Tuition Reimbursement

So I found that McElroy will give you up to $6000 of reimbursement for your tuition, and I am wondering what exactly that means? Do they pay for your schooling that took you through your cdl training or is it something else they are referring to?

If you go through a private CDL school they'll reimburse that $6k over (usually) the course of a year.

We always strongly recommend going through a paid cdl training program though, if they offer one. They do the digging necessary to make sure you can actually *work* for them, meaning you won't get surprised by some medical issue that the private school doesn't care about, but a company may be more restrictive about.

Joel, I went through a private school. Instead of financing through the school, I took a loan through my credit union, which allowed me to get a $1,000 “cash discount” from the school. The tuition reimbursement payments more than covered the credit union loan payment.

This was about five years ago and I went to work with Schneider. Tuition reimbursement is fairly common for companies that don’t offer CDL training.

I believe McElroy is a solid company, from the drivers I’ve talked with.

Good luck!

Companies that offer CDL training may reimburse far less though if you go through a private school instead of the schooling they offer. For example, i think prime only reimburses $1500. i can look into it... but it gives an incentive to attend Prime's schooling rather than a local school.

Prime's tuition reimbursement is $1,500

Prime CDL Holders Tuition Reimbursement

I know for me, I went to a private school, and my out of pocket cost (paid for with student loans) was just over $7k. I had worked for Werner, and they had a tuition reimbursement of $7k, paid at $100/month to either the student loan holder, or if you paid cash, you would get $100/month added to your pay until you reached their cap. I was able to pay off my loan off in a little over 2 years by having them withhold $50/week and they paid it to the loan company all at once every month ($300/month for 2 years), then I got the $100/month until it was fully paid for.

Chris I’m glad that worked for you. That would be an option For me, but I’m already In quite a bit of debt(double figures almost) and have young kids so I’m hoping if my college fees cost around $4,500 then student aid might pick up maybe half that when they see that I can’t pick up the whole cost of tuition and then pay the other half ($2,250), myself. If I wasn’t already in debt I wouldn’t be even worried about this.

If I wasn’t already in debt I wouldn’t be even worried about this.

I wouldn't worry about it regardless of the debt you have. Any tuition you pay for CDL training, whether it be a private school or a Paid CDL Training Program, is an investment that will produce massive returns.

If you could buy a stock on the stock market for $5,000 and you knew you knew it would be worth $50,000 at the end of the first year you would jump on it immediately. Even if you had to borrow the money to buy the stock you would, and you would make a fortune off of it and pay off the debt quickly. If that same stock was going to make another $60,000 the second year and another $70,000 the third year you would freak! You would have made $180,000 in three years from a $5,000 investment.

That's the way to look at tuition for CDL training - as an investment that will produce massive returns in the form of a great salary for years to come.

In my opinion, people worry too much about being in debt. Debt is the most powerful tool for growth on the planet if you use it correctly. The problem is that some people use it incorrectly. Borrowing $5,000 in order to produce $180,000 in returns over three years is a no-brainer. You should be excited about an opportunity like that.

I am excited and nervous at the same time! One of the things that scares me alittle is the high turn over rate in trucking, but ima just have to bite the bullet and give it everything I have got so that doesn’t happen to me and I avoid being just another failed statistic.

I am excited and nervous at the same time! One of the things that scares me alittle is the high turn over rate in trucking, but ima just have to bite the bullet and give it everything I have got so that doesn’t happen to me and I avoid being just another failed statistic.

The high attrition rate is something we address frequently on the Trucking Truth forum. There are many reasons students quickly wash out; failed drug/alcohol test, failure to disclose health issues, failure to disclose criminal background, bad attitude, lack of focus, and a basic inability to comprehend information and execute skills.

Nothing we can share or suggest will adequately prepare you. Only you can measure what’s inside of you and that what motivates your desire to do this. It’s like nothing you’ve ever done in your life and will challenge your patience and resolve.

Above all else you gotta want this, apply 100% focus and be willing to set aside life’s other issues as you learn...and the learning curve is supremely challenging up to the first full year of professional driving. No joke.

Here are two links I strongly suggest you read and understand before going too much further...

Truck Driver's Career Guide

Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving

Good luck!