private cdl school vs company paid w/contract

here's an idea. find a company YOU want to work for. THEN find out what you have to to do to get there. simple as that.

 

I obtained my class b cdl through a 150 hr class at a vocational school but had a super hard time finding a job with no experience.I even offered to work for almost nothing just to get some experience.I am now enrolled in the same school for my class a,they have some recruiters that come by I am in my third week of class which is 320 hrs or 10 weeks.They have some comcar students there as well and they are done in 3 weeks and they are working for comcar.I have found that we get way more experience and seat time in the 10 week class but we are'nt getting paid to be there either.our class a cost right at 2,000 dollars.some other schools are double or triple that.

 

Make sure your school is PTDI certified. Check with the companies you want to work for and find out the approved school they hire from. I went to an accredited school from my state but it was not PTDI certified and they trained me on pup trailers(a lot of ltl companies in my area). Now i've been turned down by companies because 1. not PTDI certified,2. only used pup trailers at school even though it was 320 hr state approved,WIA(federal program) approved. I went to work as a fueler for a trucking company so I could back 48's & 53's every night for practical experience. I was looking OTR but know have leads for local work that will keep me home nights or every couple nights. Its a wait and see game now.
Now is a good time for schooling because you will graduate as the industry picks up and companies start hiring to cover vacations & to move more freight. Try to get pre approved from the trucking companies you want to go to KNOW. It will take a lot of stress off of you and you'll be able to focus on school. If you want to know what school is like and the journey you'll take you can read my thread under TEAMSTER CDL TRAINING. I hope it helps out and BEST OF LUCK.

 

Check out local, or in-your-state community collages. That would be the cheapest, and probably the best. If at all possible, avoid company schools. Upon completion, you become an indentured servant.