Quick Questions
Topic 3988 | Page 1
It all really depends on your financial preferences. You will pay more at a private school, but, you will also have choices in companies to drive for. Not so with a company sponsored school. I did the private school and am really glad I did. I drive for a good company and have for almost a year now (my first choice by the way). To me, it was the right choice because I am intolerant of being treated like crap and from what I hear, when a company has "paid" for your training they "own" you for up to a year. No way in ...
My children are all grown, and i am single now. i have looked at the majority of the company schools and called several but it appears that the only ones really available to me are Swift and Central because i live in Oregon. Most are in the mid west or east coast area.
Diana, have the other Company-Sponsored Training programs told you they can't hire you from Oregon, or are you just thinking it's too far to travel? Most of these programs will take you as long as you live in a state that is in their "hiring area". They will even pay your travel expenses (bus fare), and put you up in a hotel while you are at their school. I would look further into this if I were you. I went to a private school, but I've got to tell you that since that time I've decided the company sponsored programs are really a unique opportunity that should be investigated by anyone interested in making a start in this industry. You do not have to live anywhere near the company that you are working for. I live a thousand miles from my companies main offices. When you get ready to go home for a little break, you just let them know you need to get home and they will find you some freight that goes near your home so you can take a few days off - it's that simple.
It all really depends on your financial preferences. You will pay more at a private school, but, you will also have choices in companies to drive for. Not so with a company sponsored school. I did the private school and am really glad I did. I drive for a good company and have for almost a year now (my first choice by the way). To me, it was the right choice because I am intolerant of being treated like crap and from what I hear, when a company has "paid" for your training they "own" you for up to a year. No way in ...
Now, I've got to respectfully disagree with Rolling Thunder on this point. You still get to make a choice, you just make your choice before you go to school as opposed to making it after your schooling. Listen, not everybody has got an extra 5 or 6 thousand bucks laying around and even if they did they might want to hang on to it for something besides truck driving school. These company sponsored programs are not indentured servitude, they absolutely don't "own you", nor are they going to treat you like crap just because they can. Why in the world would they spend all the time, effort, and money they are going to invest in you just so they could treat you so badly that you are going to run away the first chance you get? They are doing this so that they can hopefully find a great employee who will help them serve their customers well. I would urge you to look into it further by following that link above and see if you can get into one of those programs. The really great thing about the training programs is that you are guaranteed a job when you are done with your training. We always recommend that you stick with that first job for one year anyway, so it shouldn't be looked upon as them "owning you", but rather as a commitment from you to really learning to be a professional, and then after you've done your one year commitment you are free to move on if you want to.
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.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
I contacted several places on that list but will make another attempt later today. With the exception of Swift and Central Refrigeration the others England and Knight sound like a nightmare experience, things like 18% interest extra. thanks for getting back to me. Diana
I would continue to do more research. I know swift has a school in Lewiston, ID(they did when I drove at least) which may be the location they send you.. swift isn't bad, good place to start with and get your feet on the ground. It could be the person you
Spoke to just doesn't care about the job and is just in it for the check..
Hey Diana I am at the 100 hour mark in my OTR training with Central. So far I am happy with the training. I do not however care for some of the policies Swift has put in place. If you are deciding between Swift and Central (negligible difference after the merger) I would recommend going with the Central side simply because of the personnel. The difference between Swift and Central is basically Swift is mainly dry van and Central is mainly refrigerated. I have stopped in swift terminals and really felt out of place. Of course you do have people that are just not friendly in all facets of life. But my experience in the training in west valley city Utah with central was very positive. Everyone was friendly and helpful. The training is fast paced which did end up biting some of the people who honestly just needed more time. As far as where you live, it really doesn't matter. We had a guy in my class from Alaska. They will pay for your transportation, pay for your hotel room and once you reach orientation they provide breakfast and lunch. The only expenses I had were food and washing clothes. The main thing I can tell you is that Swift/Central is not going to make you rich the first year. They will however give you a good start into the industry with very little up front cost. If you stay for a full year after training, your obligation for the cost of schooling is complete. If you stay for a second year then you end up being paid back for the cost of schooling.
Bottom line is that if you are a fast paced learner, you will come out with a foot in the door in the industry. As a rookie that is the overall goal in my opinion.
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
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.
Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.
Hey Diana I am at the 100 hour mark in my OTR training with Central. So far I am happy with the training. I do not however care for some of the policies Swift has put in place. If you are deciding between Swift and Central (negligible difference after the merger) I would recommend going with the Central side simply because of the personnel. The difference between Swift and Central is basically Swift is mainly dry van and Central is mainly refrigerated. I have stopped in swift terminals and really felt out of place. Of course you do have people that are just not friendly in all facets of life. But my experience in the training in west valley city Utah with central was very positive. Everyone was friendly and helpful. The training is fast paced which did end up biting some of the people who honestly just needed more time. As far as where you live, it really doesn't matter. We had a guy in my class from Alaska. They will pay for your transportation, pay for your hotel room and once you reach orientation they provide breakfast and lunch. The only expenses I had were food and washing clothes. The main thing I can tell you is that Swift/Central is not going to make you rich the first year. They will however give you a good start into the industry with very little up front cost. If you stay for a full year after training, your obligation for the cost of schooling is complete. If you stay for a second year then you end up being paid back for the cost of schooling.
Bottom line is that if you are a fast paced learner, you will come out with a foot in the door in the industry. As a rookie that is the overall goal in my opinion.
Swift and central merged?? Wow I've been out of this for way to long.. hahaha.. Just shows how different things change when your local.....
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
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.
Dry Van:
A trailer or truck that that requires no special attention, such as refrigeration, that hauls regular palletted, boxed, or floor-loaded freight. The most common type of trailer in trucking.New Reply:
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Hi all. my second question here since I am a newbie here. I am considering getting my CDL's. Have wanted to do this as long as I can remember. Always had things slow me down and change my mind, however; being married, having children mainly. My children are all grown, and i am single now. i have looked at the majority of the company schools and called several but it appears that the only ones really available to me are Swift and Central because i live in Oregon. Most are in the mid west or east coast area.
I have had my chauffers license till they changed the law, my father was a trucker and he always thought you needed a license, never knew when you might need it. I got my permit several years back, when the economcy fell apart and I just picked up the drivers guide from DMV. I had also gotten my Hazmat , triples and doubles , and the air brake endorsements before. I hear horror stories about backing and clutching. (my experience driving is very limited, driving an over sized fully loaded u-haul,(one of the big ones) from Portland, Or to Ohamah NB by route of Los Angles,Ca.) I hear the chuckles now. I literally grew up in a truck.
Which of the two schools would you all recommend between Swift and Central. The people at Central were a lot nicer to me on the phone the ones at Swift. Swift just seemed to be bothered and annoyed that I had even called. Also what would be best the alternate choice, private or company school? Here in Albany where I live is a IITR school which is quite expenxive but I would not have the travel expenses,extra and i would have choice of day, night, or weekend classes? However what are the chances of getting pre-hired before school for assistance to repay the loans. I am 57 and a female, no tickets, no moving violations, duii or anything in the last 5+ years. No duii, no mr.der menders, felonies ever. Steady employment at least part time for a solid 15 years. My big down fall, I am a diabetic med.diet managed I do try and exercise daily. Thanks for any and all help. Diana
P.S. This forumn has been awesome and I thank you all over again.
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
Doubles:
Refers to pulling two trailers at the same time, otherwise known as "pups" or "pup trailers" because they're only about 28 feet long. However there are some states that allow doubles that are each 48 feet in length.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
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.
DUI:
Driving Under the Influence