Comments By Vincent S.

I think it comes down to the trucking companies insurance requirements.

That was my main concern. I read some things that led me to believe that this issue could be a show stopper, but then our warehouse manager told me that if I get my CDL, I could drive the trucks at my current company no problem. Surely if my cheapo companies insurance allows it, there has to be several trucking companies that would also be able to hire me...

Please just extinguish the flame throwers for a second and hear me out...

I've been looking into taking night classes at a community college and their next class doesn't start until January. Cost is 3,600.

In the meantime I've convinced management at my current job to let me practice driving in their lot. I've already spent about two hours behind the wheel shifting and backing, and one of those hours was with a driver with a company driver with almost 30 years experience coaching me along while backing. It really seems like I'm picking it up quickly.

Is it true that schools only teach pre-trip inspection, backing maneuvers and driving test specific stuff? Because I'm pretty confident that by the time class starts in January, I'll pretty much have all that stuff nailed. The obvious question at this point would be; Why spend 3,600 dollars and drag it on for an additional 3 months beyond that point? If I couldn't convince management to let me use their truck for the test(which I think I could), there are some local companies that specialize in renting trucks to take the CDL in.

Surely there are some companies that could look at my logged hours, plus the fact that I passed my CDL test fair and square and they'd be willing to sign me on and put me through a paid training program at that point? I can't be the only person whose thought about/tried getting started this way...

Will I pass a DOT physical if I have a umbilical hernia?

I have one and I just passed FWIW. The doctor did seem very rushed though, but she definitely did the hernia check and she didn't seem to be bothered by it at all. She never mentioned it or anything. I'm guessing it also depends on how big yours is.

Alright I've taken a lot of your comments regarding the weekend training being too spread out to heart and I think I found a solution that works for me. A local community college offers a course that runs from 5:30-10:30 PM Mon-Fri for 12 weeks. I could start on their Dec 3 class and be done by late January. They claim to have a 96% job placement.

Seem like a good option? I'm assuming the night school would be much better than weekends, since it's five days a week, even though it's slightly less hours per day.

I got three local interviews as soon as got my license and prehire letters from a few OTR companies because of the school I went through and their affiliations with these companies. Look I get what the others are saying. And they're not wrong on most of it. But their suggested path wasn't going to be my path. I knew either I was going to make it doing it this way or I just wasn't gonna make it. Believe me I almost didn't. But here I am and I never once had to sacrifice time with my family. I won't tell you my path is the best. But it was the best for me

I'm definitely still thinking about going this route. 4 weeks of missed work at my current job = 4000 dollars for me. That's not a negligible amount of money and it would also essentially pay for my CDL classes. Some concerns are what others have mentioned about possibly going through school and somehow not qualifying after school is done. Do you know if there a way to pre-qualify at a few companies before you enroll in school? The school I am thinking of going to is also affiliated with two of the company's who I was already leaning toward taking paid training with. Is it possible to contact/apply at those two companies and let them know I plan on going to self-paid school and I want to know if I would qualify for a job with them when schooling is complete?

I'm also wondering if it makes sense to go ahead and get my DOT physical and CLP so that is out of the way? I can't begin classes until after I leave the country in November, so I was thinking about at least getting that part out of the way now. Is there any downside to getting it now?

Thanks Rainy, that confirms my assumption, so at least now I know what to expect and can safely hang up any plans to continue studying that, so I can shift focus over to trucking. I still think I'm going to move forward with trucking, even though it's not going to leave room for studying anything else. Since I started seriously thinking about doing it, every time I see a truck on the road, or think about it, I get excited. I don't feel that way with web development. With the Web development it just seemed like a way out of my current career without having to get a college degree. Another job I'm not really interested in doing that had better benefits... Trucking seems like something I will actually enjoy.

So I've been pretty miserable at my job where I make 50-55K for a while now. Been working for this company for a total of about 15 years now, and have really gone about as far as I can with them. I was researching options for making a career move without going to college, and web development stuck out. I've been studying that and making my own sites for about a year now. The problem I'm having is that a lot of these "entry level" jobs want a ridiculous amount of experience, or they want to pay 14-15 an hour. So here I am, completely miserable at this "dead end" job, with no decent option to escape anytime soon.

Enter truck driving. I can leave my miserable job right away and (hopefully) make about the same 50K a year to start if I apply myself. I actually think I might enjoy trucking more than Web Development anyways. I'm not really sure why I didn't think of this before now, actually.

I'd like to keep the option to get more experience building websites open, just as a back up plan. Maybe if I get tired of trucking, by that point in time I'll be able to shoot for the more senior positions in web development. I'm worried about the long hours, though. How realistic is it to be working enough hours driving a truck to make a decent income, and be studying at the same time? Is it realistic to think I might be able to set aside 1-2 hours a day to study?

Right now I'm working 40-60 hours weeks(mainly 40) so I am able to put aside quite a bit of time to study. From what I understand, making a decent income in trucking generally involves 70 hour weeks? I'm worried I might be too burnt out to study if I am working those kind of hours. Has anyone here successfully been able to study in your down time? How hard was it to pull off?

TLDR; maybe I am worrying too much and just need to jump in to trucking since I'm not currently happy lol Who knows, maybe I could build some cool trucking apps!

I did exactly that. Private CDL training and took the weekend course. Which was also during the holiday/winter time. We actually missed a few days during that stretch for holidays and snow storms. So it got extended out. However I still had no problems getting my license. In fact I passed the first time out and still had two weekends to go before I finished the class, which I obviously didn't have to finish. I got what I needed. I had to take weekend courses to maintain my regular Monday thru Friday job. It may not be for everyone but I think it more depends on your level of retention. If you think you can retain the info and manuevers you learned the previous week then go for it. If not just go for the regular course.

So, I am wondering about your work options once you finished private school. Did you get more than one offer while in school? How long did they want you to be with a trainer and what was the pay like?

Thanks everyone! I'm still reading through and digesting all of the information you all posted, but I really am starting to come to the realization that I should probably just jump in with both feet and quit this current job to go to company sponsored school. The info that Susan and Rainy D posted really makes sense. Especially the part about how companies will pre-qualify you, before you totally commit and then later find out you don't qualify for some reason. I'm still considering Werner for the company sponsored route. The guy I was talking to says he is a team driver and is gone for about 3 days at a time. He said it wasn't long haul, so I am guessing it's regional? I don't think it's the Dollar Store account like some have warned against. I'd probably be inclined to take your advice and avoid that account to start with, although I am not afraid of a challenge, and have definitely unloaded a truck or two in the past/am in good physical condition. It's the difficult backing situations that I'd want to avoid starting out, for sure.

I went to a private school, did the 8 weekends. It took me a little extra time to get my liscense (I tested 4 times), but I got it. Then went with Werner and they gave me tuition reimbursement. I've been with them for 2 1/2 years now, 2 of those years on dollar general.

What were you doing for the first 1/2 year?

Alright you guys have me leaning back toward paid training lol...I was considering Werner before. A friend of a friend went through their program about a year ago and has worked for them ever since. He said he's already made 75K+ on just his first year as a team driver and has been loving every minute of it. He said he tried C.R. England before that and it didn't work out, but he would go back to Werner again in a heartbeat if he had to do it all over again. Werner is also local, so I would not have to travel for the classes. The downside would be that he said they don't pay for your class weeks, just the training weeks...seems worth it if I can make anything close to what he has made his first year already, though. I was surprised that he had such a good review of them, based on all the bad things I read about them(I guess once again, that's internet reviews for you...)

Old school and bobcat are right on the money. Just not an ideal situation at all. Also Reddit is full of Bozo's and freaks who comment on whatever they want. All of what you've heard is incorrect. At least for me. Nothing will be inflated that is false. I went through paid CDL training with Schneider and the contract is black and white. Either you drive for a year and owe nothing or don't drive for the year and will owe some money back. I was one who didn't finish the full year. Only 3 months and they way undercharged me what they should of. They pretty much split the difference with me. I was shocked. Went on a payment plan and knocked it out inbut3 months. And the 3 one same thing man not true at all you are going to be treated just like any other driver. Your dispatcher will not have a clue how you got your cdl and could care less.

I totally agree with you about the amount of bozo's on Reddit lol...If you ever have any doubts, just head on over to the politics section and see what most of them are talking about :) Do you mind sharing what the cost was after leaving your paid training in three months? The class I was looking at through roadmaster appears to be about 5,000 up front. It still is kind of appealing, because they offer the weekend training...so right now I think I pretty much have my decision narrowed down to either signing up with Werner and doing their four week paid training program, or doing roadmaster on the weekends for 8 weeks while I work my current job, and then getting on with one of the companies who they are affiliated with. It's a tough choice.