Not a driver yet, but prospective student with questions..

For the life of me I cannot believe you put up with all that sitting. Hell I sit at times too, but after the first hour I get $15 an hour for sitting, so my boss doesn't have me sitting too long at all. If they ever tried to make me sit like that I'd call dispatch and say, "You have 30 minutes to find me a load". If not, I'll be rolling towards home.

 

That's hard to say, as there are a lot of variables. Moreover, most of it will depend on you. Nevertheless, the success rate for newbie drivers making it past their first year of training is extremely dismal. Hence, you got to be pretty determined and be a fast learner as well. Under your current listed criteria, I would have made it, but then again I'm not you. Nevertheless, the vast overwhelming majority of newbie drivers will drop out long before the end of their first year and then blame the company, the school, or something else for their failures.

You've heard wrong. The only difference between a private CDL School and a training company CDL academy is the cost. A private CDL School will cost you considerably more money and a training company CDL academy will cost you quite a bit less if anything at all, since if you stay with the training company for at least the first year, the cost of the school will be totally forgiven. Meanwhile, the private CDL School, on the other hand, will have to be paid back one way or another regardless. Not only that, but a private CDL School will also take quite a bit longer as well.

Moreover, if you fail as the overwhelming vast majority of newbies do, either way you will still have to pay for the acquisition of a CDL. However, paying for the acquisition of a CDL acquired via a training school CDL academy vs. a private CDL School will be quite a bit less.

In any event, if you can get your GI bill to cover your cost of schooling or some other form of government grant, then take the private CDL School route approach since it is free.

Nevertheless, no matter how you acquire your CDL, which is the bare minimum necessary required in the trucking industry to acquire a job, you will in all probability go to work for the same dreaded training companies, i.e., the so-called infamous bottom feeders, you are hoping to avoid. Since the vast overwhelming amount of companies in the industry out there, both large and small, because of insurance prohibitions, will not touch newbie drivers with just a CDL and zero experience with a ten foot pole, and when you look at the overall success rate of newbie drivers making it past their first year, you will understand why, as the odds of success definitely aren't anywhere near in your favor. Hence, if you are gambling that you alone out of the multitudes of newbie drivers that enter the industry every year will be able to beat the odds and go to work for maybe a smaller company that will pay a little more than the bare minimum the bigger companies pay, then good luck, but in any event, the odds are extremely stacked against you.

I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but it is nonetheless the hard truth, and the truth will set you free. Amen.

 

And when you got home, that would be the last driving job you ever had as well.

 

With a starter company "academy " if you don't complete the year you get no certification of training . We've heard of England drivers quitting too early with a trainer and not getting their papers sent to the DMV so they don't even get a CDL

 

I doubt that greatly, I'd be in a truck the next day if I wanted. With a new company. Point IS that if our boss ever tried to make the guys that work for him sit like that(me included) he would have a full scale mutiny on his hands... LOL!

 

You doubt that greatly, then try it and learn something new the hard way. You will summarily be blackballed from the trucking industry forever.

 

BS, Black balled by whom... The big carriers I have no desire to work for anyway? I already know to many people in the industry... 3 phone calls will get me in a truck... likely the next day... I'd probably take a much needed break of about 3 weeks before I'd start calling people... This my friend, is FACT.

 

Would you be able to live on a newbie salary at one of the companies that hires new drivers? It's up to you. Any time you are starting a new career, no matter what you will be doing, it is going to require some sacrifice on your part. It doesn't matter if you want to study acting, become a doctor, or drive a truck, you must be willing to accept the fact you won't make much money initially. You have to budget, cut corners, and get by on the bare minimum for a while. You CAN do it...it just depends on how much you want it !!

 

Not only that but their pay at the company academy is low so they are paying for the school. Do these new drivers really think the school is free?

 

I know . It kills me when these veterans go with these carriers because they look at their $1275 GI compensation as a bonus . They're throwing their benefits away . They could make $1500 a month more with a carrier that paid a higher rate on more miles . One year apprentice program ? Ridiculous .