Been Off The Road For Awhile and
You Were Told That You Need To Take
You Were Told That You Need To Take
A CDL Class A Refresher Course or
The Full CDL Training Program?
The Full CDL Training Program?
Probably Not ....
We frequently talk with otr truckers who have not been on the road for awhile. They still have their CDL Class A license but for one reason or another, have not been driving otr consistently. There are many reasons ... the company they previously worked for may have gone out of business, or maybe they were laid off due to a cutback. Maybe there was a family illness. Whatever the reason, they can't find a driving job because they haven't been driving regularly.
They were told by numerous company recruiters that in order to get an ort driving job they would either have to take a CDL Refresher Course or start all over again by taking the full CDL Class A course. Here is the breakdown:
The CDL Refresher Course - Typically 40 Hours:
Fewer and fewer trucking companies are offering refresher courses, and those that do offer the course charge in the area of $500 - $1000. As a general rule, a driver does not have to sign an employment contract when taking the refresher course through a trucking company.
Fees for truck driver training schools run about $1,400 for a CDL Class A Refresher Course.
The CDL Class A Training Program - Typically 160 Hours:
There are not very many trucking companies offering paid CDL training or company sponsored CDL training, but those that do offer the course charge anywhere from $3,900 - $5,000, sometimes more. You must sign an employment contract which can range from 8 months to one year.
Many companies will advertise that paid or company sponsored cdl training is 'free'. Don't be fooled, it is not free. "Assessing The True Cost of 'Free' CDL Training" is a good source of information on this subject.
There are many excellent private and public truck driver training schools across the U.S. that offer CDL Class A training. Costs can run between $3,500 to as much as $6,000, and sometimes more. Federal and state grants are sometimes available, or in-house financing may be an option.
I Have Good News For You ...
There Is A Much Better Option !
There Is A Much Better Option !
What if you could find an otr job without having to take a cdl refresher course or the full training course? What if there are companies that will hire you if you have only six months otr driving experience?
I have good news for you ... there are trucking companies that will hire you if you have only six consecutive months of otr driving experience within the past three years.
The problem often is in finding a company with which you can get hired, depending upon your individual circumstances, which is one important reason to use the services of an industry advisor like Trucking Careers of America. It's our job to know who these companies are ....
You may find that regional opportunities are available in certain areas. Company benefits take effect after 90 days. Both Rider and Pet Policies may be are offered. You may travel all states averaging 2,700 miles each week, with 98% no touch cargo. You may be able to drive solo or team. One company even guarantees that you will be home for Christmas !
In a sense you are starting again so expect your earnings in your first year to be around $35,000 - $40,000. You have been able to bypass re-training and are on the road again, building your mileage and experience with a good company, and have taken an important step in regaining your driving status.
Good luck and safe driving .... all the best -
I have been out of driving for over 5 years all I need is a compony that will cover a refresher course so I can get back in to driving and I would sign a contract just dont have 1,500 in my pocket to pay to get back on the road or regional what do you recommend
ReplyDeleteIt's very unlikely that any trucking company will put you through a Refresher course because there's been too much time that has elapsed since you've been on the road. There is a solution, however, and that is that you will have to go through the full training course again. There are a few companies that will fund your training (paid cdl training), but it's important to be very careful in choosing a company because you will have to sign a contract. You would need a couple of hundred dollars for varous expenses to go through the course. Your tuition, transportation and housing is paid for while you are in training. I suggest you visit our website at www.bigtrucksbigbucks.com and visit the CDL Driver Training page-you'll find it very informative. Get in touch with us and we'll be glad to help.
ReplyDeleteTraining is a method of learning something. The drivers learn driving through learning driving training. Our company serves the best for this purpose. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteDriver Training