New To Trucking How hard is it to get CDL training paid for using government grants?

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I'm in Illinois and have found a company I want to work for (Crete) that would involve getting my CDL schooling done before I get hired. The schooling would need to be paid for before I start class, and when talking with the local government agency that offers payment for this kind of training they mentioned it usually takes 6 weeks for them to pay for classes - and the classes would start in less than 6 weeks. While I'd prefer to have my tax dollars pay for this training, I don't want to miss out on the next scheduled class while waiting to find out I don't qualify for paid training. It already seems like I've gone about this the wrong way according to the lady I talked with at the agency, apparently finding a school and a company to work for are things that only they are qualified to do, and that I can't have possibly done it right on my on. Which brings me round to my question, how hard is it to get CDL training paid for by government agencies? Especially worknet in Illinois?
 
I'm in Illinois and have found a company I want to work for (Crete) that would involve getting my CDL schooling done before I get hired. The schooling would need to be paid for before I start class, and when talking with the local government agency that offers payment for this kind of training they mentioned it usually takes 6 weeks for them to pay for classes - and the classes would start in less than 6 weeks. While I'd prefer to have my tax dollars pay for this training, I don't want to miss out on the next scheduled class while waiting to find out I don't qualify for paid training. It already seems like I've gone about this the wrong way according to the lady I talked with at the agency, apparently finding a school and a company to work for are things that only they are qualified to do, and that I can't have possibly done it right on my on. Which brings me round to my question, how hard is it to get CDL training paid for by government agencies? Especially worknet in Illinois?
I'd say you've already found out. You have to work the system, which apparently involves 6 weeks in Illinois with no guarantees. Hint: You won't find anyone here sympathetic to getting driver training on the dole.

You'd be better off hiring on with a training carrier that offers free training for a couple of years, then jumping to Crete. At least you'd be showing the trucking world you can stand on your own two feet without wasting OUR tax money.
 
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I'm in Illinois and have found a company I want to work for (Crete) that would involve getting my CDL schooling done before I get hired. The schooling would need to be paid for before I start class, and when talking with the local government agency that offers payment for this kind of training they mentioned it usually takes 6 weeks for them to pay for classes - and the classes would start in less than 6 weeks. While I'd prefer to have my tax dollars pay for this training, I don't want to miss out on the next scheduled class while waiting to find out I don't qualify for paid training. It already seems like I've gone about this the wrong way according to the lady I talked with at the agency, apparently finding a school and a company to work for are things that only they are qualified to do, and that I can't have possibly done it right on my on. Which brings me round to my question, how hard is it to get CDL training paid for by government agencies? Especially worknet in Illinois?
so you start the trucking job later. you already went this far without the training.

and by the way, yeah, the feds pay for your training thru a government student loan, IF you qualify, then you pay them back monthly. grants are just that, a granted sum of money, not 100% of the cost.

things to make sure of are, your age, and whether or not you are under 26 (i believe) and signed up for the draft.

bankruptcies, extended credit that you might have now, and if you applied for and received any other federal monies recently like with-in the past 12 months.

good luck
 
so you start the trucking job later. you already went this far without the training.

and by the way, yeah, the feds pay for your training thru a government student loan, IF you qualify, then you pay them back monthly. grants are just that, a granted sum of money, not 100% of the cost.

things to make sure of are, your age, and whether or not you are under 26 (i believe) and signed up for the draft.

bankruptcies, extended credit that you might have now, and if you applied for and received any other federal monies recently like with-in the past 12 months.

good luck
Thanks for the reply. Part of what I'm juggling is selling a business to change careers, and I've found a buyer that might not wait until later. I'd really like to avoid losing the buyer and having to pay for school later because I waited too long while finding out I didn't qualify for the program. Both of the schools I talked with and the agency both said the entire cost of the schooling would be covered by the grant, and it didn't sound like a loan but I guess I better verify that too. I'm way north of 26, and missed the last 2 drafts by years. I've got excellent credit, and haven't received any federal money in the past year beyond my tax refunds.
 
I'd say you've already found out. You have to work the system, which apparently involves 6 weeks in Illinois with no guarantees. Hint: You won't find anyone here sympathetic to getting driver training on the dole.

You'd be better off hiring on with a training carrier that offers free training for a couple of years, then jumping to Crete. At least you'd be showing the trucking world you can stand on your own two feet without wasting OUR tax money.
I've found out what they've told me at the agency, but don't know if that's accurate or if I'd qualify. I've read an awful lot of complaints here about drivers being lied to by recruiters, dispatchers, shippers, receivers, finance companies et al; enough to make me think I shouldn't just trust them blindly. And having paid more than my share of the dole over the years it would be nice to receive some back after suffering the ill effects of Reaganomics over all these years. I'm still waiting for the trickle down effect to reach my level. It seems like most of it gets stuck at the billionaire and military levels.

And I could work for a company that offers the "free" lunch during "free" training and make less for a few years (or at least until I fulfill my obligation for the "free" training) before switching to a better company, but I'd rather pay some up front and earn more sooner. I've read of others doing the same, and it seems like it worked well for them. Starting out and staying with a better company while making more money seems like a better idea to me than working for a company like Swift, but I respect your opinion(s) to the contrary and thank you for sharing them.
 
Thanks for the reply. Part of what I'm juggling is selling a business to change careers, and I've found a buyer that might not wait until later. I'd really like to avoid losing the buyer and having to pay for school later because I waited too long while finding out I didn't qualify for the program. Both of the schools I talked with and the agency both said the entire cost of the schooling would be covered by the grant, and it didn't sound like a loan but I guess I better verify that too. I'm way north of 26, and missed the last 2 drafts by years. I've got excellent credit, and haven't received any federal money in the past year beyond my tax refunds.
i dunno, a grant is just "a few dollars" so to speak, not an entire payment, and you do not have to re-pay that.

if you own a business now, i cannot see how all your schooling would be done for free.

i think that maybe the school was not being upfront with a few things..i think that somewhere in that meeting, they talked about a federal student loan program as well, that "you might" qualify for, but having that business, may lessen the loan money you get.
 
I've heard they will pay it all from both the school and the agency, but I need to verify that.

I do own a business now, a very small one that's losing money that I hope to sell off in pieces before I start school. If I was in good shape financially I wouldn't be here asking any of these questions. I'd be planning on retiring instead of trying to find out if the cost of the training I need to change careers could be covered by a grant given by an agency that mentions helping people like myself.

I'm not as familiar with the trucking industry as you guys are, but from what I've read there are a number of small owner operators that are in similar situations as me with owning their own business but not earning enough financially as well as a number of older guys looking for a way to earn a living later in life. I've certainly seen enough older guys driving run down semis around here to make me think they're in worse shape than I am financially, and to want to get the training I need work for a better company. Especially if I can do so without having to get "free" training from a company like Swift that would require my earning less while I fulfill my obligation for the training. And I really don't want to end up like the local small business man who drove his uninsured and poorly maintained truck around the lowered railroad gates in front of a train a few years ago while trying to squeeze in one more trip in for the day. He was an independent contractor who only got paid by the trip, and I doubt he'd have been doing that if he could have worked for a company that provided better equipment and paid him a decent wage.
 
He was an independent contractor who only got paid by the trip, and I doubt he'd have been doing that if he could have worked for a company that provided better equipment and paid him a decent wage.
You obviously don't have much of a clue about this business.

1. Swift isn't the only training carrier around.
2. Per-mile W2 employees are the lowest paid drivers in the industry, including Crete. That's where you should start however.
3. There's far more money to be made as an owner op, there's also more risk.
 
Glad you approve.
My first motorcycle was an old bike with a lot of miles on it. It had the patina that comes with age and use, unlike the shiny chrome laden ones owned by the guys who rarely rode theirs. We each found joy in our rides, and the training I got in learning how to ride and work on mine helped me enjoy mine safely, especially when I rode past those shiny low mileage bikes parked in front of a bar for hours on a nice sunny day.
 
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My first motorcycle was an old bike with a lot of miles on it. It had the patina that comes with age and use, unlike the shiny chrome laden ones owned by the guys who rarely rode theirs. We each found joy in our rides, and the training I got in learning how who ride and work on mine helped me enjoy mine safely, especially when I rode past those shiny low mileage bikes parked in front of a bar for hours on a nice sunny day.
Cool story. Tell it again.
 

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