TRUCKING SCHOOLS IN CALIFORNIA OR COMPANY-SPONSORED CDL TRAINING PROGRAMS???
Topic 11502 | Page 1
Hello Oscar,
Since you already have your CDL Class A permit (if I understand you correctly), if you don't have money or don't wish to pay up front for trucking school, your best bet is to get on with a Company-Sponsored Training program. (click that link)
With your permit in hand you're already a step ahead of the game, and you should have no problem getting a company to sponsor you (provided you don't have any other serious problems standing in your way of being accepted). The great things about a company-sponsored CDL school are that it won't cost you any money up front, you'll get your CDL quickly, and you'll have a job waiting for you with the company sponsoring you!
There are a few down sides as well of course, but honestly the benefits outweigh the negatives. The downsides would be that you will be committed to working for that company generally for about a year in order to pay off your debt to them for your schooling, and the pay is usually a little less that first year as a result also. All in all, its totally worth it if you want to get trucking and you can't or don't want to pay for private trucking school.
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.
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Hello guys I need a good advice. I just get my CDP on my own with all endorsements and I have to take the next step in order to get my CDL. (pre-trip inspection, AIR brakes inspection and driving skills. I'm looking around with so manyTruck schools and my impression is that they really want your money. Most of them want all the money up front and to be honest I don't fell comfortable giving them some of my savings just like that. What about if doesn't work with the school, because the instructor, the trucks or something else? My money is gone and it's nothing that I can't do. I'm living in California (Los Angeles area). Is anyone who can recommend me a good Truck School or the best option is going with a Truck company who pays you the tuition and work for them until I pay them back. This also brought me the point that I will get some experienced for later and don't have the obstacle of the experience if I decided to look for a job on my own. Thanks guys for you help and I hope see you soon on the road.
Pre-trip Inspection:
A pre-trip inspection is a thorough inspection of the truck completed before driving for the first time each day.
Federal and state laws require that drivers inspect their vehicles. Federal and state inspectors also may inspect your vehicles. If they judge a vehicle to be unsafe, they will put it “out of service” until it is repaired.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: