Need Help

[ivan2370]

I Need Help , I'm Gonna Start School Next Week For CDL A , The Recruiter At School Told Me The Best Way To Go Is Sponsor Company Training, Some People Told Me If I Can Pay For Training To Go That Way, The School Have A Long List Of Companies They Say Will Hire Me If I Complete The 160 Hours Company Sponsor Training, A Neighbor Which Is A Driver Himself Told Me Most Of Those Companies Are Full Of **** And Will Pay Me Peanuts At Least For A Year, The Thing That Worries Me. I Do Not Have The Funds To Pay For The 160 Hours At The Moment. But I Can Pay For Another School Which Is Way Cheaper But Does Not Work with The Big Cats Like Schneider,CRST,Stevens Transpot,Covenant Etc, I Will Appreciate Your Imput And Recommendations. And Thank You For Your Time

[juno_hoo]

Hi Ivan and welcome to Layover. Some comments on your post --

[quote]

Originally Posted by ivan2370

I Need Help , I'm Gonna Start School Next Week For CDL A , The Recruiter At School Told Me The Best Way To Go Is Sponsor Company Training, Some People Told Me If I Can Pay For Training To Go That Way,

Take a deep breath... Which school are you going to, how long is the course and what does it cost?

Personally, I paid for my own school and could have saved money by going to a company school such as Schneider's. Supposedly (???) we have more freedom if we pay for our own school rather than going to a company sponsored school. Yeah right! At the end of our first years, the difference in actual dollars is minimal and if we quit before getting a solid year of experience it can be difficult to get another job because we're viewed as a job hopper.

Another thing is that -- if a company is willing to prehire you and send you to school -- you have a job when you finish. It is in their best interest to hire you, no? The trucking schools promise the moon (employment help, etc) but are really interested in making money. For that reason, I'd suggest a community college course or company school.

The School Have A Long List Of Companies They Say Will Hire Me If I Complete The 160 Hours Company Sponsor Training,

"They say???" Maybe so. I'm betting that most companies would prefer a 160 hour course versus a short course but have you called some companies? What are they looking for? Call them and ask. Some will only accept a long course and even ask for PTDIA approved schooling. The cheapie course might be no bargain if no one will hire you.

A Neighbor Which Is A Driver Himself Told Me Most Of Those Companies Are Full Of **** And Will Pay Me Peanuts At Least For A Year,

Ask your neighbor which company isn't paying peanuts for new drivers? Hell, they're paying peanuts for experienced drivers compared to 20 - 30 years ago and your neighbor is working for peanuts. There are millions of unemployed people from other industries and trucking is looking mighty good to them right now. Fact is, a company that will **pre-hire** you and pay for your schooling at the end of the first year -- or send you to a company school -- is actually paying better than the company that might pay a nickel per mile more.

The Thing That Worries Me. I Do Not Have The Funds To Pay For The 160 Hours At The Moment. But I Can Pay For Another School Which Is Way Cheaper But Does Not Work with The Big Cats Like Schneider,CRST,Stevens Transpot,Covenant Etc,

The thing that worries me is that you might be spending money unnecessarily for a substandard school and no one will hire you. I think you need to shop around and get prehired before spending your money. The saddest thing in the world is the guy who blew the money and can't find a job. they finish school, time passes and carriers lose interest fast if you don't go to work to gain some experience.

I Will Appreciate Your Imput And Recommendations. And Thank You For Your Time

I wish you BOL.

[ivan2370]

Thank's Juno,For Your Replay. The School Is (The Cdl School) With Locations In Albany,NY , Palm Beach,Florida And Miami,Florida , I Already Went To The First Orientation But Haven't Sign Any Papers, The Training At This School Takes About 3 To 4 Weeks And They Told Me 8 to 10 Hours A Day, They (The Recruiter Never Talked About Money), They Told Me If I Was Going To Enroll To Bring A Check Or Money Order For The Amount Of $50.00 To Show My Interest And Go Through The Pre-Hire Process With One Of The Companies I Mention In The Previous Post.

[juno_hoo]

[quote]

Originally Posted by ivan2370

Thank's Juno,For Your Replay. The School Is (The Cdl School) With Locations In Albany,NY , Palm Beach,Florida And Miami,Florida , I Already Went To The First Orientation But Haven't Sign Any Papers,

It sounds like these guys, no?

The Training At This School Takes About 3 To 4 Weeks And They Told Me 8 to 10 Hours A Day, They (The Recruiter Never Talked About Money),

I see they offer the 160 hour program that some companies look for. It's mentioned at the very bottom of the page.

They Told Me If I Was Going To Enroll To Bring A Check Or Money Order For The Amount Of $50.00 To Show My Interest And Go Through The Pre-Hire Process With One Of The Companies I Mention In The Previous Post.

What amazes me is that nobody asks this school about the cost of the schooling. I don't mean this as a putdown but money is the reason I drive and I like to know precisely what things cost before I waste a moment of my time. I'm not going to spend 2 minutes considering a school without finding out what it costs. If they could not give me the full cost over the phone, I wouldn't even wast the gas to go see them.

That turns me off about the school's website since they mention "financial problems" at the top of the home page. Same goes for the $50 check (or money order???) to show interest and start the prehire process... That's BS. If you had no interest you would not be speaking to them and they know that. The "prehire process" starts by contacting and being accepted by a trucking company, not a driving school.

Personally, I would look elsewhere for training. If you're in Florida you could start here and by calling companies that advertise for inexperienced drivers in your local paper, or -- if you insist on paying your own way -- here.

IMHO, community colleges are more likely to offer decent training at a more reasonable price and might provide unbiased answers to your questions. A truck driving school (sometimes called CDL mill) is interested in filling seats at their school to make money for them, not necessarily you. The cost of some of them is outrageous.

Don't get me wrong; that school might be the best thing since sliced pizza and the price could be very reasonable, but I'm cautious and like to explore my options. I think you need to check out all your options, Ivan.

I still wish you BOL.