Question:
Hi, my name is James. I have been reading through the posts here and I have to say - you guys - and gals, are really helpful and offer your advice and information freely. I think that speaks alot for the character of truckers.
Here's my situation:
- Wife and 3-year-old at home
- Live in Denver
- Age 37
- Previously a software developer
- Need an income fast!
- Been job hunting in the computer industry for a few months - and hardly a call back. Someone told me for every job posting, they receive 200 resumes.
- Very good driver, conscientious, safety-conscious, do things by the book
- Very interested in truck driving - have heard the ups and downs of it, from posts here at TruckNet, and have a pretty good idea of how hard a job it is. But I want to work hard, and I'm ready for a different kind of job. One that is tough, and requires skill, but not behind a desk.
Here's the dilema. My wife and I feel strongly that I need to work locally, so that I can be home and not miss out on my daughter growing up, and so I can see my other daughter (from a previous marriage) during her prescribed visits to the Denver area. I am about to start trucking school at Sage Technical, in Denver, Tomorrow! So I am making some last minute decisions!
My question is: How difficult will it be to get a local driving job with a CDL "A" in hand, after I complete the schooling?
I am willing to pound the pavement and find smaller carriers. Will that help?
Will having a class "A" CDL help me get local delivery jobs, where they are not even advertising the need for a class A CDL?
In other words, I have just enough money to attend the school. Then we're out of money, and I will need to get a job fast. I am clean cut, very good with people, good at customer service, and optimistic. Will these qualities mean much in the trucking industry?
Thank you all for your advice. You guys are great - in my previous career field, people were not as good at being friendly in the chat forums, and sharing such detailed information.
Thanks again.
James
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
Galatians 2:20 NASB

Answer:
Getting a local job right out of truck driving school isn't unheard of, but it can be hard to do.
If you want to work local, here's a couple suggestions;
Go see;

• Small construction companies that have dump trucks and end dumps.
  
• Beverage Distributors
  
• Local freight forwarders (ie: ABC Delivery Service)

Start there and strive forward. Even if they aren't advertising an open position, they may still be hiring.
Good Luck!

Answer:
Your wife is called little mamma then? I responded to her about the drive west of Denver, but didn't say much about job opportunities there. As you know, nothing is impossible. But before you make a leap that is going to break the bank, you really need to understand some things about trucking.
First off, no matter WHAT company you can find in the Denver metro to drive for, you ARE NOT going to make a bunch of money in a hurry! The reasons for this are, 1) you have no experience and will start at bottom-of-the-barrel wages. And 2), a new driver is very expensive to insure. Even with hopes as high as the sky, you will find it difficult to make good money in trucking until you have some experience and have proven you can handle a big truck.
You need to consider these things before you hand Sage your life savings. I rarely advocate company-sponsored training, simply because it only creates steering-wheel holders more often than not. But in your case, if you are absolutely certain trucking can earn you a good living, and you may miss important events in your 3-year old's life, you might consider a company that provides CDL training.
It is just a tough decision in my opinion, to dump your savings into what amounts to a lottery ticket. Check the Rocky Mountain News for available jobs. Construction season is still a month or so away, but they all require 1 year experience due to insurance regulations. See, truck insurance premiums have exploded, and they include driver qualifications as a stipulation of insurability. So you can pretty much forget the idea of working for an Owner-Operator after you finish school. Your only choice is pretty much going with a national carrier, but your pay will NOT be enough to dig you out of the hole you dug financing school.
I would seriously reconsider my decision here, if I were you. There IS good money to be made in trucking. But recruiter babble that says you'll make $30k your first year is pure hogwash. Most training companies only pay around $400/weekly to be with a trainer for 8 weeks. That doesn't take into account the $100-150/week you'll spend just to eat. Can your wife survive on about $300 a week? Not in Denver, I'd bet. And construction trucks there only pay around $10/hour. As do local delivery outfits. Not good for someone who broke the bank getting in that truck.
I'd recommend you doing something else and keep your money. Look into this again around April-June. There will be more opportunities available by then, and there could be one just right for you. In the meantime, you could call around to various trucking outfits, tell them you'll be going to school for your CDL, and tell them when you'd be available. This is belt-tightening time in the Rockies right now. Fuel is pushing $1.60 a gallon, freight is slow, and what's available isn't enough to justify hiring a driver with no experience.(not to mention the insurability issue.)
You may have had a brighter future painted to you by the school recruiter, but I have been in this industry a long time, and I'm not looking to make some money off you. Sage is NOT obligated to find you a job. But they'll gladly take your life savings to teach you how to drive. Please think this over rationally. I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I hate to see yet another go down in flames because they bet the bank on driving a truck to pay bills.......

Answer:
Whew, Where Do I Begin.....
In other words, I have just enough money to attend the school. Then we're out of money, and I will need to get a job fast.
First of all....
If going to school means wiping you out financially, you can NOT Afford to go to school at this time.
You need to get a job....ANY Job & put your family on a BUDGET & SAVE a MINIMUM of 6mnths to 1 yrs worth of expenses.(you need to have enough money in the bank to cover at least 6mnths worth of household expenses BEFORE you set foot into the trking industry. )
***Trking is NOT an occupation to get into to TRY to get Out of Debt.(Not if you have a family.)
Rokki's Budgeting Tips(click here)
http://www.daveramsey.com/streaming_show/listen.cfm
[This message was edited by choclit snda on February 09, 2003 at 21:46.]

Answer:
I suggest going to a Carrier Sponsored School.(CRST, Schneider, & many others will pay for your school as long as you sign a 1-2yr contract with them stating that you will stay employed with them for 1-2yrs.)
And since you need at least 1yr of experience anyway in order to get a descent local job....why not attend a Carrier Sponsored School?
I realize that getting Finances in Order First seems like a far-fetched idea, but believe me...it can be done.(I'm single with No kids & I sure Wish that I would have had my Financial Act Together BEFORE I went out...but, I had to learn the HARD way.)
or.....
You can go to your local Employment Office or WorkForce Office & inquire about the Government Funded program that Pays for your School.(this will allow you to sign on with ANY carrier & NOT have to sign a Contract....Best of all, you will NOT have to Pay the money back)
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Answer:
Hi all,
Wanted to give a bit more information. After paying for school, we would be out of reserve money, however my wife is working full time and we could still make it for a month or two after that. Things would be tight, but we wouldn't be destitute. That's why it actually seemed to come at the right time - because we have just enough to actually pay for the schooling. Also, we do not have any credit card debt - so another plus.
Right now we wouldn't mind spending the money, to give me a skill that would lead to basically any kind of employment. But it's important to know if having that CDL will improve my chances of employment - even for smaller, local gigs.
In Denver right now, there are 32 delivery/driving jobs posted in the paper. Some class A, some B, some don't mention a CDL at all. Would me having a CDL improve my chances of getting any of those jobs? Like delivering furnature (requires class A), or carrying bulk mail (also an "A"), or even courier?
so it's kind of like, right now we have the money, but if I don't do it now, we'll probably burn through it in a couple of months.
More advice? You guys/gals are great! Thank you.
James
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
Galatians 2:20 NASB

Answer:
As Rokki said above:
You can go to your local Employment Office or WorkForce Office & inquire about the Government Funded program that Pays for your School.(this will allow you to sign on with ANY carrier & NOT have to sign a Contract....Best of all, you will NOT have to Pay the money back)
Try this route first! Then, if that fails (which I doubt, but ya never know), go to a company sponsored school.
Yeah, you'll have to sign a contract to pay them back if you quit before your obligation is up, but at least that way you won't put your savings account in the basement.
Your options are wide open! Use the search feature here!
My advice tho......is to STAY AWAY from Swift, Prime and C.R.England.

Answer:
Originally posted by Bondservant:
More advice? You guys/gals are great! Thank you.
I agree with the prior post about going to a carrier-sponsored school (I know Shuffler is going to be suprised). If I were you, I would go with Schneider. During training (3 weeks I think), they put you up in a hotel and give you an allowance for food (none of which you pay for). After training, you get training pay for a couple of weeks with a trainer and then you get your own truck (start at .25-.27 cpm I believe). What's good is that you don't pay anything for the training so long as you stay employed there for a year. I think they even cover your transportation to the training facility, which helps if your wife needs use of the car. So the good news is that it wouldn't kill your savings. Sometimes it's not the optimal solution because you are basically stuck there for a year, but in your case that first year would allow you to:
1) conserve your cash which gives you a financial cushion for yourself and your family
2) build up some more savings
3) get 1 full year of experience - usually the minimum for working at a better-paying local carrier.
There is a site (www.pumpkindriver.com if I remember correctly) that a bunch of Schneider drivers hang out where you can ask some questions and do some research to find out if that's really what you want to do.
I would personally avoid Sage if it is going to wipe out your savings. Especially with a family, it is very important to have a safety net in case something bad happens. I know you start there tomorrow, but you might want to call them and put your schooling on hold to think this through a little more before you make such a large cash outlay. Remember, your family's well-being and security comes FIRST. Trucking comes SECOND (or DEAD LAST in my case LOL)!
Just think what would happen if that nice local job doesn't pan out? Read Skid Row Joe's post - just because there's alot of ads in the paper doesn't necessarily mean they'll hire someone with no experience. If it doesn't work out then you're back to square one with no savings. Not good!
http://www.subway.com

Answer:
Oh yeah, just out of curiosity, how much does Sage charge for their school? What would be your total cash outlay for the time you spend there (tuition, lodging, meals, books, training aids, etc)?
You don't have to post those numbers if you feel uncomfortable, but it might help other people looking to sign up there.
http://www.subway.com

Answer:
I agree with GeneThePoolLifeguard. (suprised?)
In your case, I think the company sponsored school IS the best way to go. You're going to need your cash for your family, cause you won't make much your first couple months doing the training, etc. -- just a stippend till you get your own truck and start producing some serious revenue for the company.
But if it's with Schneider or it's ilk, kiss your home life goodbye for a couple years. Seriously. You'll be home maybe 55 or 60 days a year.
Check-out their contract real carefully -- any one of them will fax one to you tomorrow for your review -- and check out the penalty for resigning after they've trained you. You'll get the training for free if you stay a while, but if you leave prematurely, they'll want you to pay the remaining balance on some loan on paper where they're forgiving the payments as you build your senority. I think it runs a year or two, or 15 months, or something like that, before you're free to resign without contractual penalty.

Answer:
I don't mind mentioning Sage fees - they're easy to find out anyway. The grand total is about 4300.00 for a 180 hour course - five weeks. 44 hours behind the wheel (with NO time observing other students.) 1 on 1 with an instructor the whole time behind the wheel.
You guys are actually getting me to think about the company training as opposed to the private school. Shuffler - if Sneider would mean no home time, do you reccommend another carrier that woudl train me, but would grant more home time? Actually, home time is my top priority - even if it means a bit less income and benefits. Thanks for the info!
James
"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
Galatians 2:20 NASB

Answer:
$4,300...

Answer:
Bondservant,
While I know your home time for your child and wife is important, maybe that might have to be sacrificed somewhat for a year. Get Schneider to train you and get you your CDL. Get a years experience with them and keep your record clean at the same time. After one year you'll have a whole new series of doors open for you including many local ones and your CDL A in hand at the same time.
Consider it. Based upon your previous postings I take it you are a believer as well. Take it up in prayer. Let me tell you, these last two weeks I have struggled with a major job decision and I thought, as you do, that I knew what God wanted. In the last two days I realized I was trying to do what I wanted, not what was best for my family.
I have two sons age 5 and 12. I know it can be a struggle to be away for a while.
By the way, I just checked the Schneider website. They have dedicated runs in your area. 6 days on 2 off. I think that would be possible and still allow you time at home. Here is the link to check it out.
http://www.schneider.com/drivers/capdev/colorado.html
Keep on prayin'
Too error is human, to forgive divine...to put up with stupidity...impossible.

Answer:
$4300.00 Ouch. Thats alot of cash. Try and find a small local co that might train you. That way you can stay nome with your family

Answer:
School might be good if you want OTR, and are droping warehouse to dc's. Most schools teach you how to pass a test.