Looking into the Trucking scene, few questions?

Hey Folks-
This forum looks great, thought I’d hear what real world truckers have to say rather than a recruiter in the office . I have lots of questions, have already read several other posts ahead of time, great info, appreciate ya’ll putting that out for the newbies!

I have chosen the “train for CDL and commit for a year” approach. They put ya up for 3 weeks for classroom prep then OTR trainer for 4 weeks, maybe less. What scares me is the hidden “Fine Print”, aka all the important stuff you wish that ya knew about ahead of time...

My Question is-
How can people say it’s best to obtain via community college or for profit institutes? I really can’t see a new student driver getting hired with only a license and ZERO driving experience.. You want me to cough up $5-$7k and 6 months course time for that? All job apps require some sort (min 1 year) of exp actually driving for a company.
I would love to hear otherwise and your input, thanks!​

My thoughts-
I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars, multiple times into the community college system to no avail. Instructors are selling false hope and profiting in a bad economy while I go broke and end up with nothing.

Money to invest is not of concern to me, but pay off absolutely is.

Thanks again Folks

 

The starter companies don't require any exp.You obtain your cdl graduate then you get hired on with a company and go with a trainer for a couple months.You can also do company sponsored school.Youll have to sign a year contract if you go that route.

 

We have a local college that does teach trucking. You will pay a certain amount. And you will have a CDL when finished.

College is a lot of waste yes, we paid about 46000 or so back in the 2000's for one worthless 4 year and another that had no value once I learned about H1b workers coming to arkansas doing my work. We have since paid that money back to dear uncle sam. All of it.

Trucking for me was a pack of smokes, part time work in our family tavern over 4 months and a tank of gas plus a note to uncle sam for 2500 dollars tuition. The goal was a class A license back in the 80's for me. And we got it too.

Getting hired on is the real challenge.

What you still don't know your first year or two is going to make that time period particularly dangerous to you. Should you hit something and cause financial damage loss, injure someone or god forbid kill them... you are going to not be hireable for a while. Keep doing that several times and you will realize that the industry has no use for you at all.

Anyone can learn to drive a truck. It's keeping a trucking job that's the challenge. No one teaches about that.

So you spend 8000 dollars for schooling. Fine you gross 60,000 your first year. That 8K should have been paid off within 6 months at that nice income level.

 

I am more than willing to commit to a year with a solid employer. The employer training would save me 5000 and give me six months experience (initially) compared to community college approach and “hope” to land a job with a good starter company.

I’m just trying to discover any stones left unturned via paying up front.
Thanks patty

 

x1Heavy thanks for input!
I had the stool kicked from underneath me after 13 loyal years in Information Technology field. My job was shipped to a 3rd world country, that’s all I’m gonna say about that.. This cowboys is dusting off his jeans and getting back on.

 

I got my cdl thru a college all I had to pay for was $120.00for the books .The rest I didn't start paying back till I got a job.My room and board was also free.Now you pay for that as well.

 

I can somewhat related, I go off the road back in '10, went to a plan doing IM work, 2 years later, boom, came in without a job, machines were packed overnight and were being shipped to Mexico. So I went back out.

 

No you have that all wrong. There is not 3 weeks of "classroom prep." Three weeks is the total schooling after which you will be responsible for paying back the cost of that training of $5000-$7000.

There is no guarantee you will ever finish the three weeks. Nor is there a requirement of the school to provide you with a CDL. Many attending these schools do not complete the three weeks, and some fail to ever pass the CDL test. In either case, the training company still wants the full tuition.

You better rethink the "train for the CDL and commit for a year" approach. Of the few that do get their CDL through such a training company, almost all do not make it a year, and have to pay off a significant balance. How many do not make it a year? All the training companies have 100% annual turnover!

In most cases you have to have your CDL before going out with a trainer, and it is more like 6+ weeks of training and rooming with someone else in a truck. I thing the misunderstanding is the mentorship is not a part of the schooling, but a requirement of employment.

Oh, what you don't know!

Better instruction. Longer Schooling. More individual attention. No financial incentive for screwing you over.

All the mega training companies hire with ZERO driving experience.

Many get through Community College programs with outside funding: Pell grant, Job source, unemployment, college grant, displaced worker programs, worker retraining, scholarships.......

6months should offer far more training then 3 weeks. You get more for the effort and money.

Not all, but most do. Their is no shortage of drivers, let alone drivers with 1 year experience. Why hire fresh meat when you can pay a lower insurance rate with experienced drivers?​

Agreed, but you aught to see the training that comes out of those 3 week company courses. In the end, they cost as much or more. If that isn't a waste of money, I don't know what is.

There are no "solid employers" in the truck training game.

If you cannot get funding elsewhere for a community college many of the starter companies will repay your tuition as the result of your employment with them.

There is no guarantee in a company sponsored training program that they will hire you anyway. By far not. Many go all through training, get their CDL and the company that trained them refuses to hire them. Seen it happen dozens of times. Now, unless you get picked up by another training company, which does happen sometimes, you are on the hook for that 3 week training class that cost you $5+k.

 

I sent my kid sis to a community college. 7 weeks and it cost $1200. Her employer found out that she was on school for CDL and they offered her a local driving job. She accepted. They reimbursed her $1200 and gave her a $3000 sign on bonus. Local job, drop and hook, between Amazon and the airport twice a day, $800/week.


Now, yes you can do the ol mega carrier route and not pay a thing. For the most part, starter companies dont care how you got your CDL, so as long as you have it, can pass a DOT physical on the fly, and drive a truck around the block without hitting curbs.

$6000 sounds like some private driving training place. The community college route is cheaper, but takes longer.

 

What courses did you take at community college? Did you complete courses and receive diploma?