Gi bill for private school? Or just company paid training school

Going the private route, you're not bound to a company. In reality, you're not in a company school - your only 'bind' is that you have a contractual obligation to complete in order for them to pay for your training. Otherwise, they send you a bill and refer you to collections if you don't pay it.

 

Local jobs without experience aren't the most abundant, but they're not impossible. A lot of people will tell you, "you need OTR before you go local", and that's not necessarily accurate.. it often helps, but it really comes down to the experience requirements of prospective employers, and what they're willing to do. There are people on this forum who've landed local jobs straight away, and there are those who tried without success to do the same. It's all dependent on a number of things... requirements of prospective employers and the local job market, primarily.

 

Graduated with people using their GI Bill benefits. They had to go for a specified time and only certain programs are covered.

The people were enrolled in class A, class B school bus, cement mixer, dump truck, and forklift to qualify.

All schools are different, good luck!

 

The great thing about using your GI Bill is taking advantage of what amounts to BAH to make up for not making a ton of money to start off. I agree that there are opportunities out there for local jobs right away. I am in a similar boat because I am still active duty but got my CDL as an insurance policy against being forced out with budget cuts and so on. Come to find with all the agriculture around me there are plenty of seasonal driving jobs right down the road and even a flatbed company 10 min away that actually requires new drivers to start off local and are open to part-timers. As a matter of fact I am already set up with the Farm Services company assuming I can get approval to work a part time job from my unit.

Ask the school you go to what is available in your area, if they are any good you should get multiple leads like I did and be set up on something. Also, when you are driving around just look at company names on the sides of trucks and see if they have a website if they are based nearby. You would be surprised how many there are.

 

Local jobs are plentiful but usually don't pay much. You have to knock on doors and request an application and an interview. Many companies have "experience required" but that just weeds out those applicants that aren't motivated enough to try anyway.

 

Food service jobs pay ok, if you want lots of home time. There's also regional jobs where you're home weekends or other days throughout the week. Attend a 160 hr. cdl school and submit lots of applications during the first week of school.
Saladino's Foodservice - Reno, NV
$19.50 - $25.50 an hour

Sherwin-Williams - route deliveries out of Reno
ITS Logistics
Central Freight Lines - LTL/linehaul type trucking
Old Dominion
Leavitt's Freight Service
KKW Trucking - delivers furniture throughout the western states & Texas
Southern Refrigerated Transport has their own cdl school and hauls lots of produce, frozen foods, etc from the west coast to Florida and other points on the east coast. Have a choice of running solo or teams.
Roehl Transport has their own school and has various options for home time and regional routes.
Pride Transport
TWT Refrigerated Service
Dozens of companies to choose from. Much more than most people realize and more than the cdl schools are aware of.