Need Some Advice Breaking In- Is It Possible For Me?
Topic 10343 | Page 1
Welcome aboard!
is my trucking career over before it begins?
Absolutely not. Prime has one of the more strict policies about previous unemployment but very few of the Company-Sponsored Training Programs care about that. Follow that link and you'll find a bunch of companies that offer training with little or no money out of pocket. Any of them can be a great place to get your career underway so apply like crazy to all of them and see who gives you an opportunity.
Unfortunately, as you've mentioned, the Federal Government does not back loans for truck driving school because the courses are too short. Seems really odd because they have an outstanding opportunity to get their money back with such a high demand for drivers and relatively inexpensive training. But hey, that's how they do it.
But look at the other programs. As long as your background is pretty decent you'll be certain to find other opportunities.
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.
Welcome aboard!
is my trucking career over before it begins?
Absolutely not. Prime has one of the more strict policies about previous unemployment but very few of the Company-Sponsored Training Programs care about that. Follow that link and you'll find a bunch of companies that offer training with little or no money out of pocket. Any of them can be a great place to get your career underway so apply like crazy to all of them and see who gives you an opportunity.
Unfortunately, as you've mentioned, the Federal Government does not back loans for truck driving school because the courses are too short. Seems really odd because they have an outstanding opportunity to get their money back with such a high demand for drivers and relatively inexpensive training. But hey, that's how they do it.
But look at the other programs. As long as your background is pretty decent you'll be certain to find other opportunities.
Diesel Driving Academy offers a course for 20 weeks that can apply for grant as well as student loan....
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.
We have MichiganWorks here, not much in grants outside of FAFSA, and FAFSA won't pay for my food and lodging across the country as far as I am aware. I've taken Brett's advice and have since applied to Roehl, Driver Solutions and Knight. I didn't really want to hear "no" 20 more times if there was no chance of a "yes". Fingers Crossed.
ACCEPTED To Suburban Trucking School for PAM. Thanks guys, I appreciate the support. I'm pretty excited. Starting on the 13 and killing the practice tests thanks to The High Road. You guys are awesome!
Tia- Good for you! I agree- High road is very well done. I passed all the tests first time also. Thanks to Brett!
All of us here on TT want you to make it! Good luck
Scott
Congrats Tia!
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For the last year I have been taking care of a family member and haven't been able to have a real job. I had some other employment problems (having to relocate and not been transferred, natural disasters forcing relocation and unemployment) in the previous two years. It has really sucked lol So I decided it was time for a change. The last month watching jobs in Michigan (a surgery for my family member at the end of the month will allow me to work again) I found that roughly 80% of postings were for truck drivers, 0-6 months experience required in a lot of cases. I have been researching your massive amounts of resources for the last week, started The High Road and applied for Prime's School, since funding is going to be hard to come by and I want to screw myself as little as possible... But it seems that was far too hopeful, no more than one year of unemployment in three years. So... is my trucking career over before it begins? I'm not sure what to do, or if I can do anything. I don't know if I can manage to pay for a school if I would be able to get a halfway decent job. I figured if anyone could help me it would be all of you awesome people here that have helped so much already.
Oh, FAFSA is applicable to 9 week courses and longer. I couldn't find any applicable classes (there was a 6 month 30 credit course at some college but...) So when I couldn't add any schools from their list I couldn't continue the application.
I'd appreciate any help or advice (especially if it's positive and hopeful). Thanks. Tia