So is this par for the course when it comes to trucking schools?

What do you expect from a trucking school to charge an individual for a lifetime career that could net them well over $1,000,000.00 dollars in the future?

 

For some truck drivers, if they "play their cards right", they can literally earn well over $2,000,000 over a number of years, especially with the well paying unionized trucking companies. However, for these truck drivers, it will literally be an enormous amount of hard work on their part.

 

I know I'm out of the loop, but the whole concept of paying a large sum of money, ($5,000 is a lot of money to me) to drive a truck is just so foreign to me. Driving a truck, to me, has always been just a job. Something one didn't have to go to school to learn how to do. Either you had it in you, or you didn't. Years ago, if you weren't a natural born lever puller, you didn't go into trucking. I feel sorry for people that, for whatever reason, are forced to go into trucking, because it's the only game in town, and they are out of options, and these trucking schools are cashing in on that premise. I'm not saying some don't make it, they do, but the failure rate is huge, and many quit, with that big debt over their head, never repaying that and ruining what little credit they may have. In short, make sure this is what you want to do. As far as I'm concerned, you get hired by a company, in ANY line of work, ( and I'm not talking about a brain surgeon or a dentist, that really requires school) you should be getting paid from day one, not being $5,000 in the hole before you even start a job you probably won't like anyway down the road.

 

Don't forget to factor out the costs of future divorce, the time lost with kids, and accelerated health decline. But do what you want.

 

Wow you guys expect something for cheap.

So let's see. I had to take a course to pass my certs for IT about 15 years ago, the cost for one week of training and exams was $11,000 - this didn't include my room and board which costs a lot then too.

I had to take rad safety training for one job, one week of that training cost me $7500 and the exam was another $1100.

I had other training/classes that I wish cost only $5000. Crap just one conference (Open World for Oracle) cost me close $6000 to attend and that was a four day thing.

Now I wish some who complain would buy a truck, get an instructor and follow state guidelines to be a training company. The $5k seems to be cheap when you look at the cost of getting into this business.

 

If it isn't par, it's close.

 

Don't forget about how much of that $5K goes to the insuance company for the school.

As far as the number of people that drop trucking after completing school, how is that the school's concern. They are teaching the lifestyle change, that would cost alot more.
18 years ago, it cost me $3400.

 

^^^ I think he means they are NOT teaching the lifestyle change ..." And I agree 100% if that's the case.

 

Nah, just go to one of the mega carriers, sign on the dotted line, and give up 1-2 years of your life for next to no miles/money, and you can't leave because if you do, you'll owe them that and then some. I think I would much rather pay the $5000 to a trucking school not affiliated with a carrier and then be able to go where I wanted. And don't expect to learn more than how to drive from the school. It certainly isn't like it used to be (in the grand old days!) where you find someone with a truck and get them to teach you how to drive. Of course we usually don't have 2 gear shifts, non-power anything and coffin sleepers either (thank heavens!). Fortunately (or unfortunately, if you prefer), with regulations and insurance requirements being what they are, you really can't do that anymore.