Tuition Reimbursement
Topic 26558 | Page 2
This is THE truth!
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.
This is true. To know for sure if I’m capable of doing this, is to do it.
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.
This is THE truth!
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.
Joel, this might have been lost with the other replies...bottom of first page;
These two links can go a very long way in setting realistic expectations and building an initial knowledge base:
Becoming A Truck Driver: The Raw Truth About Truck Driving
I highly suggest investing some quality time reading and reviewing the information.
Good luck!
Thank you g-town. I have already read both these articles but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to re-read them. I am almost 100% that this is what I want to do for a career. I have read a lot of the info on this website which has been extremely informative and has helped me influence my decision to make a go of this.
Joel, this might have been lost with the other replies...bottom of first page
That’s fantastic Joel.
I read your profile page and couldn’t help but notice your photo. Being there for your family while driving OTR is going to be very difficult.
We’ve seen our share of new drivers throwing in the towel because of the toll this takes on your family. Please do not think I’m prying, I’ve just seen first hand how a family is affected by this.
Hope you’ve thought about this...
Peace.
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.
OWI:
Operating While Intoxicated
Joel if you don’t mind doing a contract with McElroy they have a CDL Sponsorship program with a few schools in Texas. Not sure what part of Texas you’re in but I know they use Tyler Jr College/Career Trucking Academy. It’s where I went (before they offered this program).
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.
I hear you about being in debt. If the school qualifies as a title IV school (I believe its title IV), and you fill out the fafsa with the financial aid office, and explain that you can pay X amount towards the cost, then you should be able to get a student loan especially if you show that you are willing to pay 1/3 the cost of attendance. another option is sitting with financial aid office and say that you can pay x amount up front and y amount every week/month and thenput in for student loans/pell grant for the difference.
I know my school has a placement office that will also help find a company that was the "right fit" for each student, including companies that haved TR programs, and will help students get pre-hire letters from companies as well.....
Pre-hire:
What Exactly Is A Pre-Hire Letter?
Pre-hire letters are acceptance letters from trucking companies to students, or even potential students, to verify placement. The trucking companies are saying in writing that the student, or potential student, appears to meet the company's minimum hiring requirements and is welcome to attend their orientation at the company’s expense once he or she graduates from truck driving school and has their CDL in hand.
We have an excellent article that will help you Understand The Pre-Hire Process.
A Pre-Hire Letter Is Not A Guarantee Of Employment
The people that receive a pre-hire letter are people who meet the company's minimum hiring requirements, but it is not an employment contract. It is an invitation to orientation, and the orientation itself is a prerequisite to employment.
During the orientation you will get a physical, drug screen, and background check done. These and other qualifications must be met before someone in orientation is officially hired.
And I also agree with others that posted here, look at company sponsored programs, and research the companies, call your 3 or 4 top choices, and ask as many questions as you can to narrow down your choices. I would suggest asking things like what their pay is, how long you have to stay with them for their training to be free is, what their benefits (insurance, retirement program, etc). home time policy (x amount of time off for every week out), rider policy (if you want to bring your spouse/significant other or family member with you), pet policy (if you have one), what the age of their fleet is, what type of equipment they have including manual vs. auto transmission (if you have a preference), what the average mileage for solo and team drivers, if they have dedicated accounts near where you live (usually they pay a little more and offer more "home time"), and any other questions that other drivers can suggest.
research the companies, call your 3 or 4 top choices, and ask as many questions as you can to narrow down your choices
I would make one change to that. I recommend that you apply to as many companies as possible, see which ones offer you a position, and then dig deeper into the details to choose the right company. We've watched people over the years waste enormous amounts of time researching companies that never wound up offering them an opportunity anyhow. So apply first, then narrow down your choices if you get more than one offer.
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
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That's exactly it. You must have a fierce determination to succeed. We feel the best strategy for getting your career underway is simple, and I can sum it up in one sentence: Get started with one of the paid training programs and put in one solid year with that company no matter what.
Turnover is high in trucking because people aren't committed:
Trucking Takes Commitment
People underestimate how challenging it will be. They take advice from the wrong people. They believe their success is in the hands of the company they work for, not in their own hands. They only stick with it until it gets hard, which it will, and then they quit.
Go through my podcasts:
The Road Home Podcasts
They're short, they get right to the point, and they're loaded with critical information that will help you understand the industry and prepare for the challenges you'll face. You'll understand why we recommend the path we do, and what causes the most failures.
Your success is in your own hands, and the strategy we recommend is simple. The execution is extremely challenging for everyone, but those challenges and the amazing lifestyle is what makes this career so rewarding.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.