For newbies: My unbiased opinion!

I posted what you'll read below as a response in another thread, but after reading concerns in still other threads, I think I'll start my own. Not all will agree with my opinion, and that's okay! It's just my opinion, based on what little I think I've learned since I started looking into the trucking industry for a new carreer. Hopefully, it will help somebody sort out the confusion to be had from researching the internet and reading hundreds of posts on multiple forums. The costs and time elements and other factors aren't exact, as there is considerable variation in the industry and across the country. I would appreciate it if any comment was restricted to generalities... Please, no company or school bashing or endorsements (there are already plenty of threads for both!)
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I'm a newbie too, but I'm retired with some income and have the luxury of taking my time to do some research. I've learned a few things!

1. Nearly all companies that are hiring new CDL's will pay for most if not all of your training one way or the other, which runs $1,500 to $6,500 depending on where you get your training and which company you hire on with. If you pay for your training up front, you can sign a length of service contract to stay with the company that hires you and they agree to reimburse you a little each pay period until most if not all of your training is reimbursed during the term of the contract. If the company paid for your training up front, you reimburse the company through payroll deductions or payments until you have satisfied the terms of the contract.

2. Either way, payback requires a contract of from 8 months to 3 years with the company (depends on the company).

3. If the company paid for your training and you leave the company before the loan is repaid (you can leave, but then you have broken the contract), you will likely be liable for a balance due plus interest. For instance, one school advertises that the three major companies they train for might pay for about $4,900 of your $6,000 training and advance you the rest, leaving you with only about $1,100 to pay back through payroll deductions. It's important to understand that you are signing a contract for the full $6,000 debt, and that $4,900 of that debt will be "forgiven" only if you fulfill the terms of your company contract, which includes repaying the $1,100 through small payroll deductions throughout the term of the contract. They may have forgotten to tell you that you will also need about $450 for lodging during your training, and that this is advanced in your name, increasing your indebtedness to the company to $1,550 (if you stay full term). If you don't stay with the company for the duration of the contract which goes into affect AFTER your company orientation training is complete, you will very likely be liable for the remaining balance of the original $6,450 total training bill plus accrued interest at a higher APR. You do not owe anything that you have already paid, and some companies might pro-rate that remaining debt based on your length of service, but if it's not in writing, it's not guaranteed!

4. The important thing is to get on the road making money ASAP, even if you have to eventually repay a fairly large loan (you'll make it back on the road. You're making nothing by delaying and worrying about your choices). All companies have good and bad employees, policies, operating areas, etc., and some are better than others, but it all depends on YOUR individual needs, not the needs of the author of some post in an internet forum, myself included! Take what you read on the forums with a grain of salt. Read between the lines, and try to understand where the author is coming from. Disgruntled ex-employees and others with bad experiences are much more likely to look for a place to vent. Those who are happy and have good things to say about that same company aren't likely to seek out a place to brag on-line about their company, anymore than you were when you were happy with your job. Many who are happy do not want to open themselves to ridicule. Believe only what you can prove through your own research or experience. "Google" the companies, trucking terms, trucking jobs, trucker's pay, equipment, etc. (anything you can think of), and make a comparison list of good and bad points about each that are important to YOU. It's too confusing if you're not organized, and impossible to get an accurate picture if you believe everything you read!

The lesson here is to get your CDL without company subsidy if you can afford it, and sign a contract requiring the company to reimburse you for the outside training if possible (usually in exchange for your agreement to stay with the company for a given length of time)! That leaves you owing nothing if you do have to leave, but you will now receive no further reimbursement from anyone, either. Try to stick it out for at least a year! If you can't, there ARE OTR companies that will hire you with 6 months or less experience, but your options are greatly reduced with less than a year on the road (and they won't reimburse you for the earlier CDL training, because you're an "experienced" driver now!) There are 1.4 million trucking companies (including O/O's) in the U.S., so somebody somewhere IS always hiring, regardless of experience. Finding a company that suits your needs is the biggest problem! And by the way, the overwhelming majority of trucking companies (especially the smaller ones with sometimes better routes, pay, and home time) do NOT have a website, and many do or don't pay for your training! Use all available local resources, such as BBB, yellow pages, job listings, newspapers, etc. to find these companies.

Another lesson is that not all schools are subsidized the same, are not all are the same length or quality, nor do they cost the same regardless of whether you pay or the company pays up front. CDL mills don't care who pays, as long as somebody does! Community colleges often offer 4-6-8 week CDL courses for as little as 1/3 what some "professional" driving schools charge, and it's often worth floating a personal loan to acquire this freedom from trucking company loans and length of service contracts! State agencies sometimes pay for your CDL training through "workforce" grants and scholarships, but those are all usually gone early in the year by tax time (fill out your FAFSA request as soon as possible after January 1st.) If you have a recent honorable discharge from the military, or are still on active duty, take advantage of your Montgomery Bill rights to pay for the training (old timers like me can't use the old G.I. Bill, as most of our retraining rights have expired after 10 years).

Again, I'm just a newb like most everyone else here. I may be incorrect in any observation above. I haven't driven an 18 wheeler in 35 years, and everything has changed, but I still remember the value of research!

 

Thanks Lurch. I further edited my post above to hopefully make the point more clear.

I do agree that a reputable company probably would pro-rate the balance owed, especially if you're near full term and were a good employee, but that's not a guarantee that anyone should expect unless it is specifically spelled out in the contract.

It's a good idea to get a copy of the contract that you can study before you leave for school, if they will agree to provide one!