Company Sponsorship Or School?

Topic 20123 | Page 1

Page 1 of 1
Chris eff's Comment
member avatar

Hey friends I'm ready to start my career in trucking. My first stop is training..... I have a few options on the table but it's hard to decide which is best. The main thing is which is better for my career? Two months in trucking school? Or A sponsored training program? (17 days). It's almost seems like a balanced table... the sponsorship trains me faster but then I have to team for at least 6 months... (which could be horrible depending on the person.)

School would train me longer but that's the longer I have to worry about paying bills and then to not possibly get into a good paying company on top of the $7k I'll put myself in debt.

I'm signed up with c.r. England for sponsored training. They say once I finish training I'll be hitting the road...i don't know when I'll get home time. On top of everything else has anybody here trained with or driven for c.r. England?

Trucker Kearsey 's Comment
member avatar

I'm going to be honest...you don't have to team for 6 months at most companies. And CR England pays less than most other companies while Prime and Swift will pay more and give training that is just as good if not better.

Check out the links below about sponsored training, read come of the CDL diaries that give you a first hand look into training by real drivers at various companies.

Paid CDL Training Programs

Trucking Company Reviews

CDL Training Diaries

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.
Tim F.'s Comment
member avatar

Chris, it doesn't seem like you signed on with CR England. More than likely you received a pre-hire. I agree with what Rainy said above. If your not fully sign with England, I would search for more opportunities. I definitely go with company sponsored training vs paying for school. Good luck.

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.

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.

C T.'s Comment
member avatar

I'll have to agree with rainy here. Not to bash cr England by any means. We've had a number of drivers come here trying to find a way out of there. Not that they're a bad company, but teaming was not something the drivers expected or just underestimated. I'd definitely recommend doing more research on them before you sign anything. Also, your 3rd option, which I did, is community college. They are typically much cheaper than private school but usually longer in my experience anyway. All in all, do your homework and find a company or school that fits you

Chris eff's Comment
member avatar

Thanks guys doing more searching.

Steve L.'s Comment
member avatar

I went to "private" school, Truck Driver Institute (TDI) and was done in 17 days AND I could go to any company. I went with Schneider. I did this because Schneider was where I wanted to go and they didn't offer CDL training in my area. I considered many other companies prior to making my decision.

Whatever route you go, commit 100% to it and take your positive attitude. Also, wherever you decide to go EXPECT you will stay with that company at least 18 months.

Good luck!

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.
Trucker Kearsey 's Comment
member avatar

Understand you should stay at your first company a full year, so signing a contract for school isn't that big of a deal. Some companies have you pay a portion once you are hired that you get back once you complete the contract. Others have you pay nothing unless you quit before the contract is up. The first year is important for many reasons, one being the company that trains you will be more understanding when it comes to accidents and incidents.

Teaming is common once you get the CDL. If you go through Primes school, you team for 30,000 truck miles. If you go with your CDL you must do 40,000 team miles. Other companies like Swift will have you train for a certain number of hours rather than miles.

So be sure to ask us any questions ;)

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.
Chris eff's Comment
member avatar

So in team driving is there likely to be a bunk bed or one that we share? Less important but curious.

Brett Aquila's Comment
member avatar

So in team driving is there likely to be a bunk bed or one that we share? Less important but curious.

There will be bunk beds. You'll each have your own. Unfortunately most companies don't allow anyone to sleep in the top bunk while the truck is moving because of the danger of someone flying out of the bunk and crashing to the ground under heavy braking. So you both may have to use the bottom bunk if you're sleeping while the other is driving.

Page 1 of 1

New Reply:

New! Check out our help videos for a better understanding of our forum features

Bold
Italic
Underline
Quote
Photo
Link
Smiley
Links On TruckingTruth


example: TruckingTruth Homepage



example: https://www.truckingtruth.com
Submit
Cancel
Upload New Photo
Please enter a caption of one sentence or less:

Click on any of the buttons below to insert a link to that section of TruckingTruth:

Getting Started In Trucking High Road Training Program Company-Sponsored Training Programs Apply For Company-Sponsored Training Truck Driver's Career Guide Choosing A School Choosing A Company Truck Driving Schools Truck Driving Jobs Apply For Truck Driving Jobs DOT Physical Drug Testing Items To Pack Pre-Hire Letters CDL Practice Tests Trucking Company Reviews Brett's Book Leasing A Truck Pre-Trip Inspection Learn The Logbook Rules Sleep Apnea
Done
Done

0 characters so far - 5,500 maximum allowed.
Submit Preview

Preview:

Submit
Cancel

Why Join Trucking Truth?

We have an awesome set of tools that will help you understand the trucking industry and prepare for a great start to your trucking career. Not only that, but everything we offer here at TruckingTruth is 100% free - no strings attached! Sign up now and get instant access to our member's section:
High Road Training Program Logo
  • The High Road Training Program
  • The High Road Article Series
  • The Friendliest Trucker's Forum Ever!
  • Email Updates When New Articles Are Posted

Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth

Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:

Apply For Paid CDL Training