Company Sponsored Vs. Private CDL Schools
Topic 11469 | Page 1
Here are some links that may help:
Truck Driver's Career Guide for the "Big Picture".
Company-Sponsored Training vs Truck Driving Schools
Also: How To Choose A School and How To Choose A Company
What is the best path for getting your CDL , training, and assuring you get a job?
Getting a job is not going to be a problem. There is a huge demand to get qualified drivers into trucks.
I went through the Swift Academy, a company sponsored school. Since the company wants to get the students on the road ASAP, there is a bit more pressure to get through the course. But if your son in law is ex military, that should not really be a problem.
As for financing, both private schools and company Schools will commit you to a tuition of several thousand dollars. However, a trucking company that hires that student will most probably pick up the tab. The only obligation is to work for that company usually for about a year.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
SAP:
Substance Abuse Professional
The Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.
Company-sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
I am not a trucker. I am also considering getting a CDL. Jobs are ubiquitous and fairly easily obtainable, even with limited experience. If he can get grants, loans, or pay out-of-pocket, I think a well-respected driving school would be the best option. That way, he can pick and choose the jobs he wants to apply for. If he chooses company sponsored training , he will need to sign a one-year contract and will be at their mercy. The pay will be low, the routes indeterminate, and his home time not guaranteed.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Company Sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
He will need to sign a one-year contract and will be at their mercy. The pay will be low, the routes indeterminate, and his home time not guaranteed.
Bwahahaha! You are at my mercy now!
Not really. You may Choose A Company first, and the company school is just an extra benefit.
Starting pay for all new truckers, regardless of company, is pretty much as competitive as it will get. Which means low end of the scale. As for routes, you will drive in the company's work area, whether its regional or national depending on the company. As for home time, that is a ratio of about one day home for every 5 to 7 days driving. So if you drive for several weeks in a row, you will also get a couple of days off in a row at home. BTW, there is also what are called 34 hour breaks which does not count as home time but it is about a day and a half to stop and rest up. That would be part of your driving duty.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
I suppose the concern I have, Errol, is based upon the reviews I have seen. It is difficult to determine the veracity of the claims, but they are alarming. People who have done the company-sponsored training have claimed they drove 3-4 months without any home time. Others have claimed drawing $300 paychecks for 70 hours work and seeing truckers eating out if dumpsters due to insufficient funds. I know it sounds a bit over the top, but such claims certainly warrant discussion, even if they are unfounded.
Company-sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
My son-in-law is getting out of the Army in 2 weeks and wants to get in to trucking. He will be moving to Tulsa, OK. What is the best path for getting your CDL , training, and assuring you get a job? He spoke with Swift about the company sponsored training but has also talked with a recruiter at Roadmasters here in Tulsa. Not sure which is best?
As a vet myself i would say have him go to a private school he can use his GI bill to pay for the school and they will also pay him a prorated amount of BAH while he is in school so he can still get some cash flow while he is training. He can email me at pv2garver@gmail.com or can get ahold of me on here if he has any questions and I'll help him with any info I can and from one vet to another tell him I said thank you for his service.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.Company Sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.
Russ, here are few different ways to look at the negative reviews you run across:
Statistically: For every negative review you read, there are probably 3000 drivers that are doing just fine, thank you.
Psychologically If you are doing just fine in your job, you really don't have much reason to tell the world. But if something pushed you the wrong way, you feel you must get out the bad news and tell everyone how badly you were treated. And you just might exaggerate just a bit.
Personally, I just read the negative reviews as entertainment. For fun, do a search here for "BBQ guy", a negative reviewer that made our Hall of Fame!
Thanks, Errol. I appreciate the information and the interaction
I see you are an erstwhile didact. I, too, am a licensed educator, secondary English. I knew from the quality of your responses that truck driving is not your first rodeo.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
Yeah, i'm the resident math instructor here. Ten years of public middle school. Be careful about getting to the rarified level of high falutin' vocabulary! "Erstwhile didact", indeed!
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
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My son-in-law is getting out of the Army in 2 weeks and wants to get in to trucking. He will be moving to Tulsa, OK. What is the best path for getting your CDL , training, and assuring you get a job? He spoke with Swift about the company sponsored training but has also talked with a recruiter at Roadmasters here in Tulsa. Not sure which is best?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.Company Sponsored Training:
A Company-Sponsored Training Program is a school that is owned and operated by a trucking company.
The schooling often requires little or no money up front. Instead of paying up-front tuition you will sign an agreement to work for the company for a specified amount of time after graduation, usually around a year, at a slightly lower rate of pay in order to pay for the training.
If you choose to quit working for the company before your year is up, they will normally require you to pay back a prorated amount of money for the schooling. The amount you pay back will be comparable to what you would have paid if you went to an independently owned school.
Company-sponsored training can be an excellent way to get your career underway if you can't afford the tuition up front for private schooling.