I'm heading over to check out a school here in Vegas on Monday. I'm a little confused when to start sending out applications to company's. Is it normal to wait until your in school, or can this be done once you have a school nailed down (before plunking down any cash)? I guess I'm a little leary of giving a school my money and not having any contacts established with a few company's. Will a company consider looking at an application before I've even sat in the schoolhouse? How do I know I'm hirable beforehand. I guess what I'm getting at is how do I make sure I'm a player before I cough up any bones to a school? I've heard some say they are in school and don't have anything lined up yet with a company, but that sounds kind of risky to me. Any feedback will be appreciated...

Jim

 

You can start calling before and talking to the recruiters. Ask them questions. You can fill out apps at their website or apply through this website(CAD). Start reading all you can on these forums. There is lots of choices. Search to see who is hiring in your area. See who hires students. make a list of co's you think you would like to go with. Its not hard to get hired but it can be confusing deciding which one is the best for you. I am in my last week of school here in Phoenix and I am sending out 4 apps.Actually I am having the school send them out for me. If I don't get hired by my 1st choice I will go to the next and so on. When you get into school recruiters will be coming to you. You can definitely be pre-hired before you get your cdl. Its better to pay your own way through school. Most big otr co's will pay your tuition on a per month basis so if you finance you may only have to pay $0-$50 a month out of pocket. They will continue paying until full amount is reimbursed to you on a monthly basis.
Most schools can get you hired before you graduate or you can do it on your own. I'm going to Southwest truck driver training here and they have a school in vegas also. They give you lifetime employment service.
Search this site for co's not to work for-- Best co's to work for--these message boards have helped me immensely. You can most definitely be going to orientation soon as your graduate. Good luck

 

8) NevadaJim,

Try giving A-1 Trucking School a call in Boulder City just south of Henderson. I got my cdl there for around $600.00 and it only took me about a week. This guy who owns the place is a retired D.O.T. Investigator and has been around the trucking business for over 40+ years.

He will arrange your training to fit your needs. If you have a class 2 and want to up grade to an A or if you are just starting out he's the guy to talk to. Anyway in my opinion he dose a great job because you are not sitting around in a class with several others, you get allot of one on one time which everyone needs.

DC

 

"$600.00 and it only took me about a week" This "training", is it certified by the Nevada state vocational education honchos? How does a week of "training" meet most entry level companies requirements for 160 - 240 hours of training? BOL

 

I agree that $600.00 is a GREAT price, but 1 week is no where NEAR long enough to be qualified to do anything more than START the truck's engine. The one on one training is great, gives you more "stick-time" and is probably why you don't need a 4 to 6 week course, but one week is TOO short a period to allow all that information to sink in and come naturally when you will really need it later on. Having others with you in training seems like a drag or may seem like you are paying to watch others learn but watching IS learning too. You can see others make mistakes and avoid making them yourself.
If you were able to get a good job after only a week's crash CDL course, do you HONESTLY think you should be "out there" all alone with 80,000 pounds pushing you from behind? I don't. Just my personal opinion. Remember to stay safe and BE CAREFUL!

 

8) Sealord,

With all due respect??

Maybe you didn't read the post correctly ?

I stated ( He will arange your training to fit your needs) Some of us can get it done in one or two weeks and others take longer.

Every company out there dose not require you to have a certificate showing 160 - 240 hours training. The law only requires that you have a current CDL with the proper endorsements in which apply to what you are driving.

As for NevadaJim or anyone else, this is a way of obtaining a CDL and then have the opportunity to apply to any company he wants to, and then he can take advantage of there training with out having to be at the mercy of all the B.S. and over priced fees and contracts that many of them charge.

He could also start local with a cdl and get some very good training and move on to otr if he likes this kind of work. Not everybody goes to these major truck schools to get started in this business.

Many of us have seen some of those that come out of a 2 and 3 month training class with a major company and still can't drive, so what??s your point. ?

DC

 

dc6860
It's not my point, it's the trucking company's insurer's point. Also, my question about the state certification of his "school" wasn't answered. BOL

 

You might want to consider calling the companies you are interested in just to find out if they accept training from the school you will be attending. Many companies, like Crete for example, are very picky and don't accept just any old school.

 

8) Sealord,

I understand your question and agree, but as stated before not all trucking companies require a school certification of training to qualify for employment.

I lived in Las Vegas, NV for a longtime and I know that there are several companies there that will train you without any experience as long as you have your CDL. If Jim or anyone else can get there CDL for less money some where else without having to sign some type of hiring contract it really dose put them in a better position.

I was employed as a CDL & Safety instructor for over 4years and now I'm back to driving. I can assure you that there all several schools that are just scams, and there are several very good ones also. But to make my point, you do not have to have any certifications in order to drive for a company. Some carriers insurance will require schools or some type of training, but no all of them.

I guess the point I??m making is you do not have to be a drivers school grad to get a job.

DC

 

I deal with many schools, and do MANY prehires. From what I have gathered, many schools try and talk you into using their financial services as well as their school. To do so they must have a number of letters for intent to hire.

They are super easy to get. I send out probably 10-15 a day to my schools. If you have a fairly clean background and MVR, it wont be hard to get 5 or 6 prehires. Thats MORE than enough to get ya started.