Company Paid Vs. Private School CDL Training - What's Your Choice?
Topic 6127 | Page 2
I am starting school on Monday and paid for it up front. I talked to the admissions counselor many times about which way to go and that is what I chose. His advice made sense...
Ray, you didn't really just talk to the salesman (recruiter) for a private school without hearing the pitch from the company-sponsored side, did you? I mean, that's not research. That's just listening to the first salesman you come across and diving in head first without giving their competition a fair chance. That's not how you do it.
If you were to get sick and be out of work, how would it be to your advantage to have paid up front instead of letting someone finance it for you? If you're out of work, wouldn't you want that pile of money sitting in the bank? Instead you paid it up front to a school and you won't have that to use if you need it. Yes, you'll save money on finance charges, but often times the Company-Sponsored Training Programs are less expensive than the Private Truck Driving Schools so it can work out the same.
The major deciding factors when choosing company training versus private training are your finances and your preferences for training. If you can afford private school up front it's normally a more relaxed atmosphere and they'll show you a little more patience. After all, you're a paying customer. But the company training programs are more like a tryout. You show up and they push you really hard to see who is cut out for it and who isn't. Normally if you have an awesome attitude, you take it seriously, and you learn at an average pace you'll be fine. Otherwise you might get sent home. It won't cost you anything if that happens, but you'll be doing the training over again with a different company.
Also, if you get through the company-sponsored training you know you have a job. If you go to private school and nobody hires you, well too bad for you. You just threw $4,000 and four weeks of your time out the window.
Ray, did that school recruiter make sure you applied for and obtained several pre-hires before enrolling in their school to make sure you can land a job in the industry so that you don't throw all of your money and time in the garbage? Seems to me most recruiters might have "missed" that step.
There really is no right or wrong answer for choosing a truck driving school. Both types will help get your career off to a great start. You just have to understand the differences, know the pitfalls of each, and pick the one that suits you best.
Ray, one last thing. I don't see any scores for you in our High Road Training Program. Did you study the materials so you're prepared for your CDL permit exam, your endorsement exams, and the start of schooling? For anyone getting ready to begin school you'll want to complete our High Road program and preferably get your CDL permit and CDL endorsements before you step foot in a classroom. That way you'll be way ahead of the game. While everyone else stresses, struggles, and crams to try to get through the schooling and exams you'll be on cruise control because you already know the materials and passed the written exams for your permit and endorsements.
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.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.
Pre-hires:
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.
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.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.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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I am starting school on Monday and paid for it up front. I talked to the admissions counselor many times about which way to go and that is what I chose. His advice made sense...imagine locking yourself into a contract with a school and something happened on the road or to your health...payments are still there and you are now unemployed and possibly paying major health care bills without insurance. Or getting into an accident being fired and not being able to get hired elsewhere. The price you pay with the finance charges through company programs is twice what you will pay up front. If you do pay up front most companies will reimburse just research their policy as some are great and some are not...I have a prehire through Werner and I like their program. Research...research...research.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
Regional:
Regional Route
Usually refers to a driver hauling freight within one particular region of the country. You might be in the "Southeast Regional Division" or "Midwest Regional". Regional route drivers often get home on the weekends which is one of the main appeals for this type of route.
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.
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.Prehire:
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.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.