Topic 596 | Page 1
I think company sponsored training is a valid option but it depends on what is best for you. With private schools you hqve to pay for training up front. Not everyone has the money or grants to do that. Company training gets you a CDL with little up front costs and is paid back once you are solo or not at all given that you stay with the company for around a year. The downside to that is the schooling may be a bit rushed, and like boot camp. Also being contracted to a company may not be ideal. I'df you leave before the contract ends you are on the hook for the money. You are also a bit more limited in places to start. Going private allows you more options in companies to go with. It all comes down to what you are comfortable with.
I'm choosing the company sponsored route. For me it seems to be the best option. I don't have the money to go to a private school. I don't like the idea or being contracted for a year but its recommended you stay with your first company at least a year anway for the money experience. Jumping ship every few months is frowned upon. So I may not want to be there for a year but if I pay my dues I will be able to leave later. At the point I could go anywhere and I'm not on the hook for any money.
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.
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.
Thanks Britton R. I guess the concern is average miles for a new drivers or med range hauls 120k could possibly go well over a year, I understand miles are never guaranteed and just want to be prepared to stick it out. And I know research is the key.
I'm not sure of much when it comes to miles or anything. I do know that you won't get the good loads as a rookie. You need to prove your worth before you get the good stuff. On the other hand if you aren't moving the company is not making money. So they will try to keep you moving but the loads may be short or something like that. In that aspect I would assume that you would be in the same boat no matter where you got your cdl. A rookie is a rookie whether they went to a private school or company sponsored.
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.
120k miles is about an average year for a rookie. So if you look at that company, it would be comparable to any other company that will train you, if you drive for them for a year. And as we always say on here...you have to get in a year of driving before you can really pick the company that you want to spend an extended time with. The choice of schooling is basically what fits you and your situation, so don't jump at the first one, take a long hard look at them all, and make your decision, knowing that you will have to look at their happy faces for atleast a year...
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
Hey Mo
If you haven't already, check out our Trucker's Career Guide. It covers every topic imaginable pertaining to getting a trucking career underway, including your choices for schooling and how to choose the right one for yourself. Company-sponsored training or private can both get your career off to a great start, it's just a matter of choosing the one that's best for you.
We also have a ton of information on companies that offer CDL training:
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.
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.
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Hello everyone preparing/studying for truck school and reading all updates and getting valuable info from this incredible forum. I first started out with the manual and later found this forum from FB and I said to self this trucking thing is way deeper than I imagined. Things like tandems ,ways of driving a tanker as apposed to driving a dry or flat bed and by the way whats electric brakes about. I visited a school and while out in the yard watched some students practice the pre trip yikes ! it was like deers staring in headlights. Thanks TT. It's a good school an I did notice they also had to state the function of the part or component. All that being said I have a question I see some companies offer free training if you drive 120k for them and would like to hear your thoughts on this. I have an offer but is still leaning toward private. Thanks.
Tandems:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".