My Local CDL School Shut Down.

I’ve been out in West Texas for past 8 months working to pay off some bills and save enough to enroll in the CDL program at a local community college 5 minutes from home.

Called Friday to find out they haven’t had anyone (they need a minimum of 4-5) enroll in past 6-8 months so the program may be shut down. Guess I should have kept in touch, but for past couple of years there was a flippin waiting list...now nothin.

Now I’m researching my options of paying up front for a company sponsored program. I see many of the company school profiles here give a payout amount associated with the school, but I’m worried I’m still going to be on the hook to them somehow/someway.

What are the advantages/disadvantages of this idea? What is my obligation after completion of the course? I'm guessing most will hold my certificate until I spend some time with them anyway? I’m guessing I need to save up also for room/board as well if I go this route?

Sushi, first try to shake off the "training wheels company" concept. The company that sponsors you for school is expecting to hire you as a driver. True, you'll need to repay the school tuition, and that will happen either the easy way - drive for your company with payroll deduction, or the hard way - you leave the company and you must pay the full amount or they start collection on you.

So your best bet is to choose a company you plan to stay with. Sure you can jump ship after your first year, but you'll find a great many TTers and others stay with the company that hired them.

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Expect to pay for the school one way or another.

As to your advantages/ disadvantages question:

Advantages: very little out-of-pocket for you. Mostly your physical and license. You're all but hired when you are accepted in the school.

Disadvantages: you need to work off the tuition. It's not "slave labor" or anything. The company covered the school and you're paying it back. This should be almost painless.

Some schools do have you sign a non-compete clause, and if you quit too soon, you can't drive till they get paid.

Make your choice at the get-go wisely, stick with your first company. You should do well.

Paid CDL Training Programs

• Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing Your First Truck Driving Job
• Article Category: Finding The Right Truck Driving Job
• Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Trucking Company"

I’m worried I’m still going to be on the hook to them somehow/someway.

Sushi Boy, that's odd. In a Company-Sponsored Training Program, they have committed themselves to you.

They are going to pay for your transportation to their school, they are going to pay for your training, they are providing you a truck to both learn and test in, they are going to pay for your housing while there. They are laying out a lot of cash just to help you get a job. They are taking a huge risk on you, an unproven rookie who is apparently unnerved by commitment.

The beauty of these programs is that all you are committed to is showing up and doing your job like a professional. Who wouldn't want to be willing to keep showing up and doing their job for a year?

I really don't get the fear of commitment that folks express concerning these training programs. The company takes on the greatest risk. They lay out all the money to pay for your new career, while you get to enjoy all the benefits of having a good paying job with a steady paycheck.

Sushi, first try to shake off the "training wheels company" concept. The company that sponsors you for school is expecting to hire you as a driver. True, you'll need to repay the school tuition, and that will happen either the easy way - drive for your company with payroll deduction, or the hard way - you leave the company and you must pay the full amount or they start collection on you.

So your best bet is to choose a company you plan to stay with. Sure you can jump ship after your first year, but you'll find a great many TTers and others stay with the company that hired them.

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Expect to pay for the school one way or another.

As to your advantages/ disadvantages question:

Advantages: very little out-of-pocket for you. Mostly your physical and license. You're all but hired when you are accepted in the school.

Disadvantages: you need to work off the tuition. It's not "slave labor" or anything. The company covered the school and you're paying it back. This should be almost painless.

Some schools do have you sign a non-compete clause, and if you quit too soon, you can't drive till they get paid.

Make your choice at the get-go wisely, stick with your first company. You should do well.

Paid CDL Training Programs

• Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing Your First Truck Driving Job
• Article Category: Finding The Right Truck Driving Job
• Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Trucking Company"

I agree. My only reasoning for initially going with the local school was I had a better chance of finding a local company near home that will give me a shot at going tanker or flatbed.

Going the company sponsored route will limit me to only whats available in my area with the given company, which back then, was mostly dry van or reefer.

I still haven't looked into whats available currently, but when I was first looking that was all they would offer. Maybe things have changed since then.

Thanks.

I’m worried I’m still going to be on the hook to them somehow/someway.

Sushi Boy, that's odd. In a Company-Sponsored Training Program, they have committed themselves to you.

They are going to pay for your transportation to their school, they are going to pay for your training, they are providing you a truck to both learn and test in, they are going to pay for your housing while there. They are laying out a lot of cash just to help you get a job. They are taking a huge risk on you, an unproven rookie who is apparently unnerved by commitment.

The beauty of these programs is that all you are committed to is showing up and doing your job like a professional. Who wouldn't want to be willing to keep showing up and doing their job for a year?

I really don't get the fear of commitment that folks express concerning these training programs. The company takes on the greatest risk. They lay out all the money to pay for your new career, while you get to enjoy all the benefits of having a good paying job with a steady paycheck.

I won't lie, SOME of my fear is commitment specific to many of the horror stories I've read. That's why I figured I'd go the private school route like many advised IF you had the means to do so. But most of my thinking centered around having a better chance at driving for somewhere closer to home. I'm not so sure any of that possible if I commit to a mega school.

Very few local companies will take someone right out of school. No matter where you get your CDL. We recommend getting all of your endorsements. I went with CFI company sponsored training. They require you to get your permit and med card before you go to training. They will reimburse you for your hazmat background check and licence. Once you have your CDL and finish your road training, you only owe one year of service to them. They figure the total owed divided by 12. Every month you drive for them is 1/12th off what's owed. I think you can pay them up front. They only pull dry van. As far as you wanting flatbed or tanker, Prime, Swift and Schnieder all offer those options. I think Rohel offers flatbed. I agree that you should find a company that you think you can stay with for the long term. Good luck.

Truth time....the horror stories are from people who did not research or talk to us first! Lol they had unrealistic expectations and gave up on the company and bad mouthed them...often to go on to other companies and find the same situation.

Read the links on this site about the trucking lifestyle. You would have spent the money on a local school only to find out that without a year of OTR or regional...local jobs would be slim to none. Regardless of where you get your CDL , you still need extensive training. For insurance reasons smaller companies require at least a year OTR and trust me when I tell you, local, regional and dedicated can be a nightmare for new drivers.

Many of us here started with the "starter" companies and found a home. Sometimes our feathers get ruffled if someone thinks one company is better...cause they are all great... And that creates loyalty. But one will be better for YOU than another.

I went to Prime. Paid $155 up front, signed a contract for $3800 (I think, don't really remember). I paid nothing at all as long as I stayed one year. On the day I tested for my CDL I signed the employment papers and went out with a team trainer. I then started getting paid $700 per week gross until I drove 30,000 TEAM miles. Then went solo. Any money I needed for chains, TWIC card, locks and such were advanced to me which I paid back in weekly payments. The pet deposit for my cat was taken in weekly payments as well.

Advantages of company sponsored school:

Driving in all sorts of weather, downgrades, cities, times of day and night, various traffic.

Think about the fact that in a local school you know the roads. You might be in a flat area and never have driven hills or.mountains. what about in a rural area with no traffic?

With my permit I drove mountains, Atlanta, St Louis, Chicago, Detroit, and all over the Northeast. I switched from day to night and it was all done one on one with a trainer. We left the terminal and didn't come back for three weeks. In that time I drove almost 10,000 miles. I absolutely felt confident I would pass the driving and pretrip but I still sucked at backing. Even with a one on one trainer.

Many local schools have older equipment, and coukd be nothing **** what you will drive once emoloyed. The mega carriers have the best and newest trucks. You are trained on equipment you will.most likely be driving. I was trained on two Cascadias and a Pete. My first truck was a 2015 cascadia, which I put 150,000 miles on then traded it in for a 2016 Cascadia.

Another important advantage for me is that I met a ton of experienced drivers at the terminal---all willing to give out their phone numbers to answer the questions of a rookie in need! We all totally help each other...its awesome.

When comparing my experience to my friend who shared one truck with five students... Who only got to drive two hours a week and back about three tries a class...I know I got a Much better education and experience. Plus, he paid $6500 and I paid $155.

Then guess what..he wanted to find a local job and couldn't. Anything he could find paid so little it wasn't worth leaving his current job for. Now its been so long, his certificate is no good and he will have to start all over again, wasting his time and thousands of dollars.

Something else people don't think about is that schools recruit to.make money. They tell you anything..."that DUI is old and doesn't matter...you haven't worked in 8 years, no big deal...you just got paroled for armed robbery, no worries". All BS.

Companies hire based on their own policies and just because you have a CDL doesn't mean you will get hired with a blemished background. You could. But it night make things much more difficult than you think. Going straight to a company knocks out all those headaches and you find the hurdles right away.

Some will give you the "if I go to a local school I'm a free agent and can go to any company instead of a contract".

True. But jump.from company to company and you say to potential future employers that you won't stay with them either. Have a rookie accident at your first company and if will be forgiven much quicker than at a second or third company who expects you to have experience and past that phase.

Read the CDL diary reviews and the links about the programs.

Very few local companies will take someone right out of school. No matter where you get your CDL. We recommend getting all of your endorsements. I went with CFI company sponsored training. They require you to get your permit and med card before you go to training. They will reimburse you for your hazmat background check and licence. Once you have your CDL and finish your road training, you only owe one year of service to them. They figure the total owed divided by 12. Every month you drive for them is 1/12th off what's owed. I think you can pay them up front. They only pull dry van. As far as you wanting flatbed or tanker, Prime, Swift and Schnieder all offer those options. I think Rohel offers flatbed. I agree that you should find a company that you think you can stay with for the long term. Good luck.

That's why this whole situation is somewhat bittersweet. Before I left for Texas, I scouted all the local companies that were open to hiring students from this school.

Tomorrow I'm making the rounds to speak with a few of them before switching gears and moving towards company sponsored training.

I guess its possible some of them stopped hiring students which left the school with limited local job placements.

Thanks for the CFI info.

Truth time....the horror stories are from people who did not research or talk to us first! Lol they had unrealistic expectations and gave up on the company and bad mouthed them...often to go on to other companies and find the same situation.

Read the links on this site about the trucking lifestyle. You would have spent the money on a local school only to find out that without a year of OTR or regional...local jobs would be slim to none. Regardless of where you get your CDL , you still need extensive training. For insurance reasons smaller companies require at least a year OTR and trust me when I tell you, local, regional and dedicated can be a nightmare for new drivers.

Many of us here started with the "starter" companies and found a home. Sometimes our feathers get ruffled if someone thinks one company is better...cause they are all great... And that creates loyalty. But one will be better for YOU than another.

I went to Prime. Paid $155 up front, signed a contract for $3800 (I think, don't really remember). I paid nothing at all as long as I stayed one year. On the day I tested for my CDL I signed the employment papers and went out with a team trainer. I then started getting paid $700 per week gross until I drove 30,000 TEAM miles. Then went solo. Any money I needed for chains, TWIC card, locks and such were advanced to me which I paid back in weekly payments. The pet deposit for my cat was taken in weekly payments as well.

Advantages of company sponsored school:

Driving in all sorts of weather, downgrades, cities, times of day and night, various traffic.

Think about the fact that in a local school you know the roads. You might be in a flat area and never have driven hills or.mountains. what about in a rural area with no traffic?

With my permit I drove mountains, Atlanta, St Louis, Chicago, Detroit, and all over the Northeast. I switched from day to night and it was all done one on one with a trainer. We left the terminal and didn't come back for three weeks. In that time I drove almost 10,000 miles. I absolutely felt confident I would pass the driving and pretrip but I still sucked at backing. Even with a one on one trainer.

Many local schools have older equipment, and coukd be nothing **** what you will drive once emoloyed. The mega carriers have the best and newest trucks. You are trained on equipment you will.most likely be driving. I was trained on two Cascadias and a Pete. My first truck was a 2015 cascadia, which I put 150,000 miles on then traded it in for a 2016 Cascadia.

Another important advantage for me is that I met a ton of experienced drivers at the terminal---all willing to give out their phone numbers to answer the questions of a rookie in need! We all totally help each other...its awesome.

When comparing my experience to my friend who shared one truck with five students... Who only got to drive two hours a week and back about three tries a class...I know I got a Much better education and experience. Plus, he paid $6500 and I paid $155.

Then guess what..he wanted to find a local job and couldn't. Anything he could find paid so little it wasn't worth leaving his current job for. Now its been so long, his certificate is no good and he will have to start all over again, wasting his time and thousands of dollars.

Something else people don't think about is that schools recruit to.make money. They tell you anything..."that DUI is old and doesn't matter...you haven't worked in 8 years, no big deal...you just got paroled for armed robbery, no worries". All BS.

Companies hire based on their own policies and just because you have a CDL doesn't mean you will get hired with a blemished background. You could. But it night make things much more difficult than you think. Going straight to a company knocks out all those headaches and you find the hurdles right away.

Some will give you the "if I go to a local school I'm a free agent and can go to any company instead of a contract".

True. But jump.from company to company and you say to potential future employers that you won't stay with them either. Have a rookie accident at your first company and if will be forgiven much quicker than at a second or third company who expects you to have experience and past that phase.

Read the CDL diary reviews and the links about the programs.

Definitely a lot to consider. I was leaning towards Prime before I got called back to work but they were only offering reefer at the time. And I'm not opposed to reefer if its my only option but I was planning to go a different route after I finished at this school. I've read many of your posts before and am confident in your opinion of them. Thanks for the advice and feedback.

Prime, swift, whoever...if you choose a company with several divisions and dedicated routes you have more options in the same company. That means a lot when you get out there and prove yourself.

For example, you come to prime and test out in reefer , but then you find a trainer to let you change to flatbed. Turtle here runs FB and is doing great!

Same with Swift..go FB there but then decide intermodal or dedicated is your cup of tea later down the road.

If you have been reading then you know local gigs are very tight and difficult for newbies to maneuver. The time crunch puts pressure on, plus some routes have you unloading the trucks yourself. All that is stressful exhausting and increases your chances for an accident or two.

Keep all that in mind and good luck!

I can't wait to see what u decide .