HELP!!-I need a good school/company!

Greetings-

I am in the process of checking out schools/companies that would be a good fit for me. I am changing careers to truckdriving after 25 years in residential architecture. I've been considering this for a number of years.

After a great deal of research and due diligence, I deicded to go with Millis Transfer/MTI training. I applied online 2 weeks ago, and I just got word that my application was denied. I am a bit shocked to be honest. I have no criminal record, no felonies, no misdemeanors, nothing. I have ONE moving violation which I did deferred adjudication and will fall off my record on November 5th 2009. The recruiter at Millis simply said that they get 200-300 applications per day, and they selected someone with a better application. I guess that means they only take applicants with NO VIOLATIONS WHATSOEVER!! That is the only logical explanation, because when I say I am clean, I can't imagine having lead a much cleaner life than I have.

At any rate, I'm back to square one. I need to find a school/company that won't ruin my life like some of the horror stories I've read on here and on other sites. I've basically had little to no income for over a year working 100% commission sales jobs. Paying $5000-$8000 for an independent school is not possible for me. That is why, among other reasons, Millis was so appealing to me. They only charge you $500 upfront for school then they hire you on and your schooling is paid in full after only one year. That is the kind of situation that I need to find. Can someone direct me to another company like Millis that has a good reputation and won't take me to the cleaners for the training? Such a company may not exist, I don't know. I suppose that is why Millis can be so picky about who they take. I live in McKinney, Texas, 25 miles north of Dallas. I am willing to travel somewhere else for training. I visited Werner's terminal and the school that is onsite there but not company owned. I've heard too many horror stories about them though. And, the people that were there applying all looked like the bottom of the unemployed barrel-unwashed, unkempt, disheveled, and toothless. I am a professional and I intend to treat my trucking job that way. It will be a profession, a career, not a job. I should mention I also looked at Schneider but they are not hiring new drivers at the moment, only experienced. I'm sorry for the long post, but I'm just really devastated that I did my homework, selected a good outfit, and got denied. I need to do something quickly, I need to start helping my wife support my family. I can suck up no income while I'm in school, and I know there is a learning/income curve. I'm willing to do the work, I just need to get going on it.

Thanks-
Boogdaddy

 

Well, I can appreciate your perspective that I won't last, but I'm going to correct you anyway. I'd actually had enough of my previous profession 2 layoffs ago. Architecture, particularly residential, is very cyclical. I've been out of work due to a downturn in the market or economy 4 major times in 25 years. I got into it because I love to draw, and that is gone out of the profession now too with the advent of Autocad/computers. So, even if the economy comes back and building is in a boom, I'm not going to be back in architecture if I can help it. I have given a lot of thought to trucking, actually for years. I've done my homework, I have friends and relatives that are truckers, so I probably am as well prepared for the "reality" of truckdriving as anyone. My brother is a truckdriver, one of my best friends is a truckdriver, etc. I've been in trucks, I've gone on trips with both of them, I know what I'm getting into. I have no illusions about it being a cakewalk. I'm used to working 60-90 hours a week when I have the work so that doesn't scare me either. The bottom line is that I love to drive and I'm good at it. I will be successful because that is how I'm programmed-work hard, study your craft, and have integrity. I just don't want to get involved with a company that will screw me over if I can help it. That is why I did my homework and decided on Millis in the first place.
I spoke to my brother and he recommended I come here for advice. He is a short haul driver now and hasn't been in the OTR game in years, so he didn't know who to turn me to. Incidentally, when he was working OTR, he worked for the Big Blue Screw for 4 years in the early to mid 90's. I know all the horror stories in recent history about them, but he actually had a good experience with them. He made a lot of money, got alot of miles, and was in a new truck every year. I personally saw and rode in one of those new trucks. He had nothing but good things to say about the Blue company. I guess times change though, because one is hard-pressed to find someone to say anything positive about them now.
Thanks for the input, hopefully someone will have an idea or recommendation where I should look.

 

I appreciate the input. I think I've decided to go visit Stevens today. They have a job fair event this afternoon, so I will go and see what kind of vibe I get from them. I did some research on Stevens last night, and like all the rest, there are good and bad reports. However, their school seems to get high marks for being thorough, and their equipment appears to be nice based on what I could glean from reading other posts and their website. I will go get a firsthand look today and I will report what I find. The upside is that they are local, so I could stay at home while I am in school, which would save me a ton of money. I will post later tonight on what I find out. Thanks again.