Palmetto Training-North Charleston, SC

I would of titled this different, but I didn't know what else to put. Any who, I can't afford to just pick up and go off to training with prime or knight or any of the other good companies. But today this local school called me and told me that they have contracts with two companies; CR England and Covenant Transport. My question would be is that given the bad things I've read about CR England and the amount they charge on interest for there loans, would having them pay for a local school be just as bad as going to there own school. On the covenant side of things, they weren't very descriptive on what they want or how much they will actually cost. My thing is I'd like to work for either melton, tmc or maverick once I get done with school. If I broke my contract and went with another company and just paid the contracting company back, could they somehow put in a bad complaint against me when i try to go to a different company?

Prime has started paying $700 a week during the TNT training phase so you might be able to afford it after all...just a thought Ken C

Any who, I can't afford to just pick up and go off to training with prime or knight or any of the other good companies

Matthew, I'm not sure I understand your situation so I'm afraid to recommend anything until I understand it better. When you say you can't afford to go off to training with one of those companies do you mean you literally don't have any money or you have a family you can't leave or is it something else?

You said you'd like to work for TMC, Melton, or Maverick so that goes a long way toward figuring out what path to take. But I'm not sure what restrictions you have right now as far as finances and travelling is concerned for schooling.

Here's the thing, I know I am all over the place with this and it seems like I have no idea what I want to do. I've been working in aviation for about 11 years, loading planes and even a few years in a major hub as a manager. I thought I wanted to go back to college and get my A&P License (Air frame and Power plant). But the local store here is severely backlogged and everyone is on a waiting list. So in that respect, I turned to my back plan for my career choice and I've always wanted to drive a big truck. I've driven delivery trucks before but nothing with a trailer, just mainly a 15ft Box truck. I used to drive a Charleston to Myrtle Beach route once a month and normally, just heavy city driving. Anywho, I've checked out a few schools here and one is Palmetto Training, which is not accredited by any college association, so getting a student loan won't work. They are however affiliated with "CR England" and "Covenant", there total cost is 3895 without permit and 3500 with. The other school is a national chain of schools, that just recently started a trucking school due to the need in the economy. Miller-Motte Technical College, which is accredited but I've heard some disturbing facts about their program from friends who have taken it recently. They charge, 5000 to 5500, from what I've been told; to me that's really high and that isn't pay for your testing at the DMV. Now I've read lots and lots of articles on here and I am starting to think that signing on with a company-based trucking school, might be worth my time and I could gain some much needed experience I don't have. As far as my finances, I am slowly saving up enough money to leave and attend one of these schools. I recently went part-time thinking I was going to catch up in school and keep my place in line for my degree, but the school had alternative motives. Its hard to believe that in this day and age, that money from a huge manufacture can move people off a list and push them farther back. Eh, thus is life, I just wanna get trucking and make a career of myself.

Thanks for making me think brett and this is what i want, i just gotta work towards it.