About going with company school/training

Personally, I would avoid the company schools like the plague. I'm sure many students make it thru with no troubles and everything works out great for them, but for me, the risks of losing your job and owing as much as $6000 is just too much. Keep in mind, that if they fire you on the day before your one year anniversary, you owe the entire amount. Also, I wasn't aware that Werner had their own school. I did know they have a top knotch training program, but I figured that was for students being hired right after school. I don't have a problem with Werner at all, they are actually my number two choice. I just have a problem with being locked into a costly contract.

I understand that you want to be prepared, but I think you are beginning to stress yourself out over little things. I also think people are telling you some missinformation. There are plenty of companies out there hiring students right out of CDL schools. Werner is one of them.

Just relax and be patient. Find out what the grant people will do for you, and then go from there.

 

I did my CDL-A training at the Schneider school in Carlisle PA, and I was reasonably impressed with how it was run back then..that was in January 2002.....They stressed safety over speed....my Trainer was a very friendly helpful guy, and he'd spent enough time on the road to know the realities ofr the business....The in class teacher was a funny likable guy that did a good job of matching the things you needed to know with something in real life...

...on the other hand....

My road trainer was about as bad as you could get....unfriendly....non conversational, and just generally crabby....and also about 15 years younger than me, and I was 39 at the time....I'm one of those types that has a hard time with people that much younger then me trying to teach me things....This guy refused to accept the fact that i had actually driven a large vehicle before , just not a semi...I'd try to carry on a conversation, and all he'd discuss was trucking....I had no idea if he was married, had any kids, or any hobbies.....or anything....and when we stopped for our down time....he'd close himself off to me totally...fortunately I only had to run with him for a week, then I went back to Carlisle for the last part of training, and my NYS road test , which was in Binghamton NY....

I drove my pesronal vehicle from Carlisle up to just south of Binghamton, and my second phase road trainer....another likable guy....he was Polish...
I passed my road test and got my license....then they took 3 weeks to find me a truck....go figure....

...about the best advice I can give anyone that wants to go trucking.....be ready for anything.....you'll have good weeks and bad.....you'll run across people that seem like they go to extremes to be jerks, morons, or worse...and there will be days where you'll ask yourself what were you thinking when you signed up for this gig....but if you make it through training and all the other obstacles, trucking can be a good way to make decent money, and get to see some things you might not otherwise see, though you'll see them from the seat of a truck....

I hope this helps....I still kinda consider myself a newbie, but it's mostly so i keep learning and don't get stuck thinking I know more than I do....

 

I'm rather surprised that Swift won't hire someone who went through a school other than theirs. But then again, maybe I'm not. But on the other other hand, maybe I'm a little jaded. Swift isn't known as one of the best companies to work for, but when you're starting out taking a crappy job to gain a little experience is almost a rite of passage. In my opinion, you're better off going to a school on your own if you can afford to pay for it. That way you won't be stuck with the bill if things go sour with the training company.

 

I'd say be careful what school you choose....Some would have a hard time teaching you to drive a four wheeler....

When I went through "Phase 2 Jump Start" with Schneider, there was a second trainee in each truck, and 1 instructor. The guy in my truck had passed his CDL-A road test a couple weeks before, while i was still on a permit....After 4 of the 5 days were up, they ended up sending this guy back to "Basic" because he could barely handle the truck in the lot, much less in traffic or on the highway...After he left, the final day was just myself and the trainer, and he told me he thought I was one of his better trainees he had taught...I thanked him for the compliment, though I told him I had always approached driving seriously, and that I had a CDL-B when I started school, so I might have actually had more usable experience than some others....

Just something to keep in mind when looking at schools....

 

You really need to go to a good school and not all are good nor are they "approved" by the better carriers.
Is there a community college near you that has a driver training course? The one I went to was approved by just about everyone. I had to drive almost 200 miles a day round trip but it gave me time to think about the day, listen to my pre-trip cd and unwind a bit before I got home. I have college credit in case I want to apply it to something else, like a logistics course. It took five weeks and the cost was a lot lower than the big bottom feeder truck driving school that would have cost more and been three weeks.
I agree about not going to a company driving school if you don't have to. My thought is go to the other and you're done with it. Then you can pick and choose the carrier you want. Anyway good luck and let us know what you're going to do