Flatbed advice

I went straight into flatbed from CDL school. My school cost $5k, so if you can get a CDL for $2600, that's obviously a good deal if you can do that. I sold my personal vehicle to pay for my school. Best decision Ive ever made. Pay for your own school in advance if you can. Get a CDL first, then the companies hiring you will be better. If you start in flatbed you won't be sorry. I have a tanker endorsement but have never used it. I accidentally chose the best, highest paying, most physical division in trucking. My flatbed company trained me 2 weeks for free and put me in a truck for 3 weeks with a trainer. Then in my own truck. I just needed a CDL first. No regrets on flatbed. Interesting and challenging. Better pay. Can lead to heavy hauling and big bucks.

Oh and BTW my company reimbursed $2k of my tuition (takes 1 year for full reimbursement) and also gave all new employees $1200 "hiring bonus". I did not expect those. That could help repay a $2600 debt.

 

$1200 is a steal. At mine (Des Moines Area Community College) it's $3900 for the course plus $400 fee for books, fuel and miscellaneous expenses. Total Cost: $4300. It's a 240 hour course.

Rax

 

I worked stocking shelves 3rd shift until I had the money to pay for a more expensive private school. It can be done.

 

Same here a small dead mill town. Stores always need third shift stockers due to the high turnover.

 

One of my favorite quotes!

"If a goal seems unattainable don't change the goal, change the action steps"

 

My kid sister took a job at FedEx, loading planes. A job came across the board, Class A needed, running between Amazon and the airport twice a day. I told her to put in for it. She told me that the job required a CDL. I told her to check around. She found a 7 week course for $1200. I gave her the $1200. She put in for the job. When Fedex found out that she signed up for school, they gave her the $1200 back, gave her a $3000 sign on bonus and covered everything.

I took a warehouse job to get my foot in the door. She did too. If you can't afford to pay for schooling, look into getting on with a big warehouse that has trucks.

 

Go to your local Worksource office. They can offer you training money for your CDL or whatever career you want to pursue. Do some research at the BLS (bureau of labor statistics) and present them with proof that Truck driving is a good career. They will pay for your tuition for a good school, your books, fuel, food, while you go to school. There are several programs so you have to find out which one you qualify for, but they all offer the same things.