How Long Is The Process Of Applying, Acceptance & Beginning School?

It's almost January, colder than I'd like to be going through training, so I'm hoping to start in March. Is it a long process, especially this time of year? I'm guessing the industry slows down January & February; am I correct? My hope is to school at FFE & since my driving record is practically perfect, I have no felonies, & I'm in excellent physical condition, I expect to be accepted readily. Am I expecting it to be too easy & should I begin the application process now, or closer to March, since I want to begin in March?

Peak hiring time for the industry is Spring. I graduated from a private CDL school last June and was invited to start with Crete for orientation pretty much within a week after they processed my application.

Things are definitely slower this time of year and will remain that way for a few months but that certainly doesn't mean you can't get your career started now if you'd like to. And what do you mean it's cold this time of year - you're in Texas for God's sake! I'm fully aware of the fact that it gets pretty cold down there sometimes but you should see Chicago in January!

But the process of applying, getting accepted, and being sent to school can be very fast at a lot of places. I've heard plenty of stories from people that applied somewhere one week and they were in school at their location the following week. Others have reported the process can take a couple of weeks. During this slower time there are some companies that might be backed up a bit and will take even longer. All of that will vary from company to company but their recruiters can give you a good idea of how long it will be.

Make sure you go through our Truck Driver's Career Guide from beginning to end and follow all of the links you come across. That will help you understand the industry and make better choices for yourself.

Kent R.,

I am a newb, so I am only speaking from personal experience. I went to a four week private school and then took a month off. That month caused a real slowdown. I filled out an application one night and had a bus ticket confirmation the next evening for orientation. Because it was the week before Thanksgiving, trainers were scares. The company that I chose will do everything they can to get you home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Most of the trainers were heading home.

If your driving record and health are good, I suspect it will go quickly.