Kaskaskia College in ESL or Premiere CDL Granite City

Hi All, I'm in the beginning stages of working on my CDL, trying to get into the Trucking industry. Been in another industry for over 25 years, but it's basically dried up, much like furriers the profession I worked at is getting pretty obsolete. Always wanted to get into trucking, don't like sitting behind a desk and retail isn't my thing. Last 10 years had me traveling a lot, either driving up and down the highway or flying around the world. Got a bit much when I realized I didn't spend Christmas living at the same place 6 years in a row. 2 of those were in different countries.

So here I am, chasing the job market, looking at all this corporate-speak, from various HR folks, and realizing time to ditch the cubicle and see the rest of the country again.

Looking at either Kaskaskia College, probably the East St. Louis campus or Premiere CDL In Granite City. Have applied at Kaskaskia and working on getting student loan/grant money see how that goes. Since I already have a graduate degree not eligible for Pell grant. I'm on unemployment, but WIA funds not available until July. Also applied at Premiere, just trying to figure out how to pay for that if I go there. Did speak with a recruiter from Schneider, I"m in the application process with them to pay for Premiere, may not be the greatest of scenarios, but it is what it is at this point.

Anyone have any thoughts/suggestions on the options? Very few posts on Kaskaskia, none on anyone's experience on the East St. Louis campus. Any recent Premiere grads? Am I selling my soul to Schneider? Con-Way is also advertising for student's out of their St. Louis terminal, going to apply with them also. Want to stay away from the obvious CRST and England if possible. In the meantime studying for the written test, will probably apply for Hazmat endorsement etc. Rather not do doubles/triples, my cajones aren't that big.

Also, while the last 3 and a half years were with U.S. based companies, for a few years I was self-employed, either my own company in U.S. or as a consultant overseas. (Worked in China for 8 years either on regular jobs or consulting) Is this sort of strange job history going to cause problems with hiring? Otherwise clean record, driving history (even in China), good health and no drugs.

Thanks

 

I went through the hassle of actually getting the Chinese Driver's license when I lived there, bit of a joke. Verifying working for a Chinese factory that went out of business and paid salary cash will be the tough one to call "verifiable". Schneider's doing all the checks now, so see how it goes. So far Schneider fits the bill as far as location and variety of work. Hoping to get student loan so I can do Kaskaskia College, work better all the way around. Went on a job board, something like ziprecruiter.com, showing a lot of companies in the area hiring. Not sure if the trucking industry is like my old industry, advertises for jobs that aren't really there. A lot of non-trucking industry companies don't really have jobs, just collect resume's.

 

Thanks, was in Dongguan for about 8 years full time, about 5 years half time before that. Have an apartment there still, renting it out to a foreigner and letting him make the payments, although I just sold my SUV since it was just sitting at the in-laws gathering dust. Between the recession in 2008 and China making it almost impossible to get a work visa, a lot of guys I worked with just said heck with it and retired. Met my wife while I was over there, she was in school still but later taught English to local Chinese, and Chinese to foreigners. Got on with a company making stuff for the military in TN, they moved me back. Later went to a competitor for more $$$, they lost some contracts and reduced workforce, got laid off. Have a non-compete, so can't go back to the previous company, nor any other competitor. That area of China's changed, much more polluted, and a whole different crowd and type of person only people I know of my old friends still in Dongguan are the bar owners, knew them from when we were all grunts working for one company or another. Should have opened a bar/restaurant, they're making big $$$. One's clearing 400K USD a year.

Yeah, will keep the passport going for sure, will work on hazmat, tankers and apply for TWIC as the process goes along. See how this progresses. See how the next couple weeks goes as schools get lined up, looking forward to getting started, luckily will miss this winter on the road.

 

Not sure why the profile says AZ, need to change that. Yes, live in Illinois so Premiere is not a problem. Heard from a CRST recruiter yesterday, he was selling it big time, but I had to drag the name of the company out of him. Their training has you getting your CDL in Iowa, which I'd then have to take all of the tests over again to change to Illinois. Between that and what I've heard of that company, will pass for now.

Also spoke with Schneider, I'm in the background check stage with them. Tentatively they'll pay for the training at Premiere, have to stay with them a year. But, I need to get the written test and physical on my own. I think they skip the first week of classroom and just go straight to the driving part. Can understand that, probably saves a chunk in tuition. Would have to work for some one for a year anyway for experience, and the Schneider terminal is about a half hour from the house, plus they seem to have a lot of options there at the moment

 

Now I remember why it said AZ, I signed up for this board back in 2009, still lived in AZ then. To show the difference time makes, Swift was the "don't go to" company, and the big talk was learning how to float the gears.

 

Wound up not doing either, spend the tuition $$$ on a cargo van and went to local delivery/courier work. Local delivery was a PITA, had a good route until it got "too good" and someone quit a junky route, got assigned that, North St. Louis, St. Louis county. Deliveries were paid on weight and piece, and the piece count dropped by half. Wound up changing to courier work, Grossed much better. Take home after expenses ave 600/wk, from what I gathered about as much as a company OTR driver first year.

Have since left the industry, back to my old gig in the footwear industry. Still have the van which is now useful for storing bikes and camping. Miss the courier work though it was fun. Was working for a courier company that had a dedicated account delivering electrical equipment, pick up at their warehouse, deliver on the ILL side, paid by stop, then pick up at courier warehouse, and a couple other places, till the van was full, head over to ILL, drop the deliveries. If there were enough drops, then head home. Sometimes would have pick ups in ILL to head back to St. Louis. DHL used this company for their ILL pickups, so I'd pick up some DHL small loads and take to their place in Earth City. Company dispatcher was very good about trying to not have me sitting or doing deadhead miles, combining stops so I'd have at least 2 loads on at any one time.

At the time, SNI was offering to pay my tuition to Premiere, with a $3500 payback if I quit before the year was up. Had to get my CDL permit on my own, SNI paid the DOT physical. Got as far as passing the permit, DOT, Drug screen and the Pre-hire physical, was ready to go but the wife wasn't happy with me being gone on the road for so much, wanted me home more. If I'd have done the SNI route, would have been OTR for the first 6 months, then possibly able to get onto the program with more home time/slip seating/truck sharing.

Fast forward to now, I'm living on the west coast, she's still in school in IL, and I see her maybe a weekend every 6 weeks, and on holidays/summer vacation. But the job pays good $$$$ and benefits. End of the day we do what we have to do.