So, I May Have Gotten Myself Into Trouble...

I sent applications to two different companies just to kind of feel around and see if I could even make the cut. Well, as the articles on here have stated, recruiters are very pushy... I haven't agreed to anything at all yet, just asked for all the information to be sent to me, but I have an issue... One company pays more than the other, and the company that pays less already seems kinda shady to me. We will code name them Company A=$ While Company B=Shady. Now, I don't think that B is shady because of the pay thing (I don't expect to make a fortune or anything), but I have read that the terms of their school repayment is three years. The recruiter told me three times that it was only nine months, but also said that she couldn't guarantee anything... I also asked for terms and conditions of the contract I would be entering into and I didn't get it... Company A, I cant get back ahold of to ask the same questions... Im confused, as all I wanted was to know exactly Im getting into before committing to either company, but I cant get what I'm asking for. Am I asking for it the wrong way? Or am I asking too much of them? I don't want to get all the way to a training program only to be locked in for 5 years paying %5000 interest on a loan and not be able to back out once there because the terms weren't made clear. Any help at all about this is really needed.

Also, do they select you after one day? That seems kind of odd to me as well, but I've only ever applied to pharmacies and it usually takes a week or two for them to get back to people.

Well dealing with recruiters in the trucking industry is a bit of a pain. For one, they're always swamped with work. You might get lucky and get one or two that are pretty good at responding, but the norm is you can only get in touch with them about once every twenty tries. So you have to be persistent.

Now these contracts at Company-Sponsored Training Programs will be put in writing. You should be able to get the exact terms in writing.

As far as them selecting you right away, that's also common. They glance at your application and if you qualify they bring you in. Then, after you arrive, they'll comb through it thoroughly. They'll call every reference, every former employer, and go over your driving and criminal history. So anything you lie about or leave out won't be found until you've already arrived at their location. If they find out you lied or withheld information they'll send you packing and often times you have to find your own way home. That's how it's done.

Whatever you do, don't judge a company based on their recruiters. I wrote an article called Don't Make This Mistake When Speaking With Trucking Recruiters. That will tell you a lot about how recruiters operate and how to work with them.

Well dealing with recruiters in the trucking industry is a bit of a pain. For one, they're always swamped with work. You might get lucky and get one or two that are pretty good at responding, but the norm is you can only get in touch with them about once every twenty tries. So you have to be persistent.

Now these contracts at Company-Sponsored Training Programs will be put in writing. You should be able to get the exact terms in writing.

As far as them selecting you right away, that's also common. They glance at your application and if you qualify they bring you in. Then, after you arrive, they'll comb through it thoroughly. They'll call every reference, every former employer, and go over your driving and criminal history. So anything you lie about or leave out won't be found until you've already arrived at their location. If they find out you lied or withheld information they'll send you packing and often times you have to find your own way home. That's how it's done.

Whatever you do, don't judge a company based on their recruiters. I wrote an article called Don't Make This Mistake When Speaking With Trucking Recruiters. That will tell you a lot about how recruiters operate and how to work with them.

Thanks for the help. Makes this process a whole heck of a lot easier!

As a general rule, i like to think of recruiters like used car salesmen. They get paid by the number of applicants they get through the door, whether they're really qualified or not. You have to kind of filter their sunshine-and-roses spiel through a reality filter to get the truth out, and even then it can be a crapshoot whether you've been snowed. A good idea would be to take the information they give you and head to the nearest truck stop and start talking to drivers from the company or companies you're considering. Find out how much of what you've been told is bovine excrement, and get first-hand knowledge as to how things are done in the company.

You want to explore all of your options. A private school instead of a company school may be something to consider as well. Most companies offer tuition reimbursement to help pay for schooling and your not locked in. Now this option may take longer to pay off, and will usually only apply to the first company you choose after schooling. But if you change companies after a year and lose the reimbursement the next company may still have a sign on bonus that you could apply to your loan. I know it's not an option for some, but if it is something you can do you may want to look into it.

Brett has a great group of articles on the differences How To Choose A School

I had planned on attending a company school, since I already new who I wanted to start with. But do to delays with the school I went to a private school. The company I was going to attend offered interest free financing of the school, and took payment out at $50 per check until the loan would be paid. At the cost of about 3900. But if I went to a private school they reimburse up to 5500 at the rate of 35 a week. So if I attended their school it would cost me out of pocket for the term of the loan 3900. But going to private school, if I stated long enough to collect the entire reimbursement it would cost me 400 plus interest (my school was 5895). And actually I received a call today stating that I can pay off my loan this month for 4500 so I will be going to my bank to refinance and save some cash, so if I stayed long enough my training would be free.

Read the article I posted if you haven't already. And if private school is an option for you and you would like more input from a recent grad let me know and I'd be happy to fill you in on why I was actual glad I went that route. It's not for everyone, and was not my plan, but in the end I was happy with my choice.

Woody

I've only dealt with recruiters from my current company, and although I don't mean to sound like I'm recruiting myself, ours were straightforward, honest and what they said was true about mileage, school payback rate, bonus money, etc.

I think part of the key is knowing what questions to ask, and if you have been on Trucking Truth for very long, you know those questions.