CDL And Hiring

Hi Dom..
I belive the cost of Swift Academy is $3900.00 I was told by recruiter that if you go to the Swift Academy, you pay the cost of the school back in a period of 26 months. But, if you go to a local school and pay cash and you hate what your doing, your are not obligated to Swift for a certain time period. I am not sure about them taking you right after you get cdl from someplace that is not accredited. I would certainly ask, it coudn't hurt. Good luck to you whichever way you go!

 

When I went to orientation I would guesstimate that 20 people there got their CDL from an outside source. I know for a fact the guy next to me did. All he had to do was complete orientation and go with a mentor for 240 hours, same as me, and I went to the Swift academy.

The Swift Academy is $3,900 paid back in weekly payments over 13 months. Stay on longer and they start paying you back in weekly payments so that at the end of 26 months you have paid $3,900 then been paid back the $3,900. The payments start when you go solo, none during mentorship.

 

well, if thats the cost of swift, it sure as heck is a bad way to go. some private schools have financing for tuition, and most starter companies will pay you back that cost over time. swift is going to take $150 per month to recoup the cost of school? i went to c1...financed wouldve been $4000..with interest lets call it $4500 over the same 26 months. any of the 3 companies i had a guaranteed job with upon completion of the course (usa truck,roehl, or pam) in addition to regular pay also paid $100 per month as long as i stayed there...lets say that wouldve only been for 24 months maximum (not sure). my cost for the school wouldve been 80.77 per month for the same 26 moth time frame. plus if you paid up front for school at c1 it was $2000 (which is what i did). swift school is a plain ripoff if the numbers given above are accurate.

the problem with your buddy teaching you is going to be finding someone that will hire you after that. if hes willing to take you as a teammate for a year, then that wont be a problem. but a few weeks as a trainee and then look elsewhere for a job may be a problem. but in any case, i say again...there are FAR better options than paying swift 4000 bucks.

wow just read the other post. over 13 months u pay 3900?!?!?! thats 300 per month. ridiculous. find another way.

 

from the info i got on millis' school, they require a ONE YEAR commitment and you pay back 25 per week. much better deal than swift if the pay rates during that time are comparable, not to mention i see mostly good reviews on millis, as opposed to swift which you could call mixed at best. seen many more negative reviews than positive on swift.

 

Is the $3900 with or without the -$1000 military service discount? (I think it is a grand) If I read the original poster's query right he has that going for him. I also know that Swift provides housing for the 21 day class and I know my DH stayed at home I never asked if that fee was also taken off the top, this might also help depending on his location. Some local classes and training programs may cost as much as Swift depending also on location, not everybody has $2-$4k lying around to pay a school so financing a future career with Swift might seem like a helping hand in hard times. Not the best choice but we can't always choose the easiest path. Yes you may want to quit after 5 months and you can, yes you will owe Swift for your schooling minus what you have paid off already. But the original poster wouldn't be stuck in a career like in the millitary... just with the debt, and a CDL that could give him a different job he can handle where a CDL is required.

Going the Swift route works, is it perfect? no, but lots do it and succeed, many more do it and fail mostly because they just can't do the job, pass the course, or drive a truck.
You can also go elsewhere and hire on with Swift later. I can't say whether other paid courses would refund your costs if you can't do the job or pass the test.
If you know this altruistic trucker who has a trailer and will teach you and let you drive his truck... Count yourself lucky I thought they were a myth...

 

Go to local school. GI Bill will pay for all of it

 

Was the outside source a non-accredited school or person?
Unless things have changed, I'd bet it wasn't.

Insurance companies want a diploma from an accredited school.

 

I don't remember the name of his school but it was from Fontana