Less Expensive Alternatives Than A $5000 Truck Driver School?!
Topic 2541 | Page 1
Hello everyone. I'm interested in earning a CDL. I don't know anyone with a truck and I can't rent or lease one to learn on, so I thought my only option would be a truck driver school. I didn't expect the tuition fees to be $5000! I was expecting about half of that (which I have saved).
Are there less expensive alternatives to learning the ropes and earning a CDL?
Thanks, DJ
Hey bud, Yes there are schools that are company sponsored, Which means you pay little or no up front cost and are required by the Company providing the schooling to sign a contract with them for usually driving for them for a year. And if you complete the contract the fee's for schooling is paid for and you don't owe anything.
Here, This may help you company-sponsored training programs
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.
Hey bud, Yes there are schools that are company sponsored, Which means you pay little or no up front cost and are required by the Company providing the schooling to sign a contract with them for usually driving for them for a year. And if you complete the contract the fee's for schooling is paid for and you don't owe anything.
Here, This may help you company-sponsored training programs
Hey, thanks for the info. I forgot to mention that I have a full-time job with a flexible schedule. I'm a university professor actually. I've always been interested in big trucks since I was a kid. I was thinking of doing this just in the summers actually. So, I couldn't really take off for a year. This probably limits my options even further right?
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.
The only way to really get a low costing CDL school is a company sponsored one. And only doing it in the summers would be tough, a lot of companies probably wouldn't bother to take you on for a couple months a year, not to mention driving two months, taking a year off. they will probably force you to take a refresher and what not each year.
This probably wouldn't be a good fit for you. Trucking is way more than a full time job, it is an entire life style. So trying to put it into part time work. would be near impossible.
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.
Ok, what about a class b? Is a class b worthwhile (jobwise)?
Honestly I have no idea, I've never drove a straight truck or really talked to anyone that has.
Give me a second I wanna look something up on Class B
Class B Exam Requirements - To operate straight trucks and buses 26,001 lbs or more, then a Class B license is needed. The following tests are required:
General Knowledge test Air Brakes (if applicable) Pre-Trip Basic Skills CDL Road Test Applicable exams for desired endorsements
Thats from the Florida DMV. I mean, it looks like the exact same process as Class A except you don't take the Combination test for Class B
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.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.DMV:
Department of Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motor Vehicles
The state agency that handles everything related to your driver's licences, including testing, issuance, transfers, and revocation.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
There's no point in just going for the Class B. You're just crippling yourself at trying to find a job with only a Class B. The only differences is taking the Combination vehicles exam and your vehicle bending in the middle. Just go for the class A only. If there's any money to be made in the transportation industry it'll come from a Class A job.
I know you're tight on money and I was too when I started. But that's exactly what the Company Sponsored Schools are about. They pay for everything including hotel and bus ticket. So if you don't have extra cash then avoid the private schools. Forget about that year contract - you must stay with your first company for a year anyways.
Combination Vehicle:
A vehicle with two separate parts - the power unit (tractor) and the trailer. Tractor-trailers are considered combination vehicles.
There's no point in just going for the Class B. You're just crippling yourself at trying to find a job with only a Class B. The only differences is taking the Combination vehicles exam and your vehicle bending in the middle. Just go for the class A only. If there's any money to be made in the transportation industry it'll come from a Class A job.
I know you're tight on money and I was too when I started. But that's exactly what the Company Sponsored Schools are about. They pay for everything including hotel and bus ticket. So if you don't have extra cash then avoid the private schools. Forget about that year contract - you must stay with your first company for a year anyways.
He only wants to drive during the summer....lol
Combination Vehicle:
A vehicle with two separate parts - the power unit (tractor) and the trailer. Tractor-trailers are considered combination vehicles.
There's no point in just going for the Class B. You're just crippling yourself at trying to find a job with only a Class B. The only differences is taking the Combination vehicles exam and your vehicle bending in the middle. Just go for the class A only. If there's any money to be made in the transportation industry it'll come from a Class A job.
I know you're tight on money and I was too when I started. But that's exactly what the Company Sponsored Schools are about. They pay for everything including hotel and bus ticket. So if you don't have extra cash then avoid the private schools. Forget about that year contract - you must stay with your first company for a year anyways.
He only wants to drive during the summer....lol
Who doesn't? haha! I'm not a fan of ice roads either haha!
Combination Vehicle:
A vehicle with two separate parts - the power unit (tractor) and the trailer. Tractor-trailers are considered combination vehicles.
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Hello everyone. I'm interested in earning a CDL. I don't know anyone with a truck and I can't rent or lease one to learn on, so I thought my only option would be a truck driver school. I didn't expect the tuition fees to be $5000! I was expecting about half of that (which I have saved).
Are there less expensive alternatives to learning the ropes and earning a CDL?
Thanks, DJ
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: