Different way to get company training?

Brownsfan, not sure that this is the type of answer that you are looking for.
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1. www.CreteCarrierJobs.com/student-driver and click on "browse schools" for a listing of schools that are approved by Crete/Shaffer/Hunt.
2.www.SchneiderJobs.com/company-drivers/driving-school-programs and choose a state for a listing of schools that are approved by Schneider.

 

There are other options, but they are hard to find. Teaming with an owner op, can sometimes get you into a good seat and trained better. But, honestly, The training companies are not as bad as most say on here. Remember, people generally only go on the internet to cry, not to complement. (look at the bad company forums, most are started by people who signed up that day). The deal is, your trainer, makes the difference, and that is at any company you go to. Trainers can be good or bad anywhere. Pic a company that feels right for you. Go there, and do your absolute best all the time.

Many people talk bad about swift, werner, prime. But, you will meet a ton of drivers who work for them, and have been for a long time and love it. Its, all in what you want, and your Additude

 

Been mentioned already but many LTL freight companies will train. In fact this is a very smart way to go about it I wished I'd considered a bit more (or was aware of at all...) before I plunked down $4,000 for driving school. Not saying it wasn't worth it in my case but it still makes me cringe a little bit when I realize I could have started out working the dock at ABF/FedEx/etc. and gone through their own Class-A training program as a paid employee.

Thats a bit more of a longer term proposition though. Many guys just want to go out and hit the road right away in a sleeper cab and see the country, which is kinda how I felt. LTL won't provide you much adventure of that sort. ABF for example would send you to Fort Smith for a month to train, then you'd come back to your home terminal and likely start out working the streets on P&D duty with a 2-axle day cab/pup box, so all you're ever going to see is your own city for a long time. But that is another way to go about becoming a driver.

 

Maybe a farmer hauling grain?