Training company choices, gettin it together

There is a ton of information on this forum about most of the companies you listed. Not a lot about PTL. Click on "Motor Carrier Questions-The Inside Scoop," and a listing of all of your company choices will come up. Just click the company and enjoy the read.

 

Check and see if you have a community college near you that offers a CDL program. Also, check with your state to see if there is financial aid available. If you can go through school without using a company program then you will not be obligated to a particular company, working for them for a certain amount of time to pay back the school. Most companies require a year. Schneider requires 18 months. I have been researching since October. Search the web for other truck driver forums. I am not allowed to put those on this site. Using your computer in your research will help a great deal. I begin school on May 1.

Good Luck!

 

The first thing I did was get on the internet and look up any and all information I could find about schools. I at first was seriously looking at Drivers Solutions, but their school is only 16 days long and I felt I needed a longer school. I have read about many drivers going through that school and they are doing fine out on the road now. So, I am not down playing that school, just saying it was not what I was looking at. I believe they have one of their schools there in Indy. It took me a long time to decide about the school, but as I was trying to make that decision I was online reading the truck driver forums. There are many in addition to this one and they have a lot of different information. This forum is great, though, and I could not have made my decisions without it. So this is a great website.

As I was looking at different companies one of my requirements was to get home time, too. But, the more I have read the more I have decided that the home time is not as important as other considerations. The home time issue limits the number of companies available to me. I am already limited on the number of companies I can apply to because there are only so many companies, as you are aware, who will hire a school grad. I had to look at my situation and decide why I was trying to become a truck driver. Once I got myself focused on the real reason for pursuing this occupation then the home time requirements were reduced. Yes, I want to be home with my family. But, I can concentrate on that after I get my first year of driving in the books. Then I can start searching for a company that will better meet my home time desires.

Have you looked closely at Roehl? They have a training program and from what I have read on these forums they seem to get you home. Also, look at Millis. I hear they have a pretty good training program and is a decent company to work for. Schneider is so big they have many dedicated routes and I have read about brand new drivers being able to snag one of those. You can’t depend on that, though.

Now, the companies I am going to apply to are Conway/CFI, Trans Am, Transport America, Roehl, Prime, KLLM, and Schneider. Not one of these companies is perfect. But from what I have read they seem to be a little better than others, in my opinion. I guess I will find out, won't I?


Have you by chance checked to see if the school you are looking at has an evening program? Some schools do.

I hope this has helped a little. The decisions you have to make are not easy, and you may have to be flexible with your requirements if you really want to drive a truck.