Should I even bother trying again?

Your OP says you wanted opinions, but from reading through the thread, that doesn't seem to be what you're looking for.

 

And that's also why the idea of multiple jobs was mentioned. Yeah, I know it sucks - putting 20 hour days in working in the road construction industry and hardly ever being home wasn't fun - but sacrifices have to be made sometimes. It doesn't necessarily have to be flipping burgers, but if you're better off to work multiple jobs, that's just the way it is. Things happen, and the circumstances are not in your favor as far as getting into truck driving is concerned, apparently. Holding out for a miracle isn't going to help you, nor will long unemployment gaps in your work history - that'll do a lot to hinder you, right there.
I hope things work out for you - I really do. But I think you're well past the point where you need to accept the reality of the situation, and consider other options. If you're so hell bent on driving, have you considered driving a cab? It's not a big truck, but it's income, yeah? As mentioned already, there's multiple websites out there... godaddy.com, monster.com, and there's also Craigslist (don't knock it - it's how I found my current job).
If it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be. That's just how it is.

 

With those certs and experience behind you, could you possibly start your own consulting firm? If you have contacts from previous jobs, and through previous co-workers, you may be able to start your own thing, and make more than you ever did with a company. But, that's only if you are willing to bust your arse to make it happen.

As for moving, if you did an out of state job search, and found one who wanted to hire you bad enough, you could work out as part of your compensation package, a moving allowance, and a down payment for an apartment. It's all in the way you negotiate.

This is just my opinion, but maybe driving isn't really for you. Sometimes you have to sit back and take stock at what you're good at, and what you're liable to be hired for, and driving doesn't seem to be it. Direct that energy into something else, like your own gig, and maybe you'll see it pay much better dividends.

 

Replying to online job postings IS NOT the best way to find a job. Get your arse to your local library, and pick up "48 Days to the Work You Love", by Dan Miller. If it's not available there, go and buy it at a book store. The information within that book is far and away the best you'll find for conducting a proper job search.

 

It seems pretty clear that driving is just not for you, so now that that overpriced $6500 loan has gone back to the "school" sit down with them and thank them for the offer of more training then politly turn them down saying that your just not cut out to drive! Use that to lead up to asking them to forgive ALL of the $6500, then take what ever they will give! Move on and find something ! Sitting on your butt dosn't help your morale.

 

Places for employment near Rensselaer, NY[

 

My son was fired from Werner,after testing out and being assigned a truck. They told him to come back in 6 months at trainee pay of course. The truth is they don't have jobs for those 700- 1000 recruits they hire every week,so they will find a way to starve them out or find an excuse to fire them. They just use new recruits as team drivers to move freight cheap ,also they get government subsidies from the department of education for each student they process through their driver mill.My son is applying back at the lumber yard for the job he got laid off from when construction slowed down last winter. He's also put in for a dump truck /laborer job at a construction co.He's not going back to Werner in 6 months, He averaged $260 take home per week during the 14 weeks he was working for Werner,If he gets on a prevailing wage job at the construction Co., he will make more money in a day then he made in a week with Werner.

 

In short, no, you should not bother trying again.