The truck driving schools will always tell you that you will have no problem getting hired after you achieve your CDL. This in fact, is true to a certain point, but what they don’t tell you is the key factor you need to know BEFORE you enter into a truck driving school.

Laws concerning the commercial driver have gotten very strict in the last several years, especially after 911. New drivers are always telling me that the company wants at least six months to a year of experience before they can hire them. So now, they have spent thousands of dollars for a CDL, but have no driving experience, so they cannot get hired. It really is not the company that won’t hire them, but the problem lies with their insurance company.

The trucking company’s insurance carrier is actually the one that requires the six months to a year of experience. So how can the truck driving schools claim that you will have no problem getting hired? The answer lies with the mega trucking companies. These giant companies offer their own “truck driving schools” that will land you your CDL, and then you will be required to work for them and them alone, usually riding with a “trainer” for 6-8 weeks before being allowed to “go it alone.” In addition, during all this time, you will be at the low end of the pay scale. Also, many of these massive trucking companies are their OWN insurance company! Therefore, they can “bend” the rules so to speak.

If the truck driving school tells you that you will have no problem getting hired, asked them about the six months to a year of experience that the insurance companies require and see what they say. Most all of these “schools” have contracts with certain trucking companies that will hire you after you complete your CDL course. But you can only work for them, therefore you are stuck with that company only. If you believe you can go to a truck driving school and immediately go anywhere and start working locally, chances are you will be wrong. Your only choices will be to go with the giant trucking companies working over the road, until you can build up the experience required by the insurance companies. There are hundreds of these trucking companies that will hire “new grads” and get them “pushed” through on “their” insurance. The only problem is that over the road may not have been in your plans.

Also, keep in mind that while you are at the mercy of these giant companies, you will be at the low end of the pay scale . . . usually around $300 per week. Thereafter, the raises will be slow coming. This is how trucking companies can get their freight moved cheap . . . by constantly hiring “new grads” and weeding out the drivers that are now at the top end of the pay scale.

If your plans are to work locally as a professional driver and you have no experience, chances are you will have to attend a truck driving school and be forced to work for one of the larger trucking companies as an over the road driver. These schools provided by the trucking companies can run as high as $4000 or more. There is a much cheaper way to go than using these trucking company’s so-called “schools.”

Only after you accumulate six months to a year of driving experience meeting the criteria of the insurance companies, will you be able to go anywhere and get a job . . . including a local one.

When you do an Internet search for trucking schools or truck driving schools you will find search results filled with hundreds of websites offering something related to truck driving schools. Then you have to wade through dozens of websites that seem to provide mostly advertisements for other truck driving schools. If you take the wrong course you end up bouncing back and forth between advertisements. This will most likely leave you feeling lost.

Well, Let’s make it easier than ever before!

First answer this question:

* Are you committed to making this a new career or are you just looking to improve your skills for a job you already have?

If your looking to make this a new career, than you should focus on the stability of the company doing the training, the quality of the training, their reputation in the industry, and your total costs. When it comes to proper training your life depends on it!

If your just looking to improve your skills for a job you already have then right off the bat you should look for a local training company. Try searches that include your city or state. For example: “Riverside Truck Driving Schools” That can eliminate a lot of the junk out there.

All Right, Your Ready To Start A New Career:

First and fore most training should be the most important piece of the puzzle to you. If your not trained properly you could end up in a bad accident or a very short driving career. That is why we say your life depends on it! As far as the training goes, someone who is well experienced when it comes to truck driving and truck driving training should train you on recent equipment.

Next consider the training time.
Are you about to attend a license mill, or is the company going to give you plenty of time behind the wheel?

After training you should of course consider your costs. If you can’t see prices for tuition, fees and everything else, you might want to walk away now or in your case leave that website. Just think what else is going to be negotiable? Tuition, fees, your safety?

Now that you know how much it costs for tuition, you should also consider other costs like financing, room and board or hotel stays, transportation to the school, amenities etc. Be conscious of the numbers game. It might be $5000 for one school all-inclusive and $4000 for another but you still have to pay for hotel. That makes them the same. So you really have to evaluate the schools and do your due diligence.

Lastly and most commonly where people are taken for a ride, is the promise of employment. Your making a career move so you most definitely need to have a job lined up for when you complete school. Here is a simple fact. If they’re not a “School to Hire” organization, then it is not a job guarantee! “School to Hire” refers to a situation where, not if, but when you complete school you have a job with the company who trained you or with another company via a contractual agreement between the school and a carrier.

For example you might go to school A, and upon completion, you’ll be working for company B. You’ll know before you even start school who your going to work for. The other option uses another very common term. “Guaranteed Job Placement” or “Lifetime Placement Assistance”, or something along those lines. The long and short of it, they guarantee they will be helping you apply for jobs.

The Hard Fact:

The fact is there are Truck Driving Schools out there that have no intention other than taking your money, getting you a license and sending you packing with a hand full of applications.

Now that you have a little more information about what you should look for than your ready to begin your search to find the school that is going to work for you. We hope this short article is helpful in navigating the truck driving school maze and wish you the best in your endeavors.

The cost of tuition is naturally a major concern when selecting a truck driving school. Some schools offer several forms of tuition assistance for students, and there are some that don‘t. Privately owned schools may or may not meet the requirements for financial aid. Public institutions such as community colleges do meet the requirements for financial aid. They also offer grants and loans to offset tuition costs. Students shouldn’t sign contracts that bind them into a financial agreement they don’t understand or don’t have the means of paying or repaying. There are some trucking companies contracted with truck driving schools that pay for tuition, housing and travel arrangements. Tuition reimbursement is applicable only if the students graduate, are hired by that company and remain with the company for at least a year. If for any unforeseen reason a student doesn’t graduate or the newly employed driver doesn’t remain with the company, accrued tuition expenses from the school then become the responsibility of the student/driver.

Choosing the best school will mean that you will succeed in passing your CDL and that you start out in your new career as a safe, dependable, and qualified driver. It is a very good idea for students to check with the Better Business Bureau or any other consumer protection agency, for complaints that have been filed against a school that is being considered. This small step can save you from making a big mistake. Knowledge is the key issue here, which will allow you to make an informed decision when selecting the best truck driving school.

There is a golden rule for students who are looking for a truck driving school, and that is to “know before you go.”
The task of making an informed decision should be based on your research and the process of elimination. Spend some time and do as much research and verifying as possible. This can mean making sure that the chosen school is in compliance with the rules and regulations of the state in which it operates. If applicable, choose a school that meets the demands of trucking companies that pre-hire students. A school known to go the extra mile to ensure that graduating students are successful candidates for the trucking industry job market would be the perfect school.

If it is at all possible, try to visit prospective truck driving schools way ahead of the enrollment date before deciding to attend. A well-established school would more than likely provide an informative tour for prospective students. The tour should provide a general idea on how the school operates, as well as an opportunity for intending students to ask questions, and have them answered face-to-face by staff, trainers and graduates.