CDL School
If you’ve noticed all the trucking ads claiming they will pay for school, and set you up in a career, it’s real. The reality is, they will set you up with the CDL school nearest you and will cover your costs in full - in exchange for you signing their contract… and what they won't tell you is what you should be weary of.
CDL schools range significantly in cost, anywhere from a few thousand to upwards of $10,000 at private institutions. Sticker shock much? Here you’re going to find what you need to know to make the best choice for your situation.
Company Sponsored Training
The CDL school we went to was a partner CDL training school to a large trucking company, so most of our peers were company sponsored students. Their pay rate out of school was less than half of ours, because we had our expenses for schooling covered; allowing us the freedom to choose what company we wanted to join. The company sponsored students also didn't get to take advantage of quarterly bonuses, yearly raises, or weekly guarantees, as per their contract. (All points you should be raising when discussing your career with the recruiter.)
There are pros and cons to going about company sponsored training. You will sign a contract to work an average of 9 months to 1 year after your training. They will start you out at a much lower RPM (Rate Per Mile), likely to recover the money they invested into your schooling. You will find yourself upset when you start to talk to other drivers at the truck stops, because they are making double or triple what you are, and they're doing the same job with the same level of experience (or less). The good news, is that you can expect a raise after completing your time under contract and you have the flexibility to move on to a better paying position with the experience you have. Fortunately, you'll be joining an industry in demand, and you can be in a new truck in a matter of weeks. It's really that simple (though not suggested). You might even find that it's slow, you're not getting a lot of miles, sitting around, and burning a hole in the jump seat; but most large companies have a weekly guarantee, (if applicable) which is another safety net to keep you from going unpaid. These can range anywhere from $500-$1500 a week. The guarantee is that if you don't earn a certain amount of revenue or drive a certain amount of miles, they will still compensate you a flat rate. Be careful though, there are usually a few stipulations that come with these guarantees. (i.e. being available, running less than a said amount of miles, etc.)
A general recommendation is to get a solid 2 years under your belt at one company to show stability, safe record, and put some seasoned miles under your belt. It will make you more desirable for other trucking companies and start to qualify you for local driving jobs, if that's your goal.
With that being said, company sponsored training is a pretty solid guarantee that you will have a job right out of school. There is no better feeling than going through schooling with a job waiting for you on the back end. Not to mention, free of debt associated with CDL costs. Bottom line, the pros are no debt and guaranteed job placement. The cons are the lengthy contract, a lower rate per mile, and possibly no pay guarantee.
Financial Aid
Financial aid is an option that most people don't think to take advantage of. Contact your local schools with CDL programs and invest some time inside of their Financial Aid offices. You will find there are many grants and scholarships available to you for trucking school costs. Whether you are a displaced homemaker, a military veteran, or a 21 year old kid that wants an alternative to college, you'll see there are ways to get the cost fully covered or at least partially.
Other options include local colleges, technical schools, Goodwill Career Centers, and/or your local County Office for job placement programs and/or secondary schooling programs.
You should also inquire about a cash discount at your local CDL schools.
The benefit of having school paid on your own behalf is the freedom to choose a company, freedom to move yourself to a better fitting position at any given time, and getting to take advantage of everything a company have to offer.
Loans and Lines of Credit
The last option we would ever recommend are charging your credit cards, taking a loan, or opening lines of credit with private CDL schools. You need to be financially responsible and know for certain that trucking is what you want to invest yourself into, considering CDL school costs. If you are looking to join the industry because of current financial burdens, you have better options than increasing your debt before joining a field that’s new to you.