New Driver

You should get a grant to pay for the training, and then go to a private school or community college. Do NOT go to a private school and pay for the tuition out of your own pocket. This is idiotic. I went this way 12 years ago and still regret it. Also, do NOT sign an indentured servitude contract with a company for training. In this scheme, you'll sign a contract with a company agreeing to drive for them for a year or longer in exchange for "free" training. I guess I don't have to point out how this is a risky way to go. I will give you a hint in case you don't know why it'd be a bad move: if you quit early, you'll be paying for the entire amount of the tuition.

There's a better way to get training.

Get a grant, such as a Pell grant, and go to a private school or community college. Keep your wallet in your pocket. There is supposedly a "driver shortage" in trucking, so you shouldn't have to pay for your training. Make Uncle Sam pay for it. Trucking is too risky a profession anyway. You don't know if you'll still be driving a year from now. One thing is for sure, though....if you go the "free training route", you'll be paying for that training if you quit before your contract period is up.

And if you pay for training out of your own pocket, you'll be paying too much if you have to fork over more than about 800 bucks. Some schools want over 5 THOUSAND for training. Believe it. This is because the government has given out so many grants in the past and has driven up the price of tuition. Well, play the game and get a grant. Keep that money in your pocket or send it to me. I'll be glad to take it off your hands if it's burning a hole in your pocket. Just don't give it to a trucking school for training.

I often wonder if I could get my tuition back if I passed the hat here......Do you want to be in this boat?

I could be like Jimmy Swaggart--Now please, friends...brothers and sisters. Give to MEEEE! Jesus......No, you don't want to have any regrets later over the moves you make in the coming days and weeks.

 

Except for that doesn't work if you want to go with certain companies. I've read enough about Crete here that I called them. They would hire me, we have a depot in my area, my daughter can come with me as often as I want now even. But they only approve 3 schools in my area. 2 are in little remote places that would be a major pain to go to because my mother needs my van at home. So one of them is in Wichita KS. I am assuming I'll be able to rent a car one way each Monday and Friday so that I don't have to keep it all week, take a bus or hitch a ride with another truck driver. I haven't checked them out yet so I don't know what the cost of the school will be.

Also, some of us make way too much money to get a grant. My husband makes 70,000 per year and I'm doing about 40,000 now. There won't be any grants here. Why start out at about 26 cents through 38 cents per mile when Crete starts at 41 cents?

Suzi

 

you might try CFI out of Joplin Mo they are a very good trucking company i worked there for awhile and then i came home because of the baby. They pay you holiday pay that $60, and if you put in for home they have up to 5 days to get you there or they pay you home. plus they have a driving school that they use in neosho mo. which is a very good school i had to go there for a week of training.

 

Crete will train you, or at least they used to train freshies. They had a deal with a Lincoln community college, and they may still do. However, last year, a Crete driver hit a car in Florida and killed like 5 kids, and I've heard that was a transforming event at that company. Someone here posted not too long ago that the training deal at CCC is/was ending, and this Florida accident was one of the causes. Give 'em a call. They may still train beginners.