What company should i go through

[laills]

I looking to get my cdl and a company that pays for it. Any suggestions. I have looked into pam and schneider

 

[Lumpy1071]

You have literally dozens of options.
Ask 20 drivers who to work for first, get 20 or more answers.

 

[Ranger_375]

One thing to realize, is that you're paying for the cdl.

You're either paying outright, as with Knight where you have a contract for a weekly payment to the total tune of the CDL school and any ancillary costs (hotel if you don't pay it yourself), or you're paying with time as many other companies don't "charge" you for it, but you're stuck driving with them for a year or two or something.

I don't know specifics on other companies, but I feel as though I got a good course of CDL instruction combined with a good training environment and experience here at Knight.

Do research on what's in your area and what things the companies offer.

 

[Rigjockey]

If you can afford to pay fro trucking school on your own then that is the route to go, Then you can shop around a bit better for a company and not be obligated.

If you can't afford to pay for school up front, Then you need to interview potential companies before you hire them to find the best fit for you.
What works for others may not work for you. I know you were looking for a cut and dry answer but there is none.

You will find that no cut and dry answer even holds true when you have been in this racket for a while. I have a friend that has a job that i would not wish on anyone( he likes it). The job I do is one that nobody in the company is willing to do ,( they threaten to quit when sent to do my job) I happen to enjoy it

 

[GAnthony]

just never (to the o/p), never, ever sign a lease deal as soon as you graduate....!!!!!!!

get some time in, LONG before you even think about getting into your own truck.

 

[Rigjockey]

Don't sign a lease untill you have a few years in.
Always own your truck even if the ownership slip says different! Treat your assigned truck like you own it.
Later in the game act like you are the one paying for the fuel.

 

[GAnthony]

Don't sign a lease untill you have a few years in.
Always own your truck even if the ownership slip says different! Treat your assigned truck like you own it.
Later in the game act like you are the one paying for the fuel.

some here would also add...make sure you know how to overhaul an engine, on your day off.

 

[Electric Chicken]

some here would also add...make sure you know how to overhaul an engine, on your day off.

In a Pilot parking lot. With only a pair of side cutters and BFH.

 

[Inkeper]

I looking to get my cdl and a company that pays for it. Any suggestions. I have looked into pam and schneider

I went through Swift 11 years ago, you sign a loan payback agreement. If you stay with them about 11 months you are paid in full. Stay another 11 months and they pay you back. If you decide to leave before the initial time period you are still responsible for payment of the note.

I'm still with them now and have a really good gig with them that they pay me very well to do. Many folks talk badly about Swift, but it has been a good fit for me, and lots of others as well. I know lots of drivers that have been here longer than I, and many many more that have been here over 5 years.

Just another option for you.

 

[HeavenSent]

I looking to get my cdl and a company that pays for it. Any suggestions. I have looked into pam and schneider

I had the same question a month ago i did some research talked to recruiters from multiple companies. I ultimayely settled on swift. I started school on monday.
What you need to be aware of that they dont tell you is there are fees. Swift covers school, hotel, and transportation up front. You have to stay with them for 13 months but then they start taking tuition back out of your check after your training. (Not the full amount, its roughly half) but what i was surprised by was all the dmv fees, the physical cost etc. So far ive paid $80 for a DOT physical
$35 for permit test (each time you take it)
$40 for the permit itself
$250 for the skill test paperwork
Then around another $200 for the cdl after im done with school.
So check with your dmv to find out the fees for YOUR STATE.
Even if the company claims they pay your tuition....be prepared, there will be out of pocket costs. Not to mention the school time and training time where you are making little to no $ and still have to eat lol.
Hope this helped. Good luck

 

[GAnthony]

I had the same question a month ago i did some research talked to recruiters from multiple companies. I ultimayely settled on swift. I started school on monday.
What you need to be aware of that they dont tell you is there are fees. Swift covers school, hotel, and transportation up front. You have to stay with them for 13 months but then they start taking tuition back out of your check after your training. (Not the full amount, its roughly half) but what i was surprised by was all the dmv fees, the physical cost etc. So far ive paid $80 for a DOT physical
$35 for permit test (each time you take it)
$40 for the permit itself
$250 for the skill test paperwork
Then around another $200 for the cdl after im done with school.
So check with your dmv to find out the fees for YOUR STATE.
Even if the company claims they pay your tuition....be prepared, there will be out of pocket costs. Not to mention the school time and training time where you are making little to no $ and still have to eat lol.
Hope this helped. Good luck

just so you know, the fee's are what you'd pay on your own anyway. so the company pays those, on your behalf, then you are reimbursing them. once you get your CDL, in the future when you renew every x numbers of years, you will be paying for the hazmat test, the finger printing etc, on your own. be prepared to get peppered by fee's.

 

[HeavenSent]

just so you know, the fee's are what you'd pay on your own anyway. so the company pays those, on your behalf, then you are reimbursing them. once you get your CDL, in the future when you renew every x numbers of years, you will be paying for the hazmat test, the finger printing etc, on your own. be prepared to get peppered by fee's.

They DONT pay on your behalf (not the fees, the tuition they do). At least not swift....that was my point. The recruiters withhold information just to get you to school and then they blindside you. I started class on monday and we already lost 2 people because they didnt have the $250 for the skills test.

 

[GAnthony]

They DONT pay on your behalf (not the fees, the tuition they do). At least not swift....that was my point. The recruiters withhold information just to get you to school and then they blindside you. I started class on monday and we already lost 2 people because they didnt have the $250 for the skills test.

ok...but nearly all the fee's, like testing, DMV road testing, written tests, you WOULD HAVE TO pay on your own anyway. no one gets away..fee less..... they make it "convenient" for the student to not have to worry about out of pocket items each and every time.

if a student gets the fee's taken care of, out of pocket, BEFORE school starts, that's a plus, but from others in the past, have said, (as i recall), the company isn't making any real profits off the fee's, it's what the state/DMV would charge if you walked in.

same here (as an example), i am an AAA club member, i can go to any AAA office for DMV services....the AAA club, has the fee structure from the DMV that i must pay. AAA get's nothing for the DMV services.

some students are as we know, cash poor, so the money isn't there for out of pocket fee's BEFORE going to any company sponsored schooling.

 

[HeavenSent]

ok...but nearly all the fee's, like testing, DMV road testing, written tests, you WOULD HAVE TO pay on your own anyway. no one gets away..fee less..... they make it "convenient" for the student to not have to worry about out of pocket items each and every time.

if a student gets the fee's taken care of, out of pocket, BEFORE school starts, that's a plus, but from others in the past, have said, (as i recall), the company isn't making any real profits off the fee's, it's what the state/DMV would charge if you walked in.

same here (as an example), i am an AAA club member, i can go to any AAA office for DMV services....the AAA club, has the fee structure from the DMV that i must pay. AAA get's nothing for the DMV services.

some students are as we know, cash poor, so the money isn't there for out of pocket fee's BEFORE going to any company sponsored schooling.

I understand that and im not complaining. But as a newbie. Who JUST went through all of this. I am trying to help answer their questions. If youre like me (and the other 11 people in my class) you are trusting your recruiter to give you all the information needed to start school. My point here is recruiters dont give 2 shits. I talked to recruiters for 4 different companies and not 1 of them will tell you all of the costs. I was told "just pay for your physical, and $35 to take permit test. Swift takes care of the rest" thats simply not true and being 100% new to the indusrty i didnt know there was any need to question that.
All im saying is to ask. Find out what is required for your state dmv, and your school. If this info can help even 1 person be more prepared and successful then it was worth mentioning.

 

[Electric Chicken]

My school paid the fees out of the tuition we paid them, then my first company provided tuition reimbursement. I didn't get the full reimbursement because I switched companies after a year and a half, but they paid me a monthly installment until that time. I ended up getting a little over half back.

 

[GAnthony]

I understand that and im not complaining. But as a newbie. Who JUST went through all of this. I am trying to help answer their questions. If youre like me (and the other 11 people in my class) you are trusting your recruiter to give you all the information needed to start school. My point here is recruiters dont give 2 ****s. I talked to recruiters for 4 different companies and not 1 of them will tell you all of the costs. I was told "just pay for your physical, and $35 to take permit test. Swift takes care of the rest" thats simply not true and being 100% new to the indusrty i didnt know there was any need to question that.
All im saying is to ask. Find out what is required for your state dmv, and your school. If this info can help even 1 person be more prepared and successful then it was worth mentioning.

i have to wonder if everything IS explained in all those papers we ALL have to sign at one time or another at any company. yes, true, recruiters are pretty much only looking for the commission they make per body they get to school. when Swift said, "Swift takes care of the rest", sure that can make one think from that point on, no more cost to the student. i get that.

but then too....it's all gotta be in all those forms/papers one gets from the company, when you sit down and start signing away.

 

[GAnthony]

My school paid the fees out of the tuition we paid them, then my first company provided tuition reimbursement. I didn't get the full reimbursement because I switched companies after a year and a half, but they paid me a monthly installment until that time. I ended up getting a little over half back.

i think, she has seen an itemized bill. where you must have seen the grand total.

i'd prefer an itemized bill myself, to see where all the cash went to, or what i am paying back.

i was lucky, back in the day, i got a student loan(thru the school) and a Pell grant. i do not believe there was any company paid schools back then. you either got a loan on your own, or cash, or you got a school student loan, from the school's finance officer.

lucky to for some of today's students, the cost of the company school as far less than say the $12,000 for CDL schooling (here in my state....!!!!!!!!)

and by the way, after the Pell grant, my loan way back then, was for about $2,500 for a 16 week course.

 

[HeavenSent]

i have to wonder if everything IS explained in all those papers we ALL have to sign at one time or another at any company. yes, true, recruiters are pretty much only looking for the commission they make per body they get to school. when Swift said, "Swift takes care of the rest", sure that can make one think from that point on, no more cost to the student. i get that.

but then too....it's all gotta be in all those forms/papers one gets from the company, when you sit down and start signing away.

My recruiter and school were in a different state than me. I literally didnt sign any papers until day 2 at school. And by then youre in too deep to back out.
Idk why your trying to make it sound like im a naive person who probably just wasnt paying attention. Youre arguing just to argue. And its not necessary. I was trying to help someone. And like you said you went to school a LONG time ago.....

 

[laills]

Thanks for the information

 

[GAnthony]

My recruiter and school were in a different state than me. I literally didnt sign any papers until day 2 at school. And by then youre in too deep to back out.
Idk why your trying to make it sound like im a naive person who probably just wasnt paying attention. Youre arguing just to be a jerk. And its not necessary. I was trying to help someone. And like you said you went to school a LONG time ago.....

you were not in too deep, to back out....

all i was saying was that Swift paid your fee's on your behalf so that you had no worries about any of it out of pocket expenses.

I AM HELPING the new member here by EXPLAINING that the company pays for the fee's, that YOU WOULD HAVE HAD TO, out of your pocket up front..!!

what part of that, did you not understand..???


further, i have been keeping this a secret for a long time now, but maybe @Duck and @Injun may recall, when i was a member here a couple of years ago...

I WAS AN INSTRUCTOR at a CDL school, and i "have an idea", on how some of this crap works......

not that changes have not been made over the years, but you are debating someone who has been on BOTH sides of the industry......