Company Paid CDL Training

Southern Refrigerated Transport
Midwest-coast Transport
Schneider - pays for private CDL school
JBS Carriers - pays for Roadmaster
Mesilla Valley Transportation
Conway Freight - Romulus, MI
Dutch Maid - Willard, OH
Willow Run Foods - Kirkwood, NY
Witte Bros. -Troy, MO
Trailiner Corp. - Springfield, MO
Raider Express - Ft. Worth, TX

 

Let's not forget the U.S. ARMY , or other branch , and yes you sign at least part of your life away but for some it may be a way to get training and some years of driving experience , most company's I hear they accept, if a person has converted their civilian license to cdl, they do a pretty good job teaching the motor transport course , when you are done you will be proficient , up to class A, but they only operate automatic transmission , but otherwise every bit as good as any " school " anywhere.

 

I am curious about something. Everytime I see threads about the various company programs listed I almost never see Celadon listed. IS that because they are relatively new?? I know the school itself has only been around for 2 years and the current building was finished this year.

Anyway I went with this one because they never take money out of your paycheck for the school and while you are here the only thing you have to pay for is laundry. I didn't see a better deal than that when I looked up the other schools.

The downside is that it will take longer than the other schools (6-8 weeks on average).

 

Central Refrigerated is part of Swift. Swift Academy, at least the one I attended in Richmond, VA, did a very good job. You *will* know your stuff before you go take your test. Richmond had a >90% first-time-pass rate, last I checked. CDL testing is NOT done on site.

I saw the school that Schneider uses in PA when I went to take my test. I'll just say I was not impressed, and more than one student said that they wished that they had gone to the Academy.

 

Maybe not impressed, but they still have a job at graduation. If they go with Schneider Bulk, they make more than any Swift driver. Not knocking Swift at all; that's just the way it is.

 

Let's not forget the Navy Seabee's! Some serious trucking in there also. My son got 6 yrs. experience in trucking in the Seabee's plus a civilian CDL.

 

There are some really good companies that offer training and you have to evaluate each on what they offer versus what you feel like you want.

Sometimes what you want is obviously out of reach. Say that you've narrowed it down to two companies, one pays .26 cpm and the other .28 cents per mile. Which company is going to get you miles? It's not as much about pay per mile but how many miles you get.

Don't read much into what you'll make 5 years down the road because you may not be there in 5 years and you may find yourself in a O/O capacity and under a different pay scale.

Worry about today and perhaps a year out because this is what you'll earn now and if your needing to stay a year, what you'll make then.

Most companies all offer benefits, so this is not something that's different from one company to another.

Definitely think things through because everyday you drive for someone you hate, the worse you'll feel.

 

I have often been amazed at how much trainees seem to run their mouths. They sit there and talk bad about the company they chose to run with, how bad pay is, how crappy equipment is, and any number of other things.

They have no other company to compare their company to that they have any first hand experience with, so how can you trust their statements, also keep in mind that they chose their company on their own, so if it's been a bad choice, then it's on them.

I'm not saying their not right in their bad feelings, just saying, do your own research and go with who gives you something worth doing this.

 

They are experts before they get their CDL.