How Much Should I Worry About Tuition Reimbursement?

Hey folks, newbie in CDL school here. I live in Western Iowa and I was looking at Crete as a potential employer. They look like a decent company in a lot of ways, and my no-bull**** instructor has good things to say about them. They don't seem to offer tuition reimbursement; which is just under 3k in my case. Another option on the list is Roehl, and they do reimburse. But these two companies are kind of at opposite ends when it comes to training time. TBH I think 8 weeks may be more than I want to spend with someone anyway!

I put the tuition on a Credit Card and it's got 20 months before interest starts kicking in. Should I just eat the cost and get on with my life?

Anybody got any other suggestions for a good company around here? No wife or kids, and I currently work in a foundry so I don't mind hard work. I checked with my in-house recruiter, he assures me I pay top-dollar for your opinions ;)

Josh

You’ve already decided you are willing to pay for school. So I wouldn’t worry much about it. From a practical standpoint, it’s always better to let someone else pay for it if you can.

If you choose a company that doesn’t do reimbursement, I hope they’ll pay well and thereby offset the lost benefit of tuition reimbursement.

In the end, you wanna be satisfied with your choice. And only YOU know what you want.

Good luck!

I never concerned myself with tuition reimbursement. But, I never would have done it the way you did. You could have been way ahead by going through a Paid CDL Training Program.

Oh well, what's done is done.

I think Crete is a great option for you. They are a great company, well managed, and pay some of the top wages out here. I would jump all over that opportunity.

You do realize you are not limited to companies located near you, right? I've never driven for a company near my area. If you live in their hiring area is the only important criteria. Their headquarters could be thousands of miles away from you - they don't care. The critical thing is if you live in an area where they have freight moving.

Your area should have a ton of opportunities. I drive for Knight Transportation and I'm going through your area all the time. I live in deep East Texas, but Knight is out of Phoenix, Arizona! It's no problem, they need drivers all over the country.

Hi Joshua, 1st off...congratulations on passing your CDL school. (and you've got a great, powerful name) You didn't say if you have "auto only" or not, and most companies still have manual transmissions. Do you have HAZMAT? Also, what is most important to you in a company? I work for CFI, and while they don't pay the most, they are VERY good at getting me home on time or earlier, I never have my truck taken from me no matter how long I stay home, I decide if I have to shut down my truck, I get good miles and good pay, the fleet is new and older trailers are being replaced with new ones, we don't have tankers, reefers or flatbeds, but we have to have HAZMAT. They pay for scales, repairs, showers, hotels (if needed), I can highlight my self anywhere I like for time off, get reimbursed for parts, supplies, tools, etc... as needed, and I sincerely believe they care about their drivers. These things are important to me. As a single man w/o kids, most all companies will love having you as long as you aren't a skirt chaser to the point it interferes with your job, bar fly, or have any addictions. To finally answer your question...of course you should care about the tuition reimbursement!! It's money! It's YOUR debt and money. Yes care about that. Bottom line is to find a company that meets your needs and wants, and where you feel comfortable. You're a hard worker, so if your attitude is good, you will succeed wherever you end up. Just find the company that fits you. Good luck buddy. -NOLAMAN