On the job training?

FYI...HE WAS SAYING that HE WAS being sarcastic.....he WAS NOT called one by anyone here.....

and he was NOT being BLASTED.....

 

Just a note for ya, people here aren't going to paint a pretty picture that has a truck parked with mountains in the background and the sun is going down with you glancing out with little worry's about tomorrow and sippin on a glass of lemonade. It's not like that at all, people here will warn you about what there is to come. You suggest signing a year of your life away to a job / lifestyle you may or may not like is just flat out dumb. It's a newbie mistake. Yes, you do not have the money. Get a job, save up, and think really hard about this. You may think.. Oh well there is no point if a company will make it easier for me with one little contract.. What if you don't cut it with them? They send you packing with a $7grand bill to pay back. Good luck with that one.

Don't take my advice as I am pushing you away from doing this, because the only way you will know if you will like it or not is to try it. As for saving up for schooling, it is what I am doing. So I am not here telling you to NOT do this, but think hard and make your decision wisely as it may break you if you don't. I want to see you succeed like anyone else, but that is only going to happen if you put in what you want out of this.

 

Lantern,Sorry for my short response here,(but)I want to have some fun here shortly..Why are you asking a question such as this,as I know you have been in and around this forum for awhile,and that is a question someone would ask who has absolutely NO idea what truckin is...I believe you have at least that,a general idea..-BUT..Get that Smokey and the Bandit B.S. out of your head,and for being your own boss..??? I have NEVER been watched so closely as I have in driving OTR,you are watched all the time..yes,by your employer,-who has the power to make your life hell..,by cops,all levels,city,county,state,of course the scales...It can,and does,SUCK at times man,you are "watched",by Joe Q. Citizen,who likes to make phone calls to above mentioned....I cannot help you with choosing a company,what works for me and others,will NOT work for other people..You have to find your own way,(more or less)but,and other's will concur,IT IS NOT AN EASY RIDE.....

 

Haha it's fine. Didn't know I was asking a question, merely implying what I've learned from this. I'd rather pay for my own then have some company control me for a certain amount of time. However, all I have is a general idea like you said. I don't know what trucking is, the more I read here is just knowledge about it and not actual experience. The ONLY experience I have is unloading / loading trucks. Which is nothing compared to what actually goes into it.

Hopefully in the next few months I can change my Experience over to 0-1 year, that is my goal (Not the forums LOL just getting to that point). And if I can't make it, then I will know it's not meant to be. But trying it is worth more as a life experience then sitting idle with no future plans. To you drivers, you should know the feeling of getting ready to start something large in your life. I've put months (2 years of waiting) into this, not days like many other people. These forums are the greatest thing I've found to help me prepare, and for that I thank all of you drivers who has given great advice not knowing you've helped me out tremendously.

 

Not during the first post. You could ,especially in your postion, be more responsive. Aren't you a teacher? Or just a weeder to move on to the next cash CDL? Take some pride.

 

i was responsive...he made statements...i responded.....to what was presented at the time.....i look forward to the next CDL class....should take me up to the $29,000 point, this time of the year....!!! gotta love those students...right...??? (sarcasm)

 

The only on the job training company's i know of that will get you your CDL is mostly for class B usually meaning a bus driver. You can get OTR in a straight truck with a B license but count how many sleeper straights you see in a day opposed to full on 18 wheelers.. The best thing you can do is go to school and get your CDL through there. Schooling will teach you the ins and outs of trucking. most company's want a driver and arent going to teach you the bear basics that your going to need to know to be a trucker.
As they said trucking isant glamors, Its a job like everything else, Its not like it was back in the day. I drove non CDL crane trucks up and down the east coast for a sign job that i had and you see some things in truck stops you never want to see again ever. Do some research on getting your CDL before jumping into it. its definitely something your going to need some thick skin and a bit of rough neck attitude to do.

One thing you need to keep in mind that a good friend who used to haul told me.. You think your getting out and seeing the country when in reality all highways look the same from the driver seat just different license plates on it. But when your a driving shifting turbo junky like me thats all you need.

As for money look into financial aid. Some schools you can take out a student loan from. Also most company's have tuition reimbursement So as long as you can front the cash they pay you back.

 

I dont know if they operate out in ca but i went to a SAGE school and in schooling you do get what you pay for.. i went and toured every school in my area before making my decision. Most of them all had newer equipment ETC but in hearing from reviews on them some were one of those schools that will tell you anything to take your money.. I hear that allstate trucking (another loacl to me) will not tell someone if they have a criminal record that they will have a hard time finding a job after graduating... and they find everything,. there was a small harassment charge on my record that i was found not guilty for (physco Ex girlfriend) werner still put it up for review to determine if they wanted me. Than i looked into smith and solimin. they use brand new trucks and all but they dont even teach you how to couple a truck and trailer together,. hell i pass there school almost every day and have yet to see there trucks and trailers separated, I ended up going with a SAGE school in phoenixville PA. nothing special there classroom was in a double wide trailer and there driving sessions were in a 1993 freightliner with around 800000 miles on it. But they taught me everything from log books all the way up to driving a truck without skipping anything in between. Today i have all my endorsements (except for passenger) and passed my license test with flying colors the 1st time.

My schoolin was around $5000 My state has an unemployment program where an unemployed individual can get a state grant for up for $4000 to go get a type of training for a job as long as the job is in high demand for the state which trucking is in just about every state. Look into if your state has any kind of grants like mine for the unemployed. If not there is always a student loan.

Also as i said dont judge the school on there price and equipment. just because there cheap or have top of the line stuff dosent mean there going to teach you everything to know about trucking. Do some through research on them tour there schools and make your decision based upon what you think of the joint, and you can usually tell which ones are in it for the money and which one is in it to make a trucker out of ya.
The average length of a class at the school i went to is 6 to 8 weeks. now also bear in mind a school is only going to teach you the bare basics to get you your CDL. the company you get hired with is going to take what you learned and refine it into what they want from you. your not going to get hired out of school given a truck and told to go out and make them money. i know Werner (company i just got hired with) puts you with a trainer for another 6 to 8 weeks to get you in the swing of OTR.

I wish you luck in your search and hope you get your CDL. its not all that hard just listen to your instructor and you'll do fine.