Folks, I am at a loss....

X2 on Millis!

 

I personally would recommend going through a companies schooling. Try to stay away from the really large companies though. Most training that is accredited is pretty comparable. You have to realize that you are not a professional driver once you obtain your license from one of these schools. They are just there to get you your license and prepare you to go with a trainer of your chosen company. You will most likely learn more on day one with your trainer than the entire three weeks of schooling you went through.

The nice thing about company schooling is that you don't have to fork out any money up front. Also the biggest perk is that provided you pass the test and get issued your license, you are guaranteed a job! That's a no brainer!

Personally I would recommend Central Refrigerated only because I have driven for them and had a really good experience with them. There are many companies out there though just like Central that can get you started or get your foot in the door without putting a lot of money up front. Like I said, I would try to avoid the mega-carriers like Swift, Werner, England etc... and aim for a slightly smaller company that will give you a little more personal attention. Your chances of success will be much greater!

You can also go the route of just paying for a school in your area to go to and then find a good mom and pop company in your area willing to take you on. You are in a really good area for that! These smaller companies are going to pay you more, have better equipment and treat you right for the most part. Keep in mind that you don't have to just haul standard freight either. Think outside the box! A big thing in your area is coal. You may just find an owner operator that has a few trucks and may want to take you on and train you to drive one.

Whatever your decision, make sure to do your home work thoroughly and talk to lots of people before making a final decision.

Good luck....

 

while i dont agree with chompi's take on the "company school first" i wholeheartedly agree with everything else. he missed one company to avoid, crst. i wouldnt tell anyone to stay away from werner, but wouldnt recommend them either, i dont know much about them. crst and cr england should be no brainers to avoid...read 100 reviews on them, and i would bet you didnt find 4 positive ones. (my count is 50 bad reviews to each positive one). swift is a bit more controversial. but they did effectively steal tuition from 9k drivers when they provided such inadequate services that the drivers' licenses were suspended, and the swift tennessee school raided by the fbi. they did nothing to refund any of the tuition money til they were sued, so thats how i come up with "theft". they also have new policies in effect that require drivers to log 30 minutes minimum for pretrips, and on duty time at at shippers and receivers, which i also consider theft of service, as they do not compensate drivers for this added time loss.

whatever company you go with, you will find SOMEONE that says dont work there. the key is to find the ones that have fewer bad reviews than good reviews. read 100 of them for any company you consider.

 

IMHO , hands down its your local Vo-Tech College -
Advantages -
You may qualify for a grant.
HOME every night , as opposed to sleeping with 3 slobs at a roach motel
Student / instructor /truck ratio is better ( based on experience and reading )
School is from 6 to 8 weeks long , which translates to more time behind the wheel ,
which translates to your mentor having more time to train you to do your job instead of spending all his time teaching you how to drive .
You have your permit / physical in hand before starting so you aren't wasting money
paying someone to say " read this CDL book , see you next week " .
Job placement programs
You AREN'T obligated to any co. for AN KNEE THING.
Lots of girls on a vo tech campus : )

 

Car hauling ain't what it used to be. Household moving is good, except for the winter dry spells. Food service is fantastic pay, but hard on the back in the long run. I didn't like oversized flats, because sometimes being stuck with a pilot car; I prefer going it alone. I guess all of it has it good & bad points. The 4 areas I noted are what majority of drivers do.

 

Don't forget that you can study and obtain that CDL on your own. I helped a co-driver to do it and provided the truck for him to test out on.

 

Sure...Study, take written test to obtain permit, borrow or rent a truck, then test out.

 

LTL (with the right company) pays better than all those.