CDL school or sign contract?

Discussion in 'Trucking Schools and CDL Training Forum' started by GreenHusker, Oct 18, 2019.

  1. MBAngel

    MBAngel Medium Load Member

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    Definitely pay for your own school. Theres a govt program you might qualify for that pays for cdl, through the unemployment office usually. The schools would be able to point you to it. Many companies offer a student loan bonus... mine is 100 bucks a month. Look at more than one school if possible.
     
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  3. plankton

    plankton Medium Load Member

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    There was a guy in my cdl class that was a landscaper and had experience driving some sort of small truck towing a trailer with their equipment. He was by far the king of backing in the class. You will definitely have a leg up on most of your classmates right out of the gate in this regard --- and backing is one of the biggest challenges for new drivers.
     
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  4. bryan21384

    bryan21384 Road Train Member

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    OP which do you feel more comfortable doing? Go with what's best for you. Sometimes company paid is good, other times going to a school that you pay for is good. Either way, you got get your foot in the door. You've got options, all you gotta do is evaluate and make an informed decision
     
  5. GreenHusker

    GreenHusker Bobtail Member

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    Gretna
     
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  6. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    You could grab a tiny trailer say a 14 foot vs a rental vehicle for a day and solve the backing problem yourself. But its not the best solution.

    What you do do is going into walmart and buy a childs toy tractor trailer. Go home to your kitchen table. Work out the relationship of your tractor trailer's steer tires with your hand against the obj of docking the trailer between two lines on paper. You will learn many lessons before you touch a semi.

    Wheel this way, trailer does this. Wheel that way, trailer undoes that and if you wait long enough will begin to do the opposite.

    Reduced to nothing it's literally wheel on and wheel off and follow trailer in. Done.
     
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  7. Doublea120

    Doublea120 Bobtail Member

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    Honestly why spend money you dont need to?contracts should only be 1 year and you will be learning that entire year I'd say find a training company your comfortable with call them up ask your questions and save your 5k make them pay not you
     
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  8. shogun

    shogun Road Train Member

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    OP, next time specify to keep responses to 1000 words or less.
     
  9. homeskillet

    homeskillet Road Train Member

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    Pay your way, get your CDL free and clear.

    If it were me, I'd research the community college program, and if it has a good rep, go for it.

    I went to CDL school years ago. One of my classmates was a tiny slip of a girl who never even drove a stick in a car.

    She was horrible at first, but mastered it through sheer force of her will........

    You still out here on the road, "Crazy Julie"?.........
     
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  10. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    Gretna; between Omaha and Lincoln. That's a good location for a dozen or so jobs.
    I gave you a couple of names for OTR. Magnum is especially good.
    Here's some more that will hire you from that community college program:
    Martin Bros. Distribution
    Butler Transport
    Keim TS
    Dot Transportation - www.drivefordot.com
    Meyer Logistics
    Kold Trans - www.koldtrans.com
    Archer Daniels Midland Company
     
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  11. Ian2175

    Ian2175 Bobtail Member

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    Go to the community college. I wouldn’t recommend signing any kind of contract with an employer
     
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