Profile For George Z.

FYI...Prime does not train on automatic transmissions:

Message - Does Prime offer CDL training on automatics? Message - Heather@Prime, Inc.: No, they are 10 speeds

CR England and Prime Thanks

All I have ever heard is bad things about them. Even was shown how low their DMV passage rates are. Yet, despite all the horrible reviews they have locations all over the place in my state. I can get financial aid for training, go to Shippers Choice each day and be home each night since they are so very very close to where I live. But, I have read, heard, and was shown so many bad things, it may not be worth the chance. So, how do they stay in business?

Roehl would be perfect as they pay you as an employee right from the start in CDL School, but they told me they do not train on automatics. Basically, any trucking solution would need to be like Roehl in that they pay you from the get go, but allow training on automatics. Still searching for that combo.

If you're that close to being homeless, have you applied for assistance through the state, county, or maybe other charities that help veterans in their time of need? A problem you may also face is the amount of time you've been unemployed. Why didn't you to get a job doing something, even if you felt it was below you. I had a job making $18 an hour but when they closed up shop I went and picked up trash at an apartment community for $10 an hour. It sucked making less, but it motivated me to find something new. All that stuffs in the past though, does the VA have any programs to help?

I have applied for almost 500 jobs since last year. Jobs I had experience in, jobs at minimum wage, everything. I am either over qualified or underqualified. The worst employers I have applied are Universities and Colleges, they wont even to respond to me when I have the exact qualifications. If there was not a 3 month to 1 year backlog to reinstate security clearances, I would already be working. Unfortunately, the backlog is a leftover from 2008 when the government took over from the private firm that was doing the background investigations. Prior to that reinstatements were just a week or two. Yes, I have applied for state assistance, unfortunately we do not have any children which eliminates most of the available aid. Utilities aid is being processed and the bank wont work with me because they already did their once a year payment delay for me. At that time I was sure I would find a job....I was wrong. Now I have to wait another 2 months for that to be eligible to ask for it. Part of my frustration is I have done so much to fix my issues and the harder I try the harder I fail. The Veterans Administration is helping me, but there is a limit to what they can do. Mainly, they cover my medical care. Still trying to get my prescriptions filled. This has been the worst year of our lives.

I don't know what to do guys, my wife and I have never have been on the verge of being homeless. Never been unemployed for so long. I selected trucking as a career because its a job that cannot be outsourced, like all my previous jobs in my 25 year career field, and because long ago my father and I considered it as a team job/business back in the 70's but never did it. I was about to be approved for financial assistance to pay for the school. Company Sponsored CDL training is not an option unless they have automatics to train on, and I would not even have food money at this point to live on, even if the company/school pays for lodging, never the less travel expenses. I applied for financial assistance to keep the utilities paid, and with such a precarious financial situation I do not even think after what happened with that CDS-CDL school I can even focus on training. I know recruiters lie or exagerate, but this lady was not a recruiter, nor were the people at their training location. It's negligence and incompetence at the worst level and as CDS-CDL lines their pockets with money, they expect people like me at the end of my rope to accept their "oops sorry".... They have no excuse after claiming the Woodford VA training location told her personally they have a truck with an auto, no excuse for assuring me this over and over again. Hopefully, no one will be screwed by CDS-CDL to the point I have.

I am a down on his luck disabled Veteran and can only drive automatic transmissions in any vehicle including Tractor Trailers. Been out of work for 9 out of the past 12 months, living on credit cards and have used up the last of my savings to pay December and January's mortgage. I was interested in a local CDL school that I could drive to each day and CDS-CDL sent me a large red, white, and blue folder with tons of information on their school and several community colleges they are located at. I had several email, text, and phone conversations with a Mrs Greene CDL Administrative Support for CDS Tractor Trailer Training at the John Tyler Community College Workforce Alliance on 13101 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Bird Hall/Office B120e, Chester, VA 23831 http://www.cdscdltraining.com/

I stressed at every opportunity that I am only medically cleared to drive automatic transmission in any vehicle including Tractor Trailers, and that the CDS-CDL school MUST have an automatic. Mrs Greene, spoke to the office at Woodford VA as well as her supervisor as well as who is supposed to be the Vice President of CDS-CDL a Mr Chris Dender. Both guaranteed me over and over again when I voiced the importance of their school having an automatic transmission equipped truck to train with and I was assured over and over again they did. As a result, I signed all the paperwork and gave them all the documents they needed from me and given a start date of December 18.

During this time period of two weeks, I on car fuel purchased with my ever declining available credit on my credit card to their Richmond office at John Tyler Community College, and then the week before I was scheduled to start, to their Richmond office of Workforce Innovation, who would be providing me with Financial assistance.

I know the cost of fuel and $11 parking sounds trivial bit it is not, especially when you are on the verge of being homeless.

Suddenly today; after 2 weeks of being assured that the school had automatic transmission equipped trucks to train on, the Friday before Monday when I was to start in 2 days, she left me a voicemail stating " Hi my apologies, turns out we don't have any automatic transmission trucks for you". I called her back and was rudely told she was with a student and could not talk to me. She finally called me back and just like her message, repeated " Hi my apologies, turns out we don't have any automatic transmission trucks for you".

As you can imagine I was not only devastated, but furious!

I asked her point blank, "Why did you tell me they had automatics for 2 weeks, even after I stressed the importance over and over and over? I asked her why she told me she spoke to the school in Woodford VA and they assured her they did as well. Only to NOW tell me 72 hours before start day, "oh sorry they do not"?

Her excuse was "Sorry, turns out they dont have one"... I asked her did you really speak to someone at Woodford who assured you of the availability of the truck? And if so, why did they tell you they did, and now two weeks later they dont. Her answer was "oh sorry they do not".

Needless to say I kept asking specifically why they/she told me one for 2 weeks even after stressing how this needed to be 1000% assured and her saying it was, is now the opposite. She had the VP of CDS-CDL call me and all he did was say "Sorry we made a mistake".

When I asked the VP for his office phone number and address he said his office is HIS CAR.

I won't go into the ugly details of how I felt at this point....I was just being "blown off". Obviously, Mrs Greene was either lied to by the Woodford VA office or she lied to me, or CDS-CDL is so incompetent or desperate for students that they would just lie to people.

I plan on complaining to John Tyler Community College, if I some how survive the weekend. I just want to die...nothing...nothing has worked out for the past year since I unexpectedly lost my job. I am so distraught, I do not know what to do...its all hopeless now. Its like a curse.

JCC? I will check them out. My GI Benefits are no longer available, but I am going to find out today what my state financial grants etc are available at the state office.

Hey George ! I actually almost went to road masters in Dunn. But the reason I didn’t was I couldn’t get a loan I guess since I’m young and don’t have enough credit on my credit score. Have you looked into JCC ? I’m going the company paid route. But I think JCC would be able to help you out

Thanks Errol, the issue is it as to be training on an automatic because I am a disable veteran. The school keeps telling me I do not have to pay anything. So it looks like I am fine, as the recruiter called em to set things straight with my concerns.

You are contradicting yourself, George. You say you are broke, but don't want a loan for your school. No can do.

However, if you're are heading for Roadmaster or any other private school, you can sign that contract, then your new company will pay it off, and you promise (contract) to drive for them a year or so to pay them back.

Also there are company schools and the company trains you and then you drive that year for them. Almost the same.

You should have seen the resources we have to help you make a decision. Touch on the three-bar menu at the top left and go for it.

Also:

Paid CDL Training ProgramsTruck Driving School Listings

• Trucker's Career Guide: Choosing A Truck Driving School
• Article Category: Choosing A Truck Driving School
• Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Truck Driving School"

Thank You Reyn, is this the organization?

https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/hiring-our-heroes

Totally understand your concern Old School. I’m not trying to steer him in any direction. Especially any school here in NYC. I don’t even know where George is from. There are many company paid training opportunities for him on here to sift through & find one that fits his current crisis. I too strongly advise him to follow that route.

Here’s what I was talking about. It’s called “hiring our heroes”. An initiative by the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation. I had the pleasure of driving the President of this organization here in NYC. I tried searching for resources on their sites but it’s way too confusing or lacking actual usable “resources” for George’s immediate crisis.