Gotta couple questions.

Find the company you want to work for before deciding how to get your CDL, Some companies offer their own training. Some companies only hire newbies from certain schools or certain type of schools. About half of trucking companies offer Tuition Reimbursement. With TR you get paid for the miels or hours you work and you get additional money you can apply to any CDL school loan you may have used. EVERY CDL school will find someone to loan your money for school.

There are programs that use Federal money, and administered by state unemployment offices, that pay for CDL school and other expenses through a grant. These programs are Called WOIA or WIA. If you are losing your job, unemployed, or under-employed you can be elegible for these grants.

I recommend you find the place you want to work, based on all of your needs, before you decide about CDL school for the same reason I suggest you pick a vacation destination BEFORE you load up the car and start driving. You don't want to waste time or money going the wrong way when you decide you want to go to the beach. For some really good companies the easiest way to get hired from outside is to appply for a "dock to driver" program, let them pay your wages and for your school and you work on the loading dock a few months. In the worst case the company you want to work for doesn't hire newbies from your area or from your school. You don't want to waste the time or money and go to 2 schools for 1 job. You wouldn't buy Timberland boots, for example with no attention to what size they are. The fit between you and the company schedule, pay/benefits, etc is far more important than anything else.

Under no circumstance work for CRST or CR England even if someone tells you they will send cheerleaders with suitcases of cash to your house and they will do things to you. If you do no research you will spend a lot of time and money and be out of the industry in less than a year unable to work at better companies for a long time. Research. Focus on trucking companies in your area, this makes it easy to get home.

Age is not an issue. Passing a medical exam is the only issue. If you have high blood pressure, insulin dependent diabetes, serious medical issues you may be limited. If you don't have them you can work at dozens of companies. You may only be happy at a few of them.

 

A coal miner makes me concerned for Silica or rather black lung. If you have anything like that at all... I had to wonder.

In trucking you will be up to 14000 feet above the sea crossing mountains in particular passes and your body will undergo a form of stress as you do it.

 

Are either of these still offering classes? Before I could take the permit test Missouri shut down the testing sites so I am waiting for any testing site to open. Then many schools have been forced shut except for those that hire you with pay. Some of those stayed open but I cannot get a straight answer which are open. I want to start second week of May. Almost done setting up the farm to run on autopilot.

 

Even mega's schools are temp closing. So have to call and check.

 

I hate to be the bad guy but everyone that seems to be getting laid off from other industries thinking trucking is going to be the cure is gonna be disappointed...

Lots of experienced drivers are going to be sitting looking for work not before long...

 

Call Wilson and ask what's going on.

 

Trucking is not monolithic. Flatbedding is way different than tanking, reefer different from LTL, car hauling different than bulk hauling. Schedules tend to be different, types of customers very different etc. etc. One is not better than another, there is money to be made in all of them. Once all this silliness over the Wuhan Flu is over the economy is going to take off and there will be a ton of opportunities out there .Bank that government check were getting and pay for School yourself if you can. Get on with an entry level carrier and prepare to be in for 6-12 months of dues paying on the road. Don't wreck or violate any laws or tear up equipment and you will be GOLDEN. Ask questions and listen to those that have real experience. These forums have a lot of good info. Look before you leap in terms of what company you sign on to. Recruiters LIE! I don't care what they say, if it isn't in writing don't believe it. DO NOT sign up for a lease purchase deal and DO NOT sign up for a 1099 job. You're location is good in terms of job prospects. Good luck and post questions, we will help you

 

Don't look at trucking as a last resort, because it isn't.
Many, many drivers that worked hard and didn't sit around crying and wailing constantly are now living the good life and will have a very good comfortable retirement.
Plenty of companies pay the drivers $80K to over $100K per year and you can be one of them after 12 mos. experience.
The most frustrating people you'll meet in trucking are other drivers that wouldn't do any other type of job, but tell others not to become truckers because it's a horrible, low paying job full of societies rejects. If that were true, why are they making a career out of it?

 

The biggest thing I tell people is it's a lifestyle. It's like being a firefighter, cop, military, etc. if you don't enjoy the lifestyle of trucking it'll kil you . It's definett not just a job.