Question About "free" Training

Now I know that nothing is ever really free. You get paid worse and you normally have to sign a contract with the company that trains you. However I have wanted to be a driver for a long time and I mean since I was very young. I just never put any effort into it until recently. Locally I have one community college that trains for CDL but it is 4k for it and I can't get that kind of money for at least a year at the rate I make minus bills etc with my current job. So here is my question is it worth it to just go to one of these companies and get a foot in the door then start looking for something better? Or should I just buck up and wait? If anyone has ever or currently does work for a company like this that I can make decent money at please help and point me in the right direction. I get so many conflicting stories but short term hardship would be worth it to me to do something I have wanted for as long as I can remember.

It all depends on your learning skills... And what I mean by that is the community college/private school is geared towards the slow pace like 5 to 8 weeks of school... Company sponsored training program takes about 3 weeks depending on the person.... The is some company sponsored training that does the small cpm as you work for them and then there's the ones that take out a amount weekly... So it's about the same Just depends on your needs

Brian, Company-Sponsored Training Programs are an awesome option for getting your trucking career underway. As Scott pointed out the pace of training is faster. They're actually run more like a tryout than a school. Because the company is going to invest all of the money, time, and equipment to train people up front they want to make sure they're investing in people they believe in. So most people don't even graduate from those programs. They either fail the physical or drug test, get caught in a lie on their application, they have a terrible attitude toward everything, or they just don't learn at a quick enough pace.

So it's sort of like, "We'll give you a shot at making the team. If you have the attitude, work ethic, and ability to learn pretty quickly we'll pay for your training up front and then hire you full time."

Sometimes you have to pay back the tuition, sometimes they just pay you a lower rate for a while, it just depends on the company and their setup.

The reason you'll always hear a lot of horror stories about these programs is because most people don't make it through successfully but they sure as heck aren't going to take the blame for their own shortcomings. They're going to blame the company. That's the unfortunate side effect of giving anyone who qualifies a free opportunity. Some people won't take it seriously and some people don't belong there in the first place.

We have an excellent series of CDL Training Materials, including our High Road Training Program to help give you a huge head start on learning the materials. By the time you show up for class you'll be miles ahead of everyone else with a much better chance of graduating.

Read through our entire Truck Driver's Career Guide and follow all of the links you come across. That will help you understand a lot more about your choices for schooling and how these company-sponsored programs work.

Well I normally catch on very quick to whatever I am trying to learn. The only reason I am leaning to company paid training is because I just want to start it now. Yeah I know sometimes it's best to wait but and the program at this school is partnered with a local company that hires a lot of the students. It's either them or Prime as far as I can see though I have looked at some companies that offer reimbursement so that is another option. I just hate to wait for another year. Plus the college here only does two classes per year. One in January and one in May.

Oh and thanks for the quick replies. Brett I had thought that may be the motivating factor in a lot of negative reviews to be honest. I have looked over most of the site for several days now.

Oh and thanks for the quick replies. Brett I had thought that may be the motivating factor in a lot of negative reviews to be honest. I have looked over most of the site for several days now.

I'm at crst training program in cedar rapids Iowa right now and I stopped a couple of people from leaving because they were starting to believe what they read online...

I just told them that they are ex disgruntled employees that couldn't make it.... Brett and everyone on this site will tell you you get what you put in to it... The company pays for everything and all you gotta do is Drive for them and make money....

I'm at crst training program in cedar rapids Iowa right now and I stopped a couple of people from leaving because they were starting to believe what they read online...

Nice man! That's awesome to hear. You know what it takes to get through those programs so keep everyone's spirits up. Keep em working hard, keep their attitudes right. Those with better information and better character can do an awful lot to help people succeed where they otherwise may not have. That's something to be incredibly proud of!

I'm at crst training program in cedar rapids Iowa right now and I stopped a couple of people from leaving because they were starting to believe what they read online...

Nice man! That's awesome to hear. You know what it takes to get through those programs so keep everyone's spirits up. Keep em working hard, keep their attitudes right. Those with better information and better character can do an awful lot to help people succeed where they otherwise may not have. That's something to be incredibly proud of!

Yeah I even got you a few new members lol... I showed them the hrtp and they loved it...

I am at Celadon in indianapolis. Here you pay for nothing up front. Your lodging is covered (you'll either get a dorm in the training building or a hotel room nearby) and they serve 3 free meals a day. You can buy extras. The first week is classroom work to obtain your permit. If you already have a permit you still do class time, you may don't need to worry about the tests. After that you'll go thru a mixture of backing exercises and road driving. When you've got the hang of that they schedule your CDL test. Pass it you're on to Celadon for orientation. Then you hit the road with a trainer for 10,000 miles. The first 5,000 only got drive, the trainer teaches. The 2nd 5,000 the truck is ran as a team. After the 10,000 miles it's back to Celadon for another test (not sure, backing test I think) pass it and you've graduated. After graduation you have 2 (confirmed contract options) A. 240,000 miles at .18 cpm or B. 120,000 miles at .15 cpm. Those are both team operations. You don't spilt that, you are paid whenever the truck is rolling. There is allegedly a third option that I have not confirmed. It is 120,000 miles at .27 cpm solo driving in their refrigerated division. Hope this is useful info.

Jay just curious at those rates it would seem low pay though since I haven't looked at team driving I don't quite understand the pay scale. Curious about what you would typically earn per week? I am assuming since you are a team it would be comparable to solo driving seeing as you would do double the miles?