Companies offering CDL A training

[dotcommark]

I've been expediting in a van for several years now and I've decided to get myself a cdl and spend a year or so OTR. I've seen a fair number of expediters on here that have started out with a big carrier so I'm hoping to get some opinions on a good company to sign up with as a trainee. I don't mind dedicating a year to the company that trains me so I'm not looking to go to an independent school to get the cdl.
Any words of wisdom on positive experiences are greatly appreciated.

 

[Crazynuff]

Good companies don't hire trainees . They a stack of experienced applicants . The ones hiring trainees have a turnover rate of over 100% . If you don't complete your year obligation you will be billed $2,000 - $3,000 for the training . Your best intentions mean nothing . They fire trainees for very petty reasons .
Some trainees getting $300 a week are nothing more than team drivers . The trainer sleeps in the bunk while the trainee drives . Huge exploitation with these training companies .
Some will train you than they tell you the only trucks available are lease purchase . Don't even go there .

 

[BillChaffey]

I don't know where your located. In Springfield, Mo. there are a car load of Companies offering to put you through school for a year in return. I only know one who went through. My neighbors grandson. The company was out of Nebraska. He did his time with a ton of miles and they offered him a raise in mileage pay to stay. He chose to go with a local company driving flat bed. Arkansas i'm fairly sure offers a CDL class school through Community colleges.

 

[dotcommark]

I'm in Louisville, KY so we have the UPS hub here as well as FedEx and a number of other companies located around the airport. They offer some pretty good rates for the amount of home time you get but they want you to have 6 months to 1 year experience OTR. I figured that if I "suffered" through a year at somewhere like Central Refrigerated then I could qualify for a local position. I just don't see any other way to get that much needed experience.

 

[BillChaffey]

Louisville is about 250 or so from St Louis on #64 another 250 or so to Springfield. If your going to be on the road your looking at 3-4 weeks in a Motel in Springfield then on the road with the company of your choosing. Google the "Springfield News Leader", investigate some companies and your on your way.
Good luck.

 

[dotcommark]

Thanks Bill, I took a look and it's some of the same places that are offering in the Louisville area. Some of the trucking companies have you train at a independent school then come to them for the "finishing off" training. I would imagine that it wouldn't matter to much who your working for your first 6 months to a year since that will be time spent learning the basics and building up a good record. The smaller companies don't hire the newbies due to their insurance policies.

 

[Crazynuff]

Thanks Bill, I took a look and it's some of the same places that are offering in the Louisville area. Some of the trucking companies have you train at a independent school then come to them for the "finishing off" training. I would imagine that it wouldn't matter to much who your working for your first 6 months to a year since that will be time spent learning the basics and building up a good record. The smaller companies don't hire the newbies due to their insurance policies.

That's nonsense about the insurance companies but here's an example of the "training " I mentioned earlier . Man killed in semi tractor-trailer wreck | Laramie Boomerang | Laramie, Wyoming . Google trucker forums . Ignore my advise if you want but over and over it was said by trainers and others less than 10% of driving school graduates managed to last 6 months .

 

[dletheridge]

My experience with what you're trying to do is this. I wound up going to a junior college near where I lived (Alvin Community College in Alvin TX) then I went with Southern Refrigerated Transport (Out of Texarkana,AR) to get my training done and then drove solo with them for a while.

If you don't mind let me digress here as to what the steps are.
1) get your CDL - Many options are avilable here
2) get your training with a training company, ie swift, stevens, werner, crete, etc
3) drive for a year to get that coveted experience and to payoff the training in #1.

Options for #1.
1) Go to a community college pay for it yourself and then get reimbursed by the company
2) Find a company that does sponsored training ie Swift, Stevens or CRST. A very fast paced 3 weeks and you then go work with them.
3) WIA funding for the training.

Maybe I missed it but once you get your cdl and your experience what do you want to do? Come back to expediting or stay with "those other guys"?

Oh one last word of advice, when you ask about carriers, be prepared for as many different answers as there are people. Just make sure that the people you are listening to actually worked or are working for them. Personally, I will only give my opinion on only SRT, Werner, Swift and Panther.

Good luck.