I'm thinking about getting my Class A CDL License. Is this school worth the training?

Here's another one you can check; hires new cdl grads and runs west coast turns. Leonard's Express also runs west coast. I've seen Leonard's and Calex running through Las Vegas. I think they make deliveries there, on their way to California.
Calex ISCS - transportation and warehousing in NEPA
https://www.calexiscs.com

 

Here's another one that does west coast runs and hires new cdl school grads. I've also seen their trucks in Las Vegas.
Give all these companies a call and ask if they hire from that school.
Trucking Companies - Home - Schuster Trucking Company
schusterco.com

 

Get your license .. and then get out. Company will train you

 

Hello everyone,
I'm on the verge of getting my Class A CDL License. I am getting a grant from my state.
My partner is not very pleased. She didn't protest. She said follow your heart.

I am starting to second guess if I should. After all, I did not research trucking all that much. All I know is I love driving, I'm getting older and I need a secure job.

I am getting a grant to pay for the class. I figure since this is the case I might as well move forward. But here is the clicker... my logic (or illogic) since it's the states money and not my money,

• Figure out if I really want to be a trucker and if I have what it takes
  
  
• If I fail at least I tried and the money is not coming from my own income (I'M NOT GOING TO FAIL BY THE WAY)
  
  
• I will have something to do for the next six weeks that will keep me occupied instead of being home going crazy
  
  
• I can continue to look for work in my field in the evening while I'm taking this trucking course. Perhaps get remote freelance work from home. (This probably won't happen and the reason I am taking the trucking class to begin with.)
  
  
• At least I will get my Class A CDL license and get it out of the way. I don't have to necessarily start driving right away. I can wait to drive. By the way, my instructor told me this might not be a good idea. Trucking companies might not hire me if I don't start driving right away and I might have to be retrained. However, someone online told me they waited 5 years and was retrained by the company. This is my best case scenario. I would like to keep this trucking license as an option in my back pocket as my career as I get older.

What are you thoughts?

 

Go do it. Get your license then go to work. Get it over with like basic training.

 

I have to postpone the training due to scheduling issues. I can always take it in a month or two. I might have to pay it with my own money. Maybe not. But I have to wait. That's okay.

 

Okay sounds like your situation is similar to mine. If you get the state to pay your training it's like being a "free agent" so you don't have to worry about being "locked in" to a given company's "training program".

The kicker we've all heard about some of those company programs is that if they fire you for whatever reason, they come after you for the balance of what THEY figure you owe them for "schooling". Sometimes it's a big number, enough to bring grown men to tears.

Also I'm assuming at 50 you know how to drive (a car) so 1/3 of your schooling will be pretty easy. If you can drive a stick? You're probably halfway there. The rest is gonna be 1.) backing & 2.) learning the technical parts of your truck.

The good news is, trucks are getting more and more complex and liability is getting prohibitive so companies are less likely to expect you to know how to cage your brakes on the side of the highway. Roadside is your friend. All you need to do is know something is a problem and coherently explain the issue to a shop mechanic.

The other thing I'd tell you at 50+ is watch your health. You need to pass a bi-annual physical, keep your weight, blood pressure and diet under control. You could probably get another 20-25 years out of this industry.

Jobs, here's the warning: there's work, but there's not always pay. So be very careful who you sign on with. If you have had military experience in your youth it's gonna be like basic all over again. Your first year is gonna suck, everything is gonna be new, you're gonna be lonely, and you're gonna have a hard time breaking even. After about a year, things DO get better. Turnover in this industry is so high that if you spend 12 months in the same spot you're above average. You can start pursuing better jobs and find out what works for you.

Honestly, wish you the best.
Hope things work out for you.

 

Nobody will insure you without it that I am aware of. Those trailers are meat grinders in the hands of the untrained driver.