im in the little rock area looking to find the right school to do my training. ive been in contact with diesel academy and c1, cant seem to find any other schools in this area. id prefer to stay somewhere close to home. i also have a friend over at swift in memphis that is willing to train me but not sure if i want to go to a school thats 2 hrs away. any suggestions??
although a difficult choice, try and get ALL the information at BOTH schools near you (forget about Swift's school for the moment), then compare total days/weeks/hours for each school. compare prices, compare YOUR driving time to get to each school as well, as the price of gasoline may hinder one choice over another. all ANY school can do is give you a "basic foundation" to build on after you graduate. sometimes comparing prices does NOT give you the best education, but at least you can see what you will end up paying back from your student loan. you will only get what you put into your own training. remember you're not going to school to make friends, you are going to school to LEARN what you need to learn then get out. friendships in school are ok, but DO NOT stall your education for the sake of someone else that might hold you back. everyone progresses at his/her own rate/speed, and if you get ahead of your classmates, don't fret about it, move on.... any trucking school that you apply to will cost you money as well, and there is a contract to sign, just (almost exactly) like a private school would have. they educate you, you pay them back...simple concept.. but a trucking company school's contract may very well be more binding in regards to your employment. they will take out a weekly amount for paying them back. usually (in many circumstances) you need to stay employed with the trucking company for a period of time...1 year, 2 years, whatever. how binding is THAT contract..?? about as binding as any other. don't pay back ANY loan and you get zapped with a black mark on your credit report..right..?? so again, compare each school (near you) for what YOU think is the best "deal".....because all you'll get here is opinions, and not too many of those are going to be 100% in favor of just one choice.
Also check to see if a school offers lifetime placement assistance. This will help you when you have paided your dues and are looking for a local company.
