Need Some Advice....
Topic 11762 | Page 1
Company sponsored training is a faster pace and private schools are little more time to get your cdl.... Both are good ways to get your cdl...
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.
Lilysmomma,
Truck companies will probably get you to their school and put you up in a hotel. Check out Company-Sponsored Training . (PS: some companies have a deal for vets. I went with Swift's school, and after a year of Swift driving, school is free!)
Private Truck Driving Schools might be a bit easier, since it's your dime, not some company's. But then many companies will cover your tuition when you get hired.
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.
CRST is a Team company, and have their own program. They are a solid outfit.
Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton has a fantastic truck driving program, and great tuition pricing - 10 week program, I went a year ago, $2,500. Definitely check them out! I believe the Tech in Wausau also has a program.
Lilysmomma, generally speaking if you have the luxury of being able to afford a private school then that's often times a little bit better way to go simply because the training is normally a little slower paced and you'll have your choice of at least a few companies when you graduate assuming your background is solid.
But the quality of the training will be about the same. They're both solid ways to get your career started. If you know already that you want to work for a company that has their own training program then go through their program instead of using a private school. If you don't know who you want to go to work for then you could do it either way.
Here's some resources to help you out:
Article Category: How To Choose A School
Career Guide Chapter 4: Choosing A Truck Driving School
Forum Topics Tagged "Choosing A Truck Driving School" - a list of forum conversations with the highest rated ones listed first. Good reads.
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.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
But the quality of the training will be about the same.
Lilysmomma, that reminds me: generally, in either company or private schools, you will learn just enough to get past the CDL exam. Many people feel uncomfortable about taking the test, but that's about as much as the school will be teaching you.
Just do your best and you will be ok.
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.
Thank you all soooo much for such great advice and places to look!! I really appreciate the time you all took to help me out! You all are amazing! Keep on truckin and may that angel always be sitting on top of your shoulder!
Judy aka: Lillysmomma
Greetings, I went to a private school in minnesota and loved it. I work for Halvor Lines out of Superior Wisconsin now. It's a great company and offers tution reimbursement.
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My friend and I are planning on going for a truck driving career as a team. We live in Wisconsin just north of Green Bay. We are both school bus drivers and have that endorsement and do drive in big cities and do charters. The money is not enough for us to get by. We are considering Sabertooth Driving School out of Waupaca, and then going with a company as a team. We have checked out other schools and still are not sure about what to do as of yet.. My friend is a Veteran so her schooling will be all paid, but mine will not be but I have the money to do so. My question is this... Do you think a private truck driving school might be better verses a company driving school and then signing on with them for a year? Is the learning better at a private truck driving school? Your comments and suggestions are welcome and I really do appreciate the help in our decision. Judy