Starter Carrier or CC With Grant?
Posted by SadnessOutOfContext@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 6 comments
Have an offer from a starter company. Paid training, four weeks, paid travel etc.
Also could go to local community college, 8 weeks, and keep my current crappy job around it. Job is low-effort, low pay, and low stress. Pretty ideal for working while going to school.
I hear folks not wanting to owe employers anything, and I get it.
On the other hand, I figure an 8 week program plus job search plus training will take 2-3 times longer in total versus 4 weeks and 15k miles with a trainer.
We’re far from rich, but we’ll survive financially with either alternative. I could get close to 40hr working around school, but the sleep cost would be significant.
Ultimately looking for dry van or reefer, and to take my wife with me on the road.
AngelicDroid@reddit
Have you tried talking to an employment center in your area, Mine offers me a WIOA program, they pay for the school up to 10k. It just take a bit to get approved they want you to attend their workshop for a few week and the approval take a hot min.
SadnessOutOfContext@reddit (OP)
Cost isn’t an issue, per se - the CC has a block grant they distribute for a number of allegedly in demand fields. Doesn’t pay living costs, but I’d survive if I absolutely had to work on top of school.
Same deal with the workshop etc., but a ton less paperwork than WIOA (at least in my state!)
Feeling like the carrier is faster, and probably the way to go, subject to them not making an issue out of the medical I mentioned in my other thread.
Mattrap@reddit
I'd go to the community college. Most of the recruiters I talked to offered me "tuition reimbursement" where they pay you an extra couple hundred per month for a year to help you cover some or all the cost of getting the CDL.
SadnessOutOfContext@reddit (OP)
Fair point on the reimbursement. Not sure it would apply since it’s covered by a grant (not WIOA, state specific).
My gut says more time to practice the things I need to practice is likely better but a longer program doesn’t necessarily mean that. Local CC contracts one of the multi-state big names to do the actual training.
Being able to sit on my butt and bring in cash while I’m in school is a nice plus, but the carrier I’m looking at also pays during training, and the difference isn’t likely to be all that much money.
Environmental-Pear40@reddit
Personally, with how the job market is and especially how it seems to be for new guys I would go through a carrier so that you can get that guaranteed experience. If your wife also went through and got a CDL You can make some serious money doing teams.
Auquaholic@reddit
I agree, with all of it.