New from MT.

Hi everybody. My name is James, and while I'm not actually a trucker, I have been putting a ton of thought into becoming one. I've been in the construction field since I graduated high school, and while I have only worked for two companies (one for almost four years, the other only a few months), I have finally gotten tired of the long waits for work.

I was one of the lucky here in the Flathead Valley who worked through the end of 08, all the way through 09 and most of 2010. Finally, I was laid off in the beginning of August, and by keeping in touch with friends in the company and my boss, I have learned that the situation is grim (to the point of possibly closing the doors indefinitely). Being young (22) and still able to change careers without having too much difficulty, I've pondered the idea of following in my dads footsteps. He actually hasn't been trucking for very long, but he enjoys it. An ex roommate of mine was also a trucker for an outfit out of Alberta (Hughson) and he seems to enjoy it as well.

My main concern is finding a company that offers CDL training. So far, I have looked at Swift and Watkins & Shephard. Unfortunately, the latter of the two does not provide the training at this time. My dad got his training through Swift, and he said if it weren't for the two "mentors" he had to drive with and always being away from home, he would probably still be with them.

So, I guess my question is: Are there other companies who offer the training program? I know that I can take the classes at the college, but before I go that route, I would like to check out a couple of other options, since the class at out local college is somewhere around $5000.