Indentured Servitude or $6,000?

JG, I’m sure that scenario plays out daily in the trucking industry. I know I have read comments where someone attends a CDL school and then gets tired of waiting for a trainer, or is not getting enough miles after training, so they bolt for the door. If they signed a contract to pay $x dollars if they do not finish the contract, they are obligated to repay that amount. I would not take a chance that the carrier would opt to just leave it go. And I did read one example of a similar situation where the carrier that did the CDL training refused to release any records until paid.

I’m not sure if it was in this thread or another on TTR but someone suggested I go to the Swift Academy to get my CDL, bolt for the door, and then immediately apply with Schneider. That person implied Swift does not care, but I have not seen any other comments that would verify Swift is in fact okay with this and I have not called Swift to ask them directly. The Swift Academy is a separate legal entity from Swift Transportation so maybe this is possible. It remains an option on my list, but I would never do this without telling Swift upfront what my plans are and making sure they are okay with it. The fee for the Swift Academy is $3900 so not a bad option, IF they allow that.

 

Surfer Joe, I have little doubt my first year will go pretty much as you have said, but I am writing off the first year and looking beyond that for what year 2 and on may hold. I have never taken a close look at the industry, but I am shocked at how so many of the megas are nothing more than CDL mills that just chew people up and spit them out, and it is nothing more than an effort to suppress their labor costs. It doesn't matter if people complain because there appears to be a line out the door of new recruits willing to undergo the same treatment.

I'm doing this mostly because it offers a schedule (seriously) that fits my needs for the next few years and possibly beyond. If I were interested in making more money than a trucker, I would just get a minimum wage job somewhere.

As far as a 'blog', I doubt I could do that but I have read through some on here and they are fascinating. I spent quite a few hours reading through all 3 (I believe) of DieselFuelOnly's 'blogs' on the good, bad, and ugly of Schneider. I'm not sure I could do what he did, but maybe I could tally how many hours I spent chasing Schneider empties during the first year.

 

I think he offered a realistic assessment, and yes, it is that bad. Congress and the FMSCA are regulating truckers and if they are really interested in safety, they would do something to shut down the CDL mills.