Where to get started?

If at all possible, pay for your own trading of finance it. If you go with company paid traing, they will bend you over and molest you with extreme prejudice. The last figure I heard was that over 90 % of new drivers are gone from the industry in the first year.

 

Yes. You can't get a conventional student loan. It's not a credit course. There are federal grants you can get. Claim you're underemployed.
Have you checked with FedEx? They help you out to become a truck driver? Those FedEx OTR, dedicated, or regional, jobs are very good trucking jobs. Above many.
And lets face it. You're already in the door as a package handler. You're in a good spot. Play it smart. Research becoming a FedEx truck driver before anything else.

 

It's a lot easier to get a job driving a big truck than driving one of those little package cars. (my opinion)
Go OTR see the country treat it as a two year vacation and enjoy yourself.
Come home buy your house with cash.(or maybe you'll find somewhere else you like)

Couple years you can be like me and just drive during the holidays. I only do UPS stuff during peak as a non union with union pay. It's like the puddest job ever and I'm way overpaid for the work of holding a steering wheel.

 

Houston is a good location; plenty of opportunities for someone in your situation.
Schneider Bulk has tanker school in Houston and Schneider will pay for cdl school, then send you to their tanker school. Plan on making about $60K your first year, then it goes up from there once you gain a little experience.
Schneider does a hair follicle drug test.

 

Baseball USA and all the other complex's around Houston/Tomball/Spring are pretty good places to work if you like baseball. Good group of minor league umpires instruct around there Ron Teague and Cjack.

Might look into that $1000 over 4 days of work. It's hot and you get hit by baseballs over a hundred-thirty miles an hour off the dumb metal bats but it pays more than trucking.

 

Another good choice is FFE (Frozen Food Express) in Dallas. They have their own CDL school in Lancaster and provide meals & lodging during the school.

@TravR1 - any input?

 

Here's some more you can check that have their own cdl school, but I'd put Schneider Bulk first and FFE second.
Western Dairy Transport www.wdtmilk.com


Contract Freighters www.cfidrive.com

 

I have been unemployed for a year.
What Federal grants can I get?
I am going to Roadmaster