About To Go To CDL School, But Hit Mailbox A Few Months Ago

Hey everyone, I have been working at Amazon as a delivery driver for the past 2-3 months. I've managed save $4,800 to pay for CDL school. I am planning on going through 160 Driving Academy. On my second day driving for Amazon, I turned out of a driveway and skimmed a mailbox. I called the police, and the cop said that luckily I just skimmed the van and there were no dents, and no points would be added to my license. The customer said his mailbox was in Ok condition as well. Later than day, I believe the DSP owner filed an insurance claim because after looking closer, the van was actually dented slightly. Luckily, I was not fired and allowed to continue driving. To this day, I have hit 0 things, and I always drive with extreme caution. Given this, do you think I will be able to find a job after CDL school with this driving incident? Outside this, I have not received any tickets for driving violations the past 5+ years. I just want an idea before handing over $4,800 to enroll in driving school this Friday. Thanks

Hello Blake,

Yes, you will probably be able to find a job.

BUT, re-think your plan. You don’t have to pay out $4800 to get your CDL and a job. Get accepted to a company that will train you, pay you, feed you and put you in a hotel during training.

Here are some links to get you started:

Apply For Paid CDL Training

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road CDL Training Program
• CDL Practice Tests

High Road CDL Training ProgramPaid CDL Training ProgramsPaid CDL Training ProgramsPaid CDL Training ProgramsApply For Paid CDL Training

Blake, BK has it right - many companies will finance your training as long as you contract to drive for them for a year or so.

Save your money and invest in long term bonds or try your luck at a no-limit Craps table, your choice.

DSP is not OTR trucking, so your little boo-boo may not follow/haunt you.

Read through BK's links, and don't be a stranger on the forum.

Thanks for the information and links, I will check these out later and see if I can find a way to get it paid.

Hello Blake,

Yes, you will probably be able to find a job.

BUT, re-think your plan. You don’t have to pay out $4800 to get your CDL and a job. Get accepted to a company that will train you, pay you, feed you and put you in a hotel during training.

Here are some links to get you started:

Apply For Paid CDL Training

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road CDL Training Program
• CDL Practice Tests

High Road CDL Training ProgramPaid CDL Training ProgramsPaid CDL Training ProgramsPaid CDL Training ProgramsApply For Paid CDL Training

Yes wayyyy better to save that stash to survive while in school and starting out on the road! Since starting pay will be lower, until you figure out how to maximize your drive time. Never rush, better to be minutes late by being more careful, than by some incident.

Learn to have LOTS of patience too. Suck up knowledge like a sponge. And keep your head on swivel while driving, it only takes a split second for things to go sideways out there. I had a couple VERY close calls when new, luckily, I was taking it slow and easy, and caught myself in my mirrors to avoid hitting something. Talk about an AHA ! moment, and close to a real butt puckering haha

Good luck, you have found the BEST place out here, to start learning from those links posted, as well as all the study guides they have here!!

Hiring has really dropped now. What if you spend the money and cant find a job? It's better to find a training company now than to get the CDL and not find a job.for whatever reason. Then u would have to go thru training all over again.