Alright I like to learn the hard way so here goes!

I hate to sound like the company cheerleader, but Roehl's Honor Program seems perfect for your situation. You get a salary, free CDL training and a job when your done.
Check it out and see if it's for you. Some posters on here really rip on it, but all the guys I talk to that are in it, like the way it works.

 

You did not say which state you were in.
Their are some community colleges that offer weekend classes as mentioned above as well as some tk schools. The colleges have grant programs combined with your GI bill will give you living expenses for the time period.
You can get a loan and some companies have tuition reimbursement.

ONLY DO PAID TRAINING AS FINAL OPTION.
They will send you to a crappy school and you will get less money per mile the first 6 months until you pay the company back for the schoolng.

The training companies require a 8 month to 2 year working contract which after working for them after 3-4 months you would want to leave.

If you get your CDL before you start working you are more marketable and will make more money short term and long term. No contract.

Good luck you will need it starting out. Learn all you can before looking into leasing or O/O

 

As long as you don't mind being away from home and making $5 an hour as a trainee (do the math) then "Be all you can be".

OTR truck drivers put in about 70hrs a week. I went to community college while a manager at a fast food joint. Not trying to burst your bubble, but a lot of guys just don't see the big bucks unless they are really good and or drive in a team starting out.

Oh, and if you do go to a school, they are not to worried about your emotions once they have those signatures? If you have a disagreement with a dispatcher, instructor, fellow student, customer, an accident, and you leave the company prematurely, you owe them money (unless they are operating illegally and you threaten to sue them).

Most people in the industry will treat you right. But if you are one of those individuals who imagine that someone is doing them wrong (when it really is their imagination, or naivity), you are setting your self up for Post Traumatic Kick My Self in the ... Syndrome.

Make people money, they will treat you like a king.

 

Hey again Dan,
I don't know why for sure , but your thread ended up in my email. Hopefully, because the advise I gave you about "NOT" being a truck driver took hold. Son (and I can call you son because I assume your younger than 50), if you look at the price of diesel fuel and the truckers going on strike, you'll know it's not a stable job right now. If you do drive a truck, it'll be because you like driving trucks or traveling. Don't get me wrong, I'm in both of those categories. However, if you must drive, be a company driver. You want someone else to pay for the fuel!