Do you think you should sign up for one of the many company paid truck driving schools? Have you decided to get your CDL license and go to a truck driving school that is offering you paid CDL training? All you need to do now is sign an agreement and go to one of these trucking driving schools and everything is going to be good, right?
You will have a Guaranteed Truck Driver Job, Free CDL Training and a New Career! Right?
In a Perfect World, and in a trucking industry with a better reputation, the above declaration would hold true for everyone wanting to get free CDL training. In reality though, things don’t always go as intended. If you look at the contracts cautiously you will see that there is no guaranteed pay, or even a guarantee that these company paid truck driving schools will put you to work after training.
Here is what you can expect!
You can be certain that if you quit one of these truck driving schools you will be accountable for the price of the free CDL training that you did finish. You can be certain that if you are not learning as fast as the others, you will be let go and be accountable for the price of the CDL training you did finish. How much can they charge you for a portion of the training even though you didn’t even get a CDL? The cost can be between $1,400 and $2,300 for one week of truck driving school even if you don’t make it through.
Don’t be a Truck Driving School Victim!
I went to a company sponsored truck driving school and they sent about 5 out of my driving class home and about 3 quit. When I started my truck driving job, my pay was 1 ½ cents less than stated to me over the phone when I applied. I had no guarantee on paper anywhere. I was frustrated and wanted to quit but that meant about $6,000 or more in truck driving school fees going on my credit report, and good luck getting my last paycheck.
The company trucking driving schools that offer this paid/free CDL truck driver training know that you are in a complicated situation and I believe they take advantage of green truck drivers and their lack of information. Company Paid or Free truck driving schools sound good in theory but if examined and investigated you will find that a national independent truck driving school with a great reputation can be a better choice for several reasons.
Do it Right the First Time!
Most independent truck driving schools have many trucking companies that use them as hiring pools. You will more than likely have a choice of trucking companies that you can to go to work for. An independent truck driving school is in the business of training students and would go bankrupt if they kicked everyone and anyone out who might be struggling with the truck driver training.
Most independent truck driving schools offer financing and deal with trucking companies that offer tuition repayment if you sign an agreement to work and stay for a certain period of time. A Company Paid truck driving school can work for some, but is definitely not for everyone, so read the contract before you sign something that could cost you so much without even getting a CDL. Information is the key to your success in the trucking industry and it starts with getting accurate information about the truck driving school scams.
Why is Choosing the Right Truck Driving School so Important?
Before I got into truck driving I really did not think it really mattered where you got your CDL. I knew how to drive a car good enough, how hard could it be to drive a truck? It is not really that hard at all. There is more to it than just driving a truck down the road. It’s the rules and regulations that you can learn or not learn in truck driving school that can come back to bite you.
The majority of truck driving schools rush you in the front door and out the back with a CDL. You end up getting a job working for a break-in company that cares more about moving freight than you and your CDL. A lot of these companies are willing to look the other way if you bend the rules a little bit. That is if you even really know what the rules are and the consequences that go with breaking them.
Unfortunately going to a poor truck driving school could result in you going to prison for a long time! That’s Right! Truck drivers are encouraged to fib a little on their log books by dispatchers to get loads moved on time. A log book is just a piece of paper right? No big deal! What could it hurt? You are just trying to make a living and get home on time without having to take another required break right?
Most truck driving schools will come up short training you and informing you about these types of things and it is sad. The driver in the article below claimed he didn’t know it was against the law in his trial. 20 violations and 5 years for each one! Are you willing to go to prison for taking shortcuts when it comes to getting your CDL training and picking a poor truck driving school? You will be operating a commercial vehicle under federal rules and regulations. Learning to drive a truck is not a game and getting trained properly is crucial! If you are going to get a CDL please read the article below and fill out a form to go to one of the best truck driving schools you can go to so you will never end up in this situation!