Schools Vs. Company Sponsored Training
Topic 6047 | Page 2
Thanks again everyone.
Swift offers Vets (which I am) a scholarship covering school if you contract w/them for one year. Some others may as well, but based on what TT has posted about Swift and it's training/pay, it sounds like a pretty good deal.
Nothing against the Coke/Pepsi deal, but I have no desire to do that. I'm in good physical condition, but they're not hiring in my area and like C.S. says, that's much different from OTR (at least in my area).
Did physical & got permit today. BIG THANKS! to TT for having the High Road Training program. I got 100% of my knowledge from there.
THANKS again to all who post here. Your comments and experiences are very helpful. And thanks for keeping those wheels of the economy moving!
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
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Steve, I just wanted to clarify a couple of things you asked about. When you go to school the whole point and effort of what they are doing for you is to get you to the point where you can pass the driving test at the DMV , and have the knowledge you need to pass their written tests, and pre-trip exam. Now, when you get hired by a company and have to go through the time with a trainer, they aren't trying to accomplish those same things, what they are doing is trying to make sure that you can operate the vehicle safely, and bringing you up to speed on a multitude of things that you haven't even been exposed to yet. They will be teaching you how to use and understand the messages on the qualcomm , how to plan your trips, how to communicate with your dispatcher , how to deal professionally with the shippers and receivers, how to get and use your shower credits, how to purchase fuel, and a whole host of things to help you operate efficiently at your job. So, it's not like you can skip one and just go on to the other, they really are two different types of training.
Jobs are available! The last company I was at was bringing in around 150 new drivers each week! The company I'm at now is larger than the first one, and they are hiring lots of drivers also. When you go to a private school, they will help you with job placement - all of the reputable driving schools have a lengthy list of companies that need drivers NOW.
We are all glad to hear that you are finding useful and valuable information here.
This of course will depend on your situation and your needs. You can get a lot of information about this by taking a browse through How To Choose A School. I went to private school, but I often encourage people to attend the Company-Sponsored Training programs. The great thing about the company sponsored training is that you don't have to lay out your cash, and you have got a job waiting for you when you are done. Don't believe those bogus claims that people make about them being like plantations with slave labor, or indentured servitude. It's just a contractual agreement - contracts are designed to keep both parties in an agreement honest. It's silly for people to expect these companies to do their part and then the trained employee is free to jump ship just because they think the grass might be greener somewhere else. One year is usually all you have to commit to, and I can assure you that first year is such a huge learning curve, that it will fly by without you even realizing that your anniversary is upon you.
As, you can see there are several ways to go about getting your CDL , but we do our best to try and put people on what we think would be the most successful and well established path that will assure you success. I'm not a fan of slinging soft drinks for the beverage distributors, but it works for some. It would be very difficult to get an over the road job if that was the way you went. I'm not saying it is impossible, because I've know people to do it that way, but it is not the most efficient way to go.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Shipper:
The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.
Over The Road:
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.
Qualcomm:
Omnitracs (a.k.a. Qualcomm) is a satellite-based messaging system with built-in GPS capabilities built by Qualcomm. It has a small computer screen and keyboard and is tied into the truck’s computer. It allows trucking companies to track where the driver is at, monitor the truck, and send and receive messages with the driver – similar to email.Dispatcher:
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.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.
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.
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.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.
EPU:
Electric Auxiliary Power Units
Electric APUs have started gaining acceptance. These electric APUs use battery packs instead of the diesel engine on traditional APUs as a source of power. The APU's battery pack is charged when the truck is in motion. When the truck is idle, the stored energy in the battery pack is then used to power an air conditioner, heater, and other devices