Over analyzing my choices. Pay for CDL or indenture myself?

This going to sound like I'm a smart &()/$@, but why not just go to the DMV and take the test, rent a truck and get your drivers card? It doesn't have to cost that much.

 

One thing i have noticed so far is the folks who are the most confident they will make it in this industry wash out the soonest.

 

That's what I did. It cost me $425 and about a 1 days worth of time total.

 

I got into trucking because I wanted to truck not because I needed a job. I went on wheat harvest for 6 months and drove truck to get a little experience. This was also on my bucket list of things to do anyway so it was a win win.

I came home found a local guy that was looking for a driver. He talked to a couple people that knew me and hired me the same day I talked to him. He paid a high price for insurance on me at first but its obviously worked out well for both of us. I drive a beautiful o/o spec'd truck, make great money and basically set my own schedule.

You can do it without selling yourself out to some bottom rung trucking company.

 

From what I have seen of various companies. There doesn't seem to be higher pay for a new CDL holder starting, v a driver that got their CDL through the company. The difference is that students tend to be on "training" pay until they test out and get their CDL whereas the CDL holder goes straight in a full beginner pay.

The flip side is that the student is still being paid to learn for however many weeks it takes and the CDL holder who went to an outside school was not.

I agree with you on knowing yourself well enough to know that you can stick with pretty much any crappy job for a year as that year will go quickly. Sure there is a high turnover with many newbies not lasting much longer than 6 months, but how many of those have never been able to stick with any job that wasn't to their liking.

I have known people to walk out of a job simply because they didn't like how their boss talked to or even looked at them. Someone like that isn't going to last anywhere, never mind trucking.

BTW, I don't drive now, but I paid for my own CDL simply because I always wanted learn how to drive an "18 wheeler", not because I was seeking a truck driving career. I was already employed at the time and had no intention of leaving that company for a driving job. As it happened a driving job at my company came available about a year after I got the CDL and I only took it as the hours were better.

If I were to get back into trucking (been out for over 10 years) I would most likely have to go back to school if I wanted to go with an OTR company. If there was a company offering training that I wanted to work for I wouldn't have a problem with a 1 year commitment. The only thing I can envision not liking is the additional time spent on a trainer's truck. I would gladly pay for school just to avoid that.