How to get into trucking??

[chiskyline]

Hey everyone. I am sick of sitting around home with no work. I am 23 and the wife and I need money. Was thinking of trucking. How do I get into it? Whats the best way?

Should I go to the community college by me that offers a trucking program?

Should I call a company and take there offer to train you? Do I have to pay first and get reimbursed, or do they pay?

These are the only methods I can think of, what other options do I have?

Thank you.

[jimmyhoffa]

First, if you see a trucking company advertisement that says "will train" call and ask.

[baiano]

I would recommend the CC. Community colleges generally have fairly thorough courses where they actually teach you how to drive rather than giving you just enough information not to crash.
As far as financing, you can get a loan for the schooling before you start if you have good enough credit, get some prehires from companies that will agree to pay on your loan for you once you graduate. Also some schools have their own financing that will allow you to not have to make payments while you are in school, then do the same prehire thing to cover the payments afterwards.


Now for the bad news, trucking is really a hard industry to survive in right now. There is a major overcapacity problem in the industry right now, and a lot of experienced drivers are out of work and you will be competing with them for any available jobs. Don't get me wrong you will be able to find someone that will hire you, but it will most likely be companies like Swift, Central Refrigerated, CR England or other companies that generally hire newbies for less than slave labor wages. Read some of the threads about these companies here on this website.

I'm sure others will be on soon to make more comments about entering the industry...so for now good luck. And do tons of research before you make that leap.

[pro1driver]

Originally Posted by chiskyline

Hey everyone. I am sick of sitting around home with no work. I am 23 and the wife and I need money. Was thinking of trucking. How do I get into it? Whats the best way?

Should I go to the community college by me that offers a trucking program?

Should I call a company and take there offer to train you? Do I have to pay first and get reimbursed, or do they pay?

These are the only methods I can think of, what other options do I have?

Thank you.

right now i work in the driving training industry...........

there aren't too many jobs for the experienced drivers, let alone newbies. you could quite concievably be un-employed longer than you think.

Werner, has a hiring freeze, and so does Swift. not 2 of the better companies, but hey, when someone graduates from driving school, they EXPECT a job........

i'd go the school route, and have them do the student loan paperwork for grants, etc. the cost of just about any school will be in the neighborhood of $7,000, and UP...........!!!

that's an awful LOT OF MONEY to get a loan on, and NOT have a job to re-pay it.

just be fully prepared to NOT find employment quick. i would suggest, perhaps getting a job at a loading dock when you graduate. that way, "you're in" and putting in time towards your benefits, etc. THEN, when they NEED a driver.............you're already a proven employee.........

[chiskyline]

thanks for the advice guys.

i was originally looking into the community college by me. ive heard good things. i see they have a big rig lot with lots of rigs and space when i drive by the school. will have to think about it. thanks again.

[Cerberus_Kelpie]

The "Big Rig lot" could very well be for the Diesel Technician Training classes offered and not specifically for Driving unless it has has been verified they are for Driving Instruction.
At a Technical Community College near Greensboro, NC, there is a course offered for Truck Driving yet it had been discontinued for the Summer session because of the lack of companies hiring graduates or hiring at all.

DO NOT GO TO A PRIVATE TRUCK DRIVING SCHOOL as you will get trained yet more likely this year than ever, you'll NOT GET HIRED anywhere and you'll be stuck with a loan from $3000.00 and up. MANY potential Drivers have gone this route because they believed what the School recruiter(s) told them. Recruiters are paid to lie.

Few companies are hiring Newbie Drivers and as stated by MANY, those companies will basically terrorize you and treat you worse than an Septic Pump Truck Driver or a Shoe Salesman.

Trucking is not the cure for lack of work and certainly NOT the final action before jumping off a bridge or drinking Caustic fluids or shooting yourself in the foot.