Questions from a wannabe...

I think OTR trucking would be right for me. I love the open road and I have a few friends who would miss me when I'm gone, but no family.

Right now, I'm working as an electrician's assistant who only pays me a few dollars over minimum wage. It's barely enough to get-by on, so I don't have a lot of savings. I don't think I could afford the $4000-$6000 tuition of a private truck driving school, so I guess that leaves me with the company-sponsored CDL training programs and their 1-yr contract with low wages. I say "low wages," but to be honest, it would probably be as much as I am making now (plus I would get the free CDL training and driving experience).

Can anyone suggest a company-sponsored CDL training program that hires in Florida? I've looked into CRST a little bit, and I think they would be OK if I knew someone who wanted to team-up with me, but since I don't, I'd rather not get stuck with someone I don't know for the length of the contract (since it's a team-driver program).

Any other suggestions?

 

Well, I'm only grossing $400/wk as an electrician's helper. $10/hr. The largest expense I have right now is rent for my apartment. If room and board is provided by the training company, I planned on moving-out of my apartment. I may even sell my truck. So, without rent due or the monthly auto insurance, my bills would be nil.

Would I be able to stay on the road all the time, or is there a mandatory amount of off the road (home) time each month? Because without my apartment, I'd have to crash on a friend's couch or at a motel.

There's another website (truckingtruth.com) that has some info about company-sponsored trainers. For example:

Knight Transportation:

During CDL Schooling:
Tuition cost: $2600 to $3100
Up front expenses: None
Meals Provided?: First week
Room provided?: Yes
Ability to pay up front?: Yes (10% discount)
Contractual obligation: None
CDL School duration: Approx. 30 days
CDL Classroom Time: Minimum 40hrs
Backing/Driving Time: Minimum 14 days
Students per truck: 1

On-The-Road Training:
Duration: 3 to 4 weeks
Training pay: $400/week
Students per truck: 1
Trainer Minimum experience: 6mo.

After Training:
Starting Pay: 27-36cpm (sliding pay scale)
Health Benefits: Yes
Vacation Time: 5 days after 1yr
Regional/Dedicated Opportunities: Yes
Forced NYC: No
Forced Dispatch: No
Hometime: Very flexible
Drop and Hook: Approx. 70%
Lease Program: Yes
E-logs: Yes
Truck speeds: 62-65mph
APU units: Some trucks

So, after reading this, it seems I would be making as much during the 3-4 weeks on-the-road training time as I am now (and I wouldn't be paying rent). Then, after training time I would be making a minimum of 27cpm. As I understand it, a bad week would be ~1500mi. So, on a bad week at the minimum rate, gross would still be ~$400, right? What about fuel and tolls? I'm assuming the company would be responsible for any breakdown expenses or things like blown tires. What about the leasing policy? Would I have to lease the truck? What does that cost?

One obvious thing about the Knight Transportation program that I'm leery of is that the minimum experience required for trainers is 6mo., though, as I understand it, most company-sponsored CDL training programs are like that.

I've noticed not a lot of companies with sponsored CDL training hire from Florida. Why is this? Prime does, but apparently has occasional hiring "freezes" on Florida.

 

I think I can tolerate a lot. Half of my job now is wiring/bending conduit, while the other half is digging ditches (by hand) outside for the wiring. Outside. In the Florida sun. During Summer. For $10/hr.

I'm drug/alcohol free. During my 12yrs of driving, I've had three moving violations. All speeding tickets. The last was in 2005. I was doing 10-over the limit. I'm a very defensive driver. One has to be in most areas of Florida. There seems to be a higher average of idiots on the roads than other parts of the country.

Thanks for the advice. I'm doing this now. There's just a very steep learning curve.

As I understand it, with a program like Knight's, there is the option of no up-front costs, but the tuition will have to be paid back eventually. The questions I have are: when do payments start and how big are they?

 

I understand there are deadlines. I'm not completely delusional. I also understand that I'd be sleeping in a sleeper bunk and eating at a lot of roadside diners and truck stops. I'm okay with that.

I would probably only stay with the training company for a year-or-so and then move on to another company (hopefully a company that would pay +40cpm and give me +2000mi/wk). I had to look up the "Mr. Phelps" reference.

Thanks!