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Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,763,471 times
Reputation: 3587
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crew Chief
Josh, many large truckload carriers will hire students at age 21. Most smaller carriers believe that more experience results in fewer accidents (and their insurance companies give them better rates) so they won't hire drivers younger than 23 or even 25. Most of the large truckload carriers self-insure for all claims except the largest ones, so they feel they can hire younger, less-experienced drivers.
I didn't know that. My uncle in law does it and he told he 23 is about the age they will hire a driver but maybe that is just the people he used to work for (he owns his own truck now and leases out to a bigger carrier). Also some of the companies will train you to drive and get your CDL if you agree to work for them for a period of time (usually a year or so).
Look at it this way, it’s what interests you, would you rather be working at a shi* job, main thing right now keep your nose clean, don’t get any moving violation tickets what so ever, ya gotta start off somewhere probably get stuck team driving with a not so great company but it’s building experience.
You’ll probably like it but when you get more experience under your belt you’ll have more doors opening up for you, jump in get those feet wet, only way your gonna find out just be careful and remember you gotta lotta weight behind ya, what you learn in a school ain’t nuttin, when you get on the road there is were your going to learn.
The bad thing is your left arm ain’t never gonna match your right lol
Once you've been driving for five years, you can become a contractor through someplace like KBR and work LOGCAP making six figures a year. That's a lot of money! Of course, that's not for everyone.
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,763,471 times
Reputation: 3587
Quote:
Originally Posted by CDL-A
Once you've been driving for five years, you can become a contractor through someplace like KBR and work LOGCAP making six figures a year. That's a lot of money! Of course, that's not for everyone.
Yep. Not for everyone for sure. Money is good but dodging snipers and IEDs is not fun!
I didn't know that. My uncle in law does it and he told he 23 is about the age they will hire a driver but maybe that is just the people he used to work for (he owns his own truck now and leases out to a bigger carrier). Also some of the companies will train you to drive and get your CDL if you agree to work for them for a period of time (usually a year or so).
KevK; training with a carrier then working for them to repay the debt is, from my observations, a poor idea. If at all possible, I HIGHLY recommend finding the money to go to a commmunity colllege or some other public truck driver training school. For several reasons:
- Public training is usually a LOT cheaper than for-profit training
- If you decide that trucking is not for you, you won't be an "indentured servant" to some trucking company for a year or more.
- Most carrier-paid training requires you to pay back a HEFTY sum if you don't complete your obligation (They have a right to get their investment back...)
I cannot emphasize strongly enough: DO NOT LEASE OR PURCHASE A TRUCK UNTIL YOU HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE INDUSTRY WORKS!!! In fact, the more you learn about trucking, the more you may want to truck on someone else's money...
Thanks guys! Another reason I want to get into trucking because I want to be able to move to certain areas over the next few decades and I think trucking is pretty flexible with where you live? Plus my uncle has a friend who's a big wig at Schneider in Green Bay, WI who could possibly help me.
You guys speak of schools, well I don't know that our local community college has any trucking courses. The only diesel driving schools I could find were a local one out of Sun Prairie, WI that is $11K. for the whole thing! Yikes. I want to get some hands on experience and build up my savings and someday retire in the country on some mountain land with a view in Tennessee or Kentucky.
So is schooling required? I know of a place that can send me a CDL study guide that has a 80% sucess rate. It is $95.
Josh, Schneider does, in fact, have one of the better carrier-operated driver training schools. But I still feel strongly about paying for training on your own, if possible. I went through Central Tech's Truck Driver Training program. It's in Drumright, Oklahoma. I shared a house trailer with other students in my class. The WHOLE cost was a little over $2200, INCLUDING room and board and an Oklahoma CDL. That was 11 years ago, but I'm guessing prices haven't risen that much. The course lasted 30 days.
I think you can Google "Central Tech" to find their truck driver training school.
Thanks guys! Another reason I want to get into trucking because I want to be able to move to certain areas over the next few decades and I think trucking is pretty flexible with where you live? Plus my uncle has a friend who's a big wig at Schneider in Green Bay, WI who could possibly help me.
You guys speak of schools, well I don't know that our local community college has any trucking courses. The only diesel driving schools I could find were a local one out of Sun Prairie, WI that is $11K. for the whole thing! Yikes. I want to get some hands on experience and build up my savings and someday retire in the country on some mountain land with a view in Tennessee or Kentucky.
So is schooling required? I know of a place that can send me a CDL study guide that has a 80% sucess rate. It is $95.
Try going to the unemployment office to get a grant.I've seen individuals in the school I went to ,whom gotten money from the state.
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,763,471 times
Reputation: 3587
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoshB
Thanks guys! Another reason I want to get into trucking because I want to be able to move to certain areas over the next few decades and I think trucking is pretty flexible with where you live? Plus my uncle has a friend who's a big wig at Schneider in Green Bay, WI who could possibly help me.
You guys speak of schools, well I don't know that our local community college has any trucking courses. The only diesel driving schools I could find were a local one out of Sun Prairie, WI that is $11K. for the whole thing! Yikes. I want to get some hands on experience and build up my savings and someday retire in the country on some mountain land with a view in Tennessee or Kentucky.
So is schooling required? I know of a place that can send me a CDL study guide that has a 80% sucess rate. It is $95.
$11,000 is way too much to learn to drive a truck. For less than 1/2 that amount, you can actually go to a public college or vo tech program and pay rent to live there for the 6 or 8 weeks you are training.
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