Hi everyone! Please help me out!!

Many schools offer financing, so check it out. It is an investment in your future and well worth it.

The length of training is set by the school you attend. The more training the better but 3 to 4 weeks are the norm...

Just remember.. these schools are only designed to get your cdl, not to make you a truck driver.
That training will come from the company you choose to work for. Find a company that does not allow the student and trainer to work as a team. This is the worst of all situations to avoid. The trainer should ride in the passenger seat at all times while you are driving in order to correct everything you do.

Trust me... everything you will do at first will be wrong..just like we all did.

This is not like driving your car or pulling a horse trailer around.

Pay attention to your trainer... he will save your life someday as mine has many times over...

Good luck young man and keep us informed..

 

why has nobody said anything about swift, but really dude the shape you are in economically just pick one and hang on for the ride don't
wreck or die and last a year then move on to a better home.

 

I have met a lot of drivers that started with Swift...got on a dedicated account ASAP and then moved on...no bad things to say. They seemed to of went in with a purpose and a plan...not looking to retire there.

 

Swift, Prime, Roehl, all have CDL school and flatbed divisions.

 

Flatbed is one of the hardest jobs out there. Roehl probably has the best training program, from what I hear. I hear good things about Melton, and TMC, but don't know about training with them.

Good Luck!

 

Move to a state with no personal income taxes and better weather such as Texas, Nevada, Florida. Many of those companies you listed don't have a CDL training program. If you're willing to relocate, make sure you list that or tell the company that. Right now you aren't in the hiring area for many companies. Avoid CR England. Any other company will be a good start though to get started. If you choose Florida, MCT (Midwest-Coast Transport) is based in Auburndale, FL and has CDL school with free tuition. By free, I mean you don't need cash up front, you sign a 12 month commitment to drive for them after their 3 week school.

Here's some companies that have their own CDL school and a job afterwards:
CLICK HERE for a list of trucking companies that hire new drivers.

 

Some good school to check; a couple of them already posted above:

Southern Refrigerated Transport - Texarkana, furnish hotel room and 3 meals a day during school. New school, may not be on the website; call them.

Mesilla Valley Transportation - El Paso, TX

Millis Transfer - Burleson, TX

 

You know what's funny about this forum? The advice is so conflicting. You are told not to go with company training. "You will be an indentured servant. Your pay will suck. You will never get home. You can go wherever you want...."
Now, there are many forums of guys complaining about all of those things I just mentioned. The normal replies are "It's your fist year dude. You have to pay your dues. It's always this way."
Theres also posts where guys have hopped from one company to the other. 3 or 4 places in their first year. The replies are usually like this, "job hopping in your first year shows you lack commitment. No one will hire you now. That's worse than getting a bunch of CSA points..."

Your first year will be the hardest. The pay will suck for the amount of hours you work. Living on the road is expensive. Whether or not to get company training is a decision only you can make. I went company paid because it made sense. 1 year contract with no payroll deduction. Also the price was cheaper than any of the schools in my area. I figured if I didn't like the company it would still be cheaper to buy my contract instead of paying for a private school and it was much faster.