Be sure to look at Company Sponsored Training . I just finished training with Swift Transportation in Phoenix AZ. I had an Excellent experience. $3900.00 tuition with ZERO % interest, no money down. Virtually guaranteed a job after training. You sign a contract to work for them for 13 months. Payments on your loan are $37.50 per week, Swift matches that. After 13 months your tuition is paid in full. (you paid $1950.00). Stick around for an additional 13 months and they pay you back your $1950.00 (at $37.50 per week). It was a no brainer for me. $11,000.00 sounds like a complete rip off to me.
Good luck which ever road you decide to take!
(p.s. I go to Orientation next Monday)
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.
Be sure to look at Company Sponsored Training. I just finished training with Swift in Phoenix AZ. I had an Excellent experience. $3900.00 tuition with ZERO % interest, no money down. Virtually guaranteed a job after training. You sign a contract to work for them for 13 months. Payments on your loan are $37.50 per week, Swift matches that. After 13 months your tuition is paid in full. (you paid $1950.00). Stick around for an additional 13 months and they pay you back your $1950.00 (at $37.50 per week). It was a no brainer for me. $11,000.00 sounds like a complete rip off to me.
Good luck which ever road you decide to take!
(p.s. I go to Orientation next Monday)
That's another good option! Thank you.
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.
Be sure to look at Company Sponsored Training. I just finished training with Swift in Phoenix AZ. I had an Excellent experience. $3900.00 tuition with ZERO % interest, no money down. Virtually guaranteed a job after training. You sign a contract to work for them for 13 months. Payments on your loan are $37.50 per week, Swift matches that. After 13 months your tuition is paid in full. (you paid $1950.00). Stick around for an additional 13 months and they pay you back your $1950.00 (at $37.50 per week). It was a no brainer for me. $11,000.00 sounds like a complete rip off to me.
Good luck which ever road you decide to take!
(p.s. I go to Orientation next Monday)
I know that company sponsored training is a lot shorter...I worry that I would be fully prepared to drive a big rig after 20 or so days.
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.
It really doesn't matter how long the schooling is. The only thing the school is good for is to teach you enough to pass the test. I didn't feel ready when I was done with schooling and then I went to my company and they put me in a truck with a trainer for 2 weeks and then put me in my own truck. The point is as long as the school teaches you enough to pass the cdl exam your good. Your never really going to feel ready to tackle it until you actually have to. I hope my rambling makes sense lol.
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
I know that company sponsored training is a lot shorter...I worry that I would be fully prepared to drive a big rig after 20 or so days.
Training is a minimum 160 hours of classroom and range practice. Yes, that's three weeks or so.
You should be able to pass the CDL road/ skills test. Passing the skills test means you can legally drive a semi, but you will still need to take road training.
Then your company will count a certain number of hours behind the wheel with a trainer, or count miles driven with a trainer. Then you are good enough to drive a truck without any help.
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
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.
On a side note, how much can i expect to earn as a rookie first year driver? PAM Transport says around $50,000 a year whereas Stevens Transport says closer to $30,000 a year. What can I honestly expect?
On a side note, how much can i expect to earn as a rookie first year driver? PAM Transport says around $50,000 a year whereas Stevens Transport says closer to $30,000 a year. What can I honestly expect?
Never mind, just read an article on here saying its between $30,000 and $40,000 a year. Still, not sure how PAM is figuring $50,000 in the first year. Sounds like false advertising.
Hey Alex, make sure you go through our The Complete Guide To A Career In Trucking before you make any commitments. We have a ton of information on choosing a school, choosing a company to work for, and a million other topics that will help you get your career off to a great start.
Still, not sure how PAM is figuring $50,000 in the first year.
I'm sure it said, "Up to $50,000" which of course means you'll likely make $35,000 or so that first year like most new drivers.
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Hello!
I plan on going to CDL school soon. There are three different schools that offer to train me in this area, two private and one from a public trade school. Private school "A" takes 20 weeks but their tuition is $11,000. Private school "B" is 5 weeks and $5,000. Finally, the public trade school is 16 weeks and $1,600. I was pretty much planning on going to the trade school since it is the most affordable and because I think I will need more than 5 weeks of training to feel ready to drive a diesel.
Anyways, the trade school starts August 22. Should I start applying to companies now? Will they know that I am applying for pre-hire letters and not employment, since I do not even have my CDL yet?
Should I apply to companies all over the country? Or just companies that are in my area? In your experience, do companies let you take your truck home? I ask because I would hate to spend most of my "home time" driving from the terminal just to get to my house. I live in an area that doesn't really have a lot of companies, most are hundreds of miles away.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
Pre-hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.