount of standard hours you complete for the course. like when I get mines on probably Tuesday if I go up there theyll say I completed I think its 180 hours for both Class A & passenger endorsement. the school have they own official website at smithsolomon.com if you know anybody in the tri state that's interested in getting they CDL can you refer them to this school and the website. I wouldn't want anybody to go through the madness of what I went through pay $1400 or more for these little bit of hours and a certain amount of roadtest. at least with Smith and Solomon no student can't go wrong unless 2 options. 1. They don't listen. 2. they don't take the instructors seriously.

 

I paid $8500, 7 years ago. Never regretted it. The CDL paid for itself within 4 months with a local job.
Boo hoo. Spend the money, cheap investment to make $30,000-$120,000 a year as a company driver.sign on with a company paid benefits. throw $10 to a $5,000 treatment. yeah no regrets about the $8500 put down.

 

That's true, some companies won't hire those with a criminal or prison record.
However, there are also Big truck truckin' companies that will hire those who have been convicted and served time for the crime. A lot depends on the nature of the crime though. Convictions for theft are usually cause for rejection, as well as drug and/or alcohol related offenses. Those convicted for assault with a deadly weapon, ( unless the "weapon" was a motor vehicle), or attempted murder, for instance, could still be considered for employment by some of the Big truck truckin' companies.

I think it's safe to assume that all the companies have rules and guidelines to follow concerning hiring practices. Said rules and guidelines can be used to reject an applicant. It's the ol', "I'm sorry, but company rules don't allow hiring anyone with a criminal record", (or for whatever reason), explanation, --- if the company doesn't want to hire a particular applicant. But if an applicant with a criminal record impresses a company positively enough, potential employers can, and have been known to, make exception(s) to their company rules and/or policies.


If a Big truck truckin' company's insurance carrier refuses to allow the hiring of convicted felons, said companies pretty much have their hands tied. Insurance companies don't conduct interviews so they don't hear explanations or comprehend that some folks who have a criminal record are so afraid of prison life that they'd never consider doin' anything that would send them back to that living nightmare. Someone with a clean record with no prison experience could be more likely to commit an offense punishable by a prison term due to not having experienced the impact on self as well as family and friends resulting from their punishment of a prison sentence.
I often wonder about those driving vehicles that display decals or stickers that read, "NO FEAR".
In my opinion, anyone who has no fear, is someone to fear.
Fear isn't necessarily a bad thang to have.

What's your opinion of a taxpayer supported program set up to assist those in need that, in the course of doing so, absorbs eighty-seven cents of every taxpayer dollar collected just to cover administrative costs, leaving a whole thirteen cents for the recipient(s) in need?
I'm thinkin' that if the government offered instruction on how to achieve that parasitic ability, they'd have standin' room only and a waitin' list a mile long, probably consisting of many over-qualified applicants willin' to work hard to graduate and be turned loose to apply what they've been taught.
When those who live on the street are offered a guaranteed free government loan of taxpayer dollars to cover tuition with additional monies to cover the costs of shelter/lodging and three square meals a day while attending a tax supported training course intended to improve their life, and thereby providing at least some relief for the taxpayers, --- often the improvement they see is a two or three month paid vacation from their street life, sleeping under bridges or in abandoned buildings, begging for or stealing money and/or the property of others (victims) to survive. Being as thrifty as they've learned to be out of necessity, too often they manage to save some cash by eliminating meals, and use that cash to make a connection with a dealer of illegal drugs, and/or a bottle of fine Ripple wine to celebrate their good fortune. With no intent or desire to become Big truck truck drivers, there's little worry of flunking a pre-employment drug test, and no worry of having a road test to pass.
Work hard to graduate?
Why?
Study?
Why?
It's party time.
That's 'bout as good as it gets.
They're not about to waste any vacation time tryin' to graduate.
Besides, employment is hard to fit into their lifestyle.

What percentage of those attending the government programs fall into the category you've described, compared to those individuals in it just for the free ride with perks vacation? For many of those who've received government assistance resulting in actual employment and paying of taxes; would not be able to repay the amount of taxpayer dollars already invested in them over prior years. But I reckon it is an improvement when their taxes help fund vacation programs for those who are habitually unemployed, --- many by choice.

Social programs sound good on the surface, and may well have been created with good intentions, but the end result doesn't always turn out as anticipated as folks learn to identify loopholes, and how to exploit them. Don't take for granted that just because they're seen attending a Big truck truck drivin' school, that their objective for doin' so mirrors the mindset and/or attitude that you've expressed and described.
Although, I do sincerely wish it were the case rather than the exception.
But, it is what it is.

Wishin' you the best of success.
Be careful out thar, mje.