Paying Up-Front For Company Sponsored CDL School
Topic 16757 | Page 4
Nicholas, your career decision is certainly your own. Here's a heads up: my son passed the California Bar two years ago, and "volunteered" at the county district attorney's office. (They pay their volunteer lawyers very nicely.) The case load is heavy, it's all prosecution litigation, but lawyer pay is certainly much greater that truck drivers can make.
More information is a phone call to the DA's office away.
Nicholas, your career decision is certainly your own. Here's a heads up: my son passed the California Bar two years ago, and "volunteered" at the county district attorney's office. (They pay their volunteer lawyers very nicely.) The case load is heavy, it's all prosecution litigation, but lawyer pay is certainly much greater that truck drivers can make.
More information is a phone call to the DA's office away.
Then I would have to go to Court, which I despise :-p. I'd rather sit in a truck listening to Howard Stern all day. I've sat in Courts and wrote motions for years, and it's terrible. Can't stand wearing suits and ties either.
Itd not being penalized.. Its called trip and route planning. Basically uf a late isnt your fault they dony hold it against you.. Say there was a traffic accident which caused a delay.. No big deal.. A breakdown? No big deal eitther. Getting delayed at a shipper? Again not your fault. However if you took a 16 hr break, instead of your 10 hour break.. Ot stopped every 30 minutes lol.. That would be your fault. If we KNOW we are going to be late and its something we couldnt help, we simply let dispatch know and they have customer service CHANGE the appointment time and therefore are not late.
That sounds great then. As long as I'm not penalized for traffic, I'm good. Why would you not be driving if you're not sleeping?! What else is there to do lol? Gotta keep on truckin!
Shipper:
The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.
Nicholas has standards:
Can't stand wearing suits and ties either.
That's what I'm talking about. As long as you're "decent" outside the truck, and have closed toe shoes, you can certainly be comfortable! Even if that requires a career change! (I used to be a school teacher, now I'm comfortable every day, too!)
Nicholas has standards:
Can't stand wearing suits and ties either.
That's what I'm talking about. As long as you're "decent" outside the truck, and have closed toe shoes, you can certainly be comfortable! Even if that requires a career change! (I used to be a school teacher, now I'm comfortable every day, too!)
LOL! XD
Also, I don't consider driving work, it's fun. Plus, I pretty much only listen to podcasts or Howard Stern, and never watch TV, so the career seems like the perfect fit to me. After a year OTR , I might look to find a regional , dedicated, or local job so that I could have a home life with the fiance. We live rent/mortgage free in a nice house for the next couple of years, thanks to a foreclosure case I won, so I can save most of my earnings to pay for a wedding, and eventually, a nice piece of farmland, some chickens, goats, pigs, and solar panels, and get completely off the grid.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Does anyone know when the clock for these contracts starts running? It's a big difference if it starts day 1 of CDL training vs. after training is over. If that's the case, the 2-3 month training period (Prime) is a distinct disadvantage, and I'd prefer the shortest training period available (Roehl/2 weeks).
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.
Nicholas, Please forgive me, but the Lawyer in you is shining through. You are way overthinking this whole thing. Read Brett's Book, available free on this site. Pick a Company Sponsored training program that seems to fit, I chose Swift. Suck it up and give one year of your life to this Gig come hell or high water.(Swift's contract is for 1 year from the time you go soio give or take). At that point you'll know if this is really for you. If it is, you will have plenty of options to fine tune your preferences. If not, hey you gave it the old College try, you certainly have options with your Educational background. This is my 3rd and hopefully last "Career". I'm 56 years old, and came in with a 2 year plan. It will take that long to really get a firm grasp of the ins and outs of the game. Trust me, there is a lot more to this than driving down the road and listening to Howard Stern and Podcasts, LOTS MORE. Like any other Profession, you start at the bottom and work your way up. You will have good weeks and weeks that you will ask yourself "What the %&*# was I thinking!!!!!". Good Luck!
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
There is a whole lot more to driving a truck than steering and listening to howard stern. Are you sure you know what you are in for?
Many people think they kniw and dont have a clue.. Its complete shock when theyre actually out there. Oh and you can get Regional home weekly positions right out of CDL school.. And yes regional IS OTR.
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.
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Nicholas, Please forgive me, but the Lawyer in you is shining through. You are way overthinking this whole thing. Read Brett's Book, available free on this site. Pick a Company Sponsored training program that seems to fit, I chose Swift. Suck it up and give one year of your life to this Gig come hell or high water.(Swift's contract is for 1 year from the time you go soio give or take). At that point you'll know if this is really for you. If it is, you will have plenty of options to fine tune your preferences. If not, hey you gave it the old College try, you certainly have options with your Educational background. This is my 3rd and hopefully last "Career". I'm 56 years old, and came in with a 2 year plan. It will take that long to really get a firm grasp of the ins and outs of the game. Trust me, there is a lot more to this than driving down the road and listening to Howard Stern and Podcasts, LOTS MORE. Like any other Profession, you start at the bottom and work your way up. You will have good weeks and weeks that you will ask yourself "What the %&*# was I thinking!!!!!". Good Luck!
Lol, I know I'm overthinking, I've been analyzing all these programs for over a month now. I think I've narrowed it down to Prime, Roehl, or Knight. Swift's training program doesn't become "free" until 2 years of driving, and that's twice as long as the other companies. Plus, they make you bring "Long form DOT physical and medical card" with you to CDL School, while the other schools take care of that for you while you are there. Roehl and Knight actually pay you during CDL school (Roehl $500 a week and Knight $300 a week). So theoretically, you can complete Roehl's program and put the $2,000 you made during that time towards tuition, and it would only cost you $1,500 out of pocket (if the cost is $3,500). Likewise, you can put the $1,200 you made during Knight's CDL School towards tuition, and pay the remaining $1,900 out of pocket. The problem with both of these options is that it leaves you with no driving experience, and what's more important, that you quit employment for a company which would be problematic for future employers.
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.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
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.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
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Advice For New Truck Drivers Becoming A Truck Driver Changing Careers Choosing A Truck Driving School Choosing A Trucking Company Company Sponsored CDL Training Driver Responsibilities Hard Lessons Learned Truck Driving Lifestyle
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Itd not being penalized.. Its called trip and route planning. Basically uf a late isnt your fault they dony hold it against you.. Say there was a traffic accident which caused a delay.. No big deal.. A breakdown? No big deal eitther. Getting delayed at a shipper? Again not your fault. However if you took a 16 hr break, instead of your 10 hour break.. Ot stopped every 30 minutes lol.. That would be your fault. If we KNOW we are going to be late and its something we couldnt help, we simply let dispatch know and they have customer service CHANGE the appointment time and therefore are not late.
Shipper:
The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.