This week we’re featuring truck driving career websites that really give you a glimpse of what to expect during their training process, and how life will be when you’re working for them. These companies also offer programs for experienced drivers and owner-operators, but we’re focusing on their unlicensed prospective drivers programs.
Some companies have multiple training facilities, while many have just one main hub. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have to live close to those training sites, but how do you find that out? Is their closest facility the best one for you to train at?
Trucking companies will typically pay for your travel and living expenses while you’re training with them. But are those expenses paid upfront or reimbursed later? Are they considered an advance that you’ll have to pay back? Where do you go to find this information?
The following five companies all have career pages that you may want to investigate further if you want to get a great start on a trucking career.
Roehl
We’ll pay you while you get your Class A CDL and get a high-paying job in the trucking industry with Roehl Transport. For many, our paid cdl training and truck driving job is their way to a better paying career and even the gateway to a middle class lifestyle. After nine months on the job, Roehl drivers are on-track to earn $50,000 + a year. Get Paid While You Get Your CDL
Roehl’s website has all the elements we look for when we’re looking for a new driving job. They break it down for you in no uncertain terms that driving their trucks is no road trip:
You’re not a tourist … It’s hard work and like anything that puts sweat on your brow it brings great rewards.
And they back up that claim with specific info on how much you can expect to make:
You are hired and paid as an employee on day 1.
You’ll be paid $500 a week while you get your CDL.
TeamRoehl drivers average weekly earnings of $900 to $1,250 every week!
After nine months on the job, Roehl drivers are on-track to earn $50,000 + a year.
Prime
Looking for a CDL School? We’ve got a better option than that! Attend Prime’s “On-the-Job” Truck Driver Training Program. A PRIME Opportunity to Become a Professional Commercial Truck Driver! Paid Apprenticeship CDL Training | Prime Inc. (truck driving school – truck driving job – truck driver jobs)
Prime breaks down their program in step by step bullet points, under their “Paid Apprenticeship CDL Training,” heading. You will be expected to pay them back for the allowance they give you while training.
Work toward 40,000 training dispatched miles (minimum) with food allowance while without CDL (Food allowance is paid back with future earnings).
They go on to explain exactly what you’ll owe if you decide not to fulfill your end of the deal by completing training and driving for Prime for a full year. While Prime’s terms may not sound quite as inviting as some other companies’ programs, we like that they tell you this clearly upfront, and explain just how you’re expected to pay them back. Tuition reimbursement is a definite plus.
Recent graduates from other schools may qualify for tuition reimbursement up to $1500!
Knight
After qualifications are met, you will generally begin training within a week. Knight will not make you sign any contracts to begin our commercial driver’s license (CDL) program. You will begin CDL school at Knight’s Phoenix terminal. Students have to provide their own transportation and lodging during the 2-to-3 weeks of CDL training, but receive $400 of trainee salary each week for additional expenses. Knights Driver Training Program | Truck Driving Jobs With Training
Knight makes a point of saying you can begin training without signing a contract. Other companies make a point of saying you will sign a contract before training begins, so that’s something many of you may want to consider. Knight will pay you $400 per week while you’re training, but lodging and meals are your responsibility during that time.
They offer a specific program for Veterans of the US Military, stating clearly that their training program has been approved by the Veteran’s Administration, so you can use your G.I. Bill to pay for your training. They also support and welcome Reservists and National Guardsmen.
Knight claims a lower-than-average turnover rate, (although in fairness, the industry average is close to 100% – theirs may be 92%, it doesn’t say.) and stresses that they work to build a “culture of respect” which they feel…
provide[s] our Driving Associates the strength, capacity and power of a large corporation, with the personal connection and convenience of a hometown carrier.
C.R. England
C.R. England will train truck drivers across the nation. Travel and sleeping accomodations will be offered to those traveling to the various school locations. Fill out our driver application to learn more about getting started at a school location near you. CDL Truck Driving Schools & Training – C.R. England
England’s webpage devoted to those seeking CDL training is relatively short and to the point when compared to the other sites we’re featuring in this post. They offer,
Zero Tuition Truck Driving School with a nine month driving commitment
a 17 Day CDL Program
England will cover your traveling and hotel expenses while you participate in training. They run their own truck driver training school, Premier, and also work with other leading CDL training programs with locations across the country. The school closest to you may not be the right one for you, based on things like enrollment or class wait times, but you can work out the details with your recruiter. They have a link to a page full of positive reviews from their drivers, and a few pictures of the truck you’ll be driving. One of their bullet points is that they’ve enjoyed “Stability and Success since 1920″ and a solid company history is never a bad thing.
FFE
Get started in a great career in a growing industry with the most driver-friendly CDL training program in the country. For more information, call 800-569-9232, email recruit@ffex.net, or APPLY ONLINE FFE > Drivers > Student Driver > Need Training?
FFE’s realistic Job Description page had some refreshing honesty about the trucker’s job.
Able to withstand abrupt hour changes, irregular work/rest cycles, noise and vibration, temperature and weather extremes, irregular meals and delays
This kind of talk, similar to what we found with Roehl, is something we actually find encouraging – it shows us that the company wants you to know right up front that you’re not signing on for a laid-back tour of the countryside, but a job with demands that can be… well, demanding. When a company speaks plainly about the ups and downs you’ll experience as a driver, it shows that they want drivers for the “long haul”. They aren’t trying to sell you on a glossy truck and beautiful scenery, but on a legitimate career. Actually, FFE doesn’t seem to be trying to “sell” you on anything – they pay for your travel, housing, and meals, and offer a $400 per week minimum pay for your first 6 weeks as you train. FFE also has a clearly identified Student Complaint Policy – not sure if that’s good news or bad, but they’re not hiding it, and we always appreciate honesty!
Notes about when you’ll need to get your CLP:
If you’re planning on working with these companies to get your CDL, you may have to get your CLP – Commercial Learner’s Permit – before arriving at their school. Confirm with the recruiter of the training program if this is the case.
The CDL permit (and CDL) will be issued in the trucking school’s (or training program’s) state. If this is the case, you’ll have to transfer your CDL to your home state when you get back home. Check with your state first on this because some states actually require you to pass ALL the tests again to transfer your CDL.
Your permit authorizes you to drive a truck as long as a CDL licensed driver is in the passenger seat, which is what will happen at your school. The permit usually expires after 6 months, and some states may limit the amount of times you obtain a permit without then obtaining your CDL.
At Trucker Country, you can prep for the tests with our FREE CDL Practice Tests in conjunction with referencing your state’s CDL Manual.
