Company Sponsored School Choices

Hello All.

I was just wondering if I could get some opinions on company CDL schools. Right now I have an offer from Millis and C.R. England. Normally after looking at C.R. Englands financing I would just go with Millis, however I was told by the recruiter that, for whatever reason, C.R. would waive my admission fee and forgive the just-shy-of-4k school cost after nine months of driving for them. Is this on the up and up? When would be the time to get that in writing? I assume I want that promise in writing, yeah?

What are there haul lengths? What one will pay better? Any POSITIVE things to say about either company? I understand that I can ask a recruiter theses questions...and I have, but a healthy distrust of sweet words and big trucks hasn't killed me yet!

CR England is playin' the word game with you....ALL trucking companies who run you thru their schools have you PAY back the tuition by contracting to drive for them for a given amount of time, or a certain amount of miles. CR England just put a word spin on the same old deal. Having said that....have you checked into the WIA program ?? it pays for your school, and you don't have to pay it back. They have a lit of schools that they ok...So check into that, any programs thru the VA ( I know they have them), thru the employment division...community colleges,.check around to see if whats out there is better than going with a trucking company school...you do have options, you just have to look for them !!

Starcar, I disagree with you about England playing the word game with him.

Companies do this all the time. I went through Central and I got my tuition waived for signing on during their promotional week. Central deducts 51.57$ per paycheck to pay for schooling but I get it reimbursed. I paid nothing out of pocket to get training and a job.

Just make sure you get it in writing. You cannot ever trust words spoken on a phone, you need proof. When I started school I signed the contract but I also signed a different paper that stated that I would be getting reimbursed for the schooling. If you do not get it in writing then do not trust it. But this tuition-free schooling does exist.

England and Millis both haul refrigerated. So obviously that's what you'll be hauling.

After comparing the two here's what I found:

Millis has a far better starting pay and pay increases more often. Millis offers paid vacation after being employed for 6 months. Millis provides holiday pay and a small sign-on bonus.

Millis does not provide detention pay from the looks of it and their 'additional stop' pay is extremely low.

So there's a few ups and downs for both companies. In the end it's up to you and your attitude. You can succeed at both companies. But if I had to choose, I would go to Millis in a heartbeat. I've always been interested in them and every driver I spoke that drives for them said they refuse to go anywhere else. The decision is up to you and like I said, it's you who will ultimately be the deciding factor.

Roehl is similar, but the main difference is there is no contract. The tution is 2800 and after 60,000 solo miles they deduct a big chunk, then every 10K they deduct more off. At 120K it's completly forgiven. Depending on your fleet assignment, but basically a little over a year to pay off, for the lack of a better term. There is no payroll deduction from your check. Or your other option is you can just write them a check and be done with it.

Well I guess I didn't quite put it the way I was thinking it...But in a nut shell, whether it be by less CPM , money taken out per pay period, or a contract to drive X amount of miles or months....one way or another you end up paying for your schooling. If they offered free schooling with no contract, or not in black and white...people who couldn't afford private schools, and didn't want to be tied to a trucking company to pay it off, would be flocking to a "free CDL school". There is always a hook in every piece of bait.

Well I guess I didn't quite put it the way I was thinking it...But in a nut shell, whether it be by less CPM , money taken out per pay period, or a contract to drive X amount of miles or months....one way or another you end up paying for your schooling. If they offered free schooling with no contract, or not in black and white...people who couldn't afford private schools, and didn't want to be tied to a trucking company to pay it off, would be flocking to a "free CDL school". There is always a hook in every piece of bait.

Exactly!

Thanks for all the info! I have let them know that until I get it in writing I will not be attending. Now I am assuming that even if Millis has less miles per run the 40 cpm will even out versus C.R.s 24 cpm? Or are there factors in pay I'm not taking into account?

Here is some interesting information for those in California and collecting unemployment. I just got a grant form CA for the entire amount of my truck school tuition. They have from a federal gran $5000 per unemployed in CA. (There may be some other qualification other than just unemployed, perhaps a veteran status is also required)Regardless if you are from CA and are collecting unemployment there is a strong possibility of getting qualified for this grant. I believe it s WIA funding. There are qualified schools that you must chose from. They are generally the best ones from my research.