Would it be better to get independent CDL training or to try to get hired on with a company that will train you? Thanks in advance
in my opinion, go it by yourself, with either a bank loan, credit card, student loan, grant, or what ever. when you go for training with a company, you sign a contract. how binding it is, i cannot say for sure as things have changed. but in the past, many contracts were for at least one year, some were for two years. do you wanna be held tied to a company, that you may grow to hate, only to fulfill your financial obligations to them?? at least with your own way to pay, you still have to pay back, but you ain't tied to stay at the employer.
Check out the community colleges in your area. Tuition is much cheaper (almost 1/5 of what those private schools will charge) and best of all you won't be an Indentured servant to a company. Don't sign any notes with a company you might end up hating.
This is very sound advice. I wouldn't recommend going through a trucking companies CDL program as it does tie you to them and you are required to work for them for a certain amount of time as repayment for the training. If you leave the company before full repayment has been made then you owe them the thousands for the training. Seek out other ways to get your CDL. There are many schools out there such as Sage where you can go. Many of them even offer state grants which pay for the entire thing.
the advice I've seen is a 100% turnaround from the "find a company, work for them for a year, and if you don't like them, leave...but get that first year under your belt" thing. My personal example: Roehl is more expensive than the local tech college, but the tech college takes 10 weeks of schooling, vs. Roehl's 3. Plus, for the college course, I'd have to drive there and home every day for class, at the tune of an hour or so each direction. Roehl offers a hotel for $400 for the 3 weeks. PLUS, I find it encouraging to think that there are other drivers holed up in the hotel doing the same thing as I, who I can brainstorm with to be sure I'm "getting it", or offer help if someone else isn't catching on...if I went to the college course, there's no guarantee I'd be able to talk to ANYONE after/before class, they might all have jobs and families they're rushing around to get back to. I also get trained "their way," which means that it'll potentially be easier to figure out how to do things right while I'm OTR solo. So, I'd rather school through the company, in this case, and put on the 120,000 miles to get my full tuition back. By the time I drive that far, maybe I'll hate the company...it's possible...but then, maybe I won't. Anything you choose is a gamble...it just depends on how you prefer to learn.
Ever notice the worst of the worst are the ones that have their own school to get your CDL? There's a reason for that. There is probably an exception or two. I'm glad I went to school on my own. I've never had counting down the days syndrome with my first job which is nice.
Bob, while that may be true in some cases, it's not always fact...just because one driver hates a company doesn't mean another wouldn't LOVE to be in his seat...er...shoes...er..well, either way it sounds bad, but you get the idea.
