Firm School vs. Tech School?

Check with the school(s) you are thinking about as to what recruiters come to their schools. The companies that send recruiters are the ones that will be hiring graduating students. Plus, you will have the opportunity to do some research on each company.

 

Insurance will dictate who you go to work with out of school and if you can afford to be an owner/op or lease/op.
Training companies will pay that cost FOR you and get your first year for you. Figure your first year, yoiu WILL screw up and do some damage either to the truck or something else. Trust me, it's GOING to happen, no matter how careful you think you are. As an experienced driver put it to me: "First year? How many times did you screw up the truck?" Not IF, but HOW MANY TIMES.

I'm an extremely cautious driver and I've done damage three times in one year. Two of those were nothing, a few dollars to replace a light.. One of them was several hundred to replace a shipper's door I backed into with the trailer tails open. Because I am a new driver and did a New Driver Stupid. I'll never do it again, but I sure as Hell did it once. My fault, period. Just sayin... But yes, as a new driver, the screwups you'll do is a given, generally fixable amount. Which is why a lot of companies won't hire you without 12+ month of experience.