Best Way To Get CDL Without Indentured Servitude

Got it... Now that you mentioned it, a lot of them post came from ex-employee's and from beginners that probably just weren't cut out for

the training programs or unhappy for whatever mishap they encountered along the way.. I will refrain myself from posting links in the future!

I myself would rather get advice from actual truckers with experience... My interest is in the education process for obtaining the CDL with a

reputable training school... So with that being said, please disregard my recent post regarding rip-off reports...

apologies to anyone offended..

Got it... Now that you mentioned it, a lot of them post came from ex-employee's and from beginners that probably just weren't cut out for

the training programs or unhappy for whatever mishap they encountered along the way.. I will refrain myself from posting links in the future!

I myself would rather get advice from actual truckers with experience... My interest is in the education process for obtaining the CDL with a

reputable training school... So with that being said, please disregard my recent post regarding rip-off reports...

apologies to anyone offended..

There's a few members on here that started their career at cr England and Now they are professional drivers... You get what you put in... If you bust your arse and prove that your a safe and reliable driver you will succeed at any company you work for

I, too, am 61 and have been unemployed for 6 weeks. I can't live on $275.00 less income tax, a week from unemployment. I have been in the HVAC and commercial kitchen equipment repair business for the last 30+ years and have had relatively good luck at keeping a job. However, now that I am older, the employers want young guys that are more "fit" for the job and I am having problems keeping up with the young guys. My last job lasted 2 1/2 years when the boss paid a visit to town and terminated me without much more than telling me "...you didn't meet our expectations..." (I don't really know that those were to begin with...) and asked for the phone, keys, and good bye! I have gotten a few interviews since, either over the phone or in person, then they find out my age without asking directly by asking what year did you graduate high school or what year did you do whatever...then they do the math. Age discrimination...maybe?

So I have been looking into a career change and trucking seems to be the answer for me. I paid a visit to the Roadmaster Truck Driving School in Tampa, FL. Of course the recruiter paints the roads with gold. That is why I am here... To try to get some real truth on some issues. Any comments good or bad would be appreciated about them.

1. After paying $4500.00+ for the school (if I pay out of my pocket or get a loan from a bank...if they finance the game, it goes up $2000.00), what are my chances of getting employed in a "real" truck driving job. I don't want to spent a s--- pot full of money and be left holding the bag with a CDL and no job. 2. When you are out on the road, do any of the companies have a food "allowance" for meals or is that you responsibility? 3. How do you handle stupid things like laundry, showering, personal hygiene, etc.? 4. Are you "allowed" to stay in a motel and if so, are YOU responsible for the tab? 5. If you get into trouble (flat tire, break down, etc.) who do you call? 6. How is fuel purchased...fleet card, company credit card, etc.? 7. We all have doctor/dentist appointments back home, that being said, how can you schedule them when some of them are 2 or 3 months in advance. You don't know where you are going to be in 2 or 3 months and you don't tell the doctor's office when you are going to come in at a moments notice. 8. When you are off and at home, how are and how many "off days" determined? 9. Are uniforms provided and if so how are they cared for (laundry, cleaning, etc.). 10. What if there is an emergency at home (death, sickness, house burns down...) and you are on the road somewhere? 11. What if you get sick (for real) on the road?

I realize ALL these questions don't have definite answers, but any info would be helpful before I decide jump off the cliff in the trucking world.

So I have been looking into a career change and trucking seems to be the answer for me. I paid a visit to the Roadmaster Truck Driving School in Tampa, FL. Of course the recruiter paints the roads with gold. That is why I am here... To try to get some real truth on some issues. Any comments good or bad would be appreciated about them.

1. After paying $4500.00+ for the school (if I pay out of my pocket or get a loan from a bank...if they finance the game, it goes up $2000.00), what are my chances of getting employed in a "real" truck driving job. I don't want to spent a s--- pot full of money and be left holding the bag with a CDL and no job. 2. When you are out on the road, do any of the companies have a food "allowance" for meals or is that you responsibility? 3. How do you handle stupid things like laundry, showering, personal hygiene, etc.? 4. Are you "allowed" to stay in a motel and if so, are YOU responsible for the tab? 5. If you get into trouble (flat tire, break down, etc.) who do you call? 6. How is fuel purchased...fleet card, company credit card, etc.? 7. We all have doctor/dentist appointments back home, that being said, how can you schedule them when some of them are 2 or 3 months in advance. You don't know where you are going to be in 2 or 3 months and you don't tell the doctor's office when you are going to come in at a moments notice. 8. When you are off and at home, how are and how many "off days" determined? 9. Are uniforms provided and if so how are they cared for (laundry, cleaning, etc.). 10. What if there is an emergency at home (death, sickness, house burns down...) and you are on the road somewhere? 11. What if you get sick (for real) on the road?

I realize ALL these questions don't have definite answers, but any info would be helpful before I decide jump off the cliff in the trucking world.

I would copy/paste this into a NEW THREAD - so the discussion don't get crossed up but:

1 - Assuming good health (as in "pass a DOT physical" health - no diabetes, etc.) - no criminal history (recent), a good driving record - there's no reason why you shouldn't get a job in the industry - and work until you are no longer able to pass a physical. There are folks working into their 70's. As far as spending a ton of $$ - you can look into Company Sponsored Training , where, as long as you complete/pass the training and physical requirements - you are working FOR the company that trains you.

2 - Meals are on you. They are "tax deductible" (to an extent) or you can take the "Per Diem Deduction" (currently $52 a day for all days on the road - probably easier than keeping receipts).

3 - Continue to do your reading here. Most of these are done either at a TRUCK STOP - or at a company terminal.

4 - Sure you can stay in a hotel/motel - but WHY would you spend the $$ to do so - when you have a perfectly good sleeper in the truck to stay in. Lot's of people will get a motel during their "34 Hour Reset" - just to get out of the truck and hang awhile.

5 - Call the companies breakdown/road service. Depending on the issue, they will either dispatch a road service, or direct you to the nearest place you can "limp to", to get a repair (if it's not disabling or safety related).

6 - Yes - company fuel card - and they usually tell you WHERE they want you to make your fuel stops.

7 - You can schedule your "home time" a week or two in advance of these appointments - but keep in mind - it's NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE. With enough "advance warning" - they can usually get you home in the desired time window. But it might be a good idea to make a request date, a day or two PRIOR TO your appointment, so if you're a day late getting home - you can still make the appointment. But there's no "written in stone guarantee" of exact dates. The closer you are to one of their "freight lanes", the more likely you'll have LESS ISSUES getting in and out when you need to.

8 - You usually accrue 1 day off, for every 7 days out. You can go 4-6 weeks out, but usually only get 3-4 days home. You are "off" daily - when you run out of TIME TO DRIVE (which is regulated by federal law).

9 - Not usually. The few that do, it's usually a shirt with their logo. Some give them, some sell them. This isn't like a "shop job" - where the uniform company comes once a week to swap the dirty bin for clean ones on hangers. In the few instances that a company DOES require a uniform shirt - you are responsible for your own laundry.

10 - You call your dispatcher. In a lot of cases - they will route you to a terminal - but you provide your own transport home.

11 - Define "for real"?

Rick

I, too, am 61 and have been unemployed for 6 weeks. I can't live on $275.00 less income tax, a week from unemployment. I have been in the HVAC and commercial kitchen equipment repair business for the last 30+ years and have had relatively good luck at keeping a job. However, now that I am older, the employers want young guys that are more "fit" for the job and I am having problems keeping up with the young guys. My last job lasted 2 1/2 years when the boss paid a visit to town and terminated me without much more than telling me "...you didn't meet our expectations..." (I don't really know that those were to begin with...) and asked for the phone, keys, and good bye! I have gotten a few interviews since, either over the phone or in person, then they find out my age without asking directly by asking what year did you graduate high school or what year did you do whatever...then they do the math. Age discrimination...maybe?

So I have been looking into a career change and trucking seems to be the answer for me. I paid a visit to the Roadmaster Truck Driving School in Tampa, FL. Of course the recruiter paints the roads with gold. That is why I am here... To try to get some real truth on some issues. Any comments good or bad would be appreciated about them.

1. After paying $4500.00+ for the school (if I pay out of my pocket or get a loan from a bank...if they finance the game, it goes up $2000.00), what are my chances of getting employed in a "real" truck driving job. I don't want to spent a s--- pot full of money and be left holding the bag with a CDL and no job. 2. When you are out on the road, do any of the companies have a food "allowance" for meals or is that you responsibility? 3. How do you handle stupid things like laundry, showering, personal hygiene, etc.? 4. Are you "allowed" to stay in a motel and if so, are YOU responsible for the tab? 5. If you get into trouble (flat tire, break down, etc.) who do you call? 6. How is fuel purchased...fleet card, company credit card, etc.? 7. We all have doctor/dentist appointments back home, that being said, how can you schedule them when some of them are 2 or 3 months in advance. You don't know where you are going to be in 2 or 3 months and you don't tell the doctor's office when you are going to come in at a moments notice. 8. When you are off and at home, how are and how many "off days" determined? 9. Are uniforms provided and if so how are they cared for (laundry, cleaning, etc.). 10. What if there is an emergency at home (death, sickness, house burns down...) and you are on the road somewhere? 11. What if you get sick (for real) on the road?

I realize ALL these questions don't have definite answers, but any info would be helpful before I decide jump off the cliff in the trucking world.

1 they have what's called pre-hires Understanding Pre-Hires ... 2 food is pretty much on you and there are ways to cook in the truck to save money....

3 truck stops have showers and washing machine and dryers

4if your truck has a sleeper then u sleep in truck unless you want a motel but that's on you

5. Most big companies have over the road maintenance and you Carl them or send a message through the Qualcomm which is a satellite communication device setup with the company...

6. Big companies have fleet cards

7. Otr you are out 3 to 4 weeks with 1 day off pre week just going to tell your company you need off on a certain day and ask for a couple days before your appointment...

8. Read number 7

9. Not really sure guess depends on company you would have to ask... I worked for swift and there was no uniforms....

10. Tell your driver manager and they will try to get you home at swift they said they would fly US home depending on the situation....

11. Take sick meds... If you feel like you can't safely drive then don't drive

This won't apply to all, but by going through the Workforce Center in the county (Mesa, Colorado) I live in, and by keeping my nose clean, jumping through the hoops, and pushing enough paper, the State is willing to pick up $3000 of the $3500 cost of one of the local (TruckingTruth endorsed) driving schools. I did need to get a pre-hire letter, which is easy as pie w/ a clean MVR & a pulse. The State expects me to get a driving job upon graduation, but I get to choose the Company I work for instead of being indebted to the one that trained me. I'm also sleeping in my own bed for another month while training instead of living the "dorm life", which does not appeal to me in the least @ 44yrs young. On-the-job training will be team/minimum wage wherever you go, if I read these forums & the Internet right, but it's all about gritting your teeth and getting that 1st year in, and the older I get, the quicker a year goes by. There's a chance I could go solo straight off hauling frac sand in ND (40 on, 10 off) but Schneider looks as good as anything else, Central Ref. Is another option, they've been bought by Swift and reviews mixed at best. I'm also realizing that unhappy 1st year (and veteran) truckers come to the Internet to *****, and it can be very discouraging when you can find loads of unhappy people from every single hauling company on the planet. I'm combing the TTForums for that mythical "Best 1st Trucking Job" and I hope to become a regular here once training starts. Thanks for this website Brett!

Welcome guys! I'll just give my two cents here if you don't mind. I would recommend If you can afford it go to an accredited Truck Driving Schools. The reason I say this is not because the Company-Sponsored Training is bad but it gives you freedom to look around a but more at additional trucking jobs.

I myself attended a private school at almost $6k. That said, I wasn't looking to go OTR. Sure I would've if push came to shove but I promised my wfe and kids that I would do whatever it takes to stay local. And wouldn't you know it after I completed school I had four interviews with local companies with three of them giving me offers. This of course was just my situation for wanting to stay local. But if you go through a private school then you can still go OTR a long as there are companies that hire from that school. Like the school I attended worked with Schneider, HOW, and JB Hunt to name a few. So had I not found something local I could have still chosen a national company to start my career. Point is that I feel like it opens up your options more and gives you a little more control, although it can be expensive. The key things to private school are this: Do you get the required amount of training hours, and do any of the national companies hire from them? These two things are key to chosing a private school. You'll also want to make sure that your license doesn't go stale. Meaning that you should be in a truck usually within 60 days or some companies will make you take a refresher course.

Also if you're curious to know what private school will be like here's a link to my training diary. I tried to keep it as detailed as I could. Training Diary

I hope some of this helps. Good luck to you

Wow, I'm amazed how a lot of folks think "indentured servitude"!

1. You get out of training what you put in. My son went to Roadmaster in Tampa. He had multiple pre-hire letters before the first week was out. The cost, since he had to finance it is about $6K. He signed with Swift and after his three day orientation went out for about 5 weeks with an outstanding mentor (Ocala, FL, terminal). The mentor mentioned that he'll have to stop knocking Roadmaster so much as he was really impressed with my son's early skills and knowledge. Like I said "You get out of training what you put in".

2. I chose to go with Swift company training for several reasons: a. I'm a vet and they offer a 100% scholarship with one year of driving for them. b. I'm going team with my son who drives with Swift. As such, I get 100% paid training after 90K miles as a team driver. So, my training is paid no matter which way I go. c. If I was to choose to leave before the mileage or one year the payments would kick in and they are no worse (actually better than most) other financed training options. d. Now I will admit it's been an interesting road getting to my CDL and orientation. I picked up my CDL Tuesday afternoon and will start my three day orientation next week. I attended the first two weeks of training in Millington, TN, at the Swift academy. I like to froze to death! At Millington you do your initial paperwork, urinalysis, etc. and then learn to back a semi. Looking back it's boring as heck - but straightline backing and clutch control in a line with 6 or eight other trucks builds your left leg up!! Second week you work on offset (left and right) backing, parallel parking (sight side and blind side) and 90 degree alley docking. You'll use these skills in your state evaluation and often in your career. Millington has students from all over: Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and several other states so they do know what you need for your state test. Most of us return the third week to our home states (terminals) to continue road training. Here you actually go more than 3 mph and learn to double-clutch while shifting up and down and how NOT to clip curbs and mini-vans. Many students will test out on Friday of this third week at either DMV or a third-party test site. Now, if you have issues: Swift has an academic probation (AP) week with no charge. Millington trainers try their best to get you OUT of Millington without using the AP as it is much more valuable at road testing. However, if you do use AP and need even more time you can then pay $750 to be recycled into training for an additional week. If you think about it this is reasonable (except when you are broke) as you've had four weeks to pass the Swift evals. You can't do your state test (within the program) without passing the company evaluations. Now if you pass the Swift evals and bust the DMV test, as I did, you get recycled back for another road test week and can come back two more times (total three) before the completely disenroll you and you must wait a year to re-enter the Swift program. However, if your test issue is the particular site or evaluator you can opt to go to a third-party evaluation site of your choosing. Several of us at Ocala have done this as week disagree with the results (fails) we received from the one evaluator at the third party site being used. Ocala is now using a second evaluator and most students are being more successful. Coincidence? I think not! A buddy and I failed last Friday, call a company in Crystal River, FL, to schedule a test on Tuesday and we both passed and start orientation next week. The Swift training did prepare me for the eval and I used a strange truck/trailer in an area I didn't know and passed with no issues.

Bottom line: any way you get school and the license is going to cost you time and money. For some staying close to home and using a local college or school works best. For others like me, we are ready to do the sweat equity and travel to complete school with fewer out of pocket expense even though this route is often physically challenging. The hotels can suck and you do get familiar with peanut butter and jelly and ramen noodles if you need to save money.