Paid CDL School & The Big Boys
Topic 20889 | Page 1
Start with our starter pack.
- Truck Driver's Career Guide
- Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
- High Road Training Program
Then look here. Paid CDL Training Programs Also, read training diaries on this site. That will help you know what to expect. Problems that may arise and how to deal with them. The more you know before hand the better off you will be. You may also be interested in
- 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"
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.
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.
Welcome to the forum Dan. The basic answer to your question is yes; Paid CDL Training Programs are all similar. All will get the job done. And all require a student driver be 100% committed to learning, willing to put forth a concerted effort and focus throughout schooling, then road training.
My schooling and training was with Swift; fast forward five years I am still driving for them on a NE regional Dedicated Walmart account.
I suggest investing some quality time reviewing and studying the links Big Scott replied with. Also checking out some of the active threads in the diaries section. Several current/active Swift and Prime threads are at the top of the stack. Much can be learned by reading the trials, tribulations and triumphs of others.
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.
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.
Thank you for the replies guys
I can't find Schneider on the CDL school list. Am I looking in the wrong place?
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.
Schneider does not currently offer company sponsored training. I suggest a quick trip to their website to see what schools they are currently affiliated with and what financial terms are offered. I do know they have a tuition reimbursement program.
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.
G-town...
After an hour on the telephone with Schneider today, they darn near were at the front gate to take me to school in Alabama. It was some hard-core pressure techniques.. But Schneider definitely sends you to school on their dime.
G-town...
After an hour on the telephone with Schneider today, they darn near were at the front gate to take me to school in Alabama. It was some hard-core pressure techniques.. But Schneider definitely sends you to school on their dime.
Good to know, thanks. It's likely not their company school or run by them. The net result, you likely won't notice the difference.
Good luck.
I “live” in Florida panhandle and went to school in Milton. I’ve also seen a school in Jacksonville and there may be others. After I graduated, I went OTR with Schneider. They were great and I left on good terms. Btw; I only left for a Southeast regional position. Schneider was rock-solid for me and I’d do it all again the same. And I started by doing the HRTP right here and got my permit before school.
Good luck!
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.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Steve,
You're probably the person I'm looking to talk to. I'm in Monticello.. I'm looking for any and all information I can get from someone fairly local.
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Hello from Florida gang. I'm completely new to this game, and haven't found quite what I was looking for on the board....So here it is.
I'm in N. Florida, and therefore schools are non-existent. No matter who I go with, it'll be a field trip to their training facility. Without mud slinging and jumping off of roofs, what are the pro's and con's for the big boys that offer CDL schooling? I will already say that CRE completely turned me off when the recruiter spoke in "non-identifying terms" and would not give an answer as something basic as a pay per mile. I understand some are better than others at home time and equipment.
I guess what I'm really kicking is.....Are they all about the same at the end of the day, just do your year and move on (if so desired)? Schneider came at me quick and hard for doing tankers with a darn-near commitment of $50k a year out of the gate.
Quick background on me, I come from law enforcement. So I have an extensive history in safety, CVE rules/regs and dealing with hazmat situations.
Thanks for the information in advance gang!!
Dan - FL
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
HAZMAT:
Hazardous Materials
Explosive, flammable, poisonous or otherwise potentially dangerous cargo. Large amounts of especially hazardous cargo are required to be placarded under HAZMAT regulations