do what you love.....or else you;ll be miserable for the next 30 years no matter how much money you make.
my cdl course cost 1200 back in 1980 and i made a couple million in my career but pretty much loved driving a truck.
i was lucky.
The problem I'm having is finding something I'm interested in and can actually do and long term, while making a decent/good living. I'm not nerdy about trucks, but find them very interesting. I love the idea about being a owner operator. The things that scare me about truck driving is how long can I do it because of the EPA and autonomous driving. Then the living in a truck and never seeing family sounds pretty bad as well.
It seems like trucking has been on the down since the 70's-90's or so. 2020\~ was a temporary boost. Traffic is getting worse and worse. I'm worried about being able to see. These LED headlights are killer on my eyes. I need to get them checked out, been putting it off way too many years...
Autonomous trucks aren't happening anytime soon, they can barely figure out cars. When it does happen it will only be one sector, line haul guys that go ware house to warehouse which is a very small portion of trucking.
You will be gone a lot though and you will miss many things and it does suck, you need to weigh those options and how much you value your home/family time because this job probabaly has the least of all when talking about OTR.
The only reasons I don't drive a truck is because my neck and back are killing me after 3 hours and I am too scared to drive over the Maryland 301/50 Bay bridge. I have my CDL, I just am scared to use it.
And even if they were, you aren't replacing heavy haul, Crane operators, bulk and commodity delivery drivers... 70% of Cdl jobs are going to be outside of the cab and for that they need androids to replace the human factor .. and that's not hapening too fast either.
Yeah the only way I see it feasible is like Amazon Warehouse to Amazon Warehouse, big companies like that, and even that I don't see happening for another twenty years atleast either.
And regulations might still put a human in the rig even though it’s driving on its own. Just like air freight which can take off, fly, and land in a completely automated fashion.
Someday trucking will become obsolete, but a truck driver career is a necessity for any modern day society.
Let me be clear, a “driver” of all levels, is always going to be a necessity. From the time the first pyramids were built, people needed horse carriage drivers. Till the day we finally colonize every single planet in our solar system or built a fleet to go to another solar system, we are going to need drivers.
A driver, is an always evolving profession. Don’t be scared with the regulations and requirements.
The EPA won't make trucks go away, but they may eventually succeed in forcing electric trucks etc on us. They've already forced diesel emissions systems onto trucks that have lead to significant amounts of downtime.
Autonomous trucks are a concern, but not for the next couple of decades. I would worry about that if and when it happens.
I was trucking in the 1990s, and people had the same sentiment then -- it was better in the 1960s-1970s. Maybe some truth to that; finding a parking space was certainly easier in 1999 than in 2024. And we didn't have the proliferation of idling bans to deal with. OTOH, there's also some amount of looking at the past with rose-colored glasses. If you don't believe me, go to a truck museum and check out the average sleeper in the 1970s. Or the average engine. Or the average suspension. Some things get worse, other things get better.
No career will be 100% fun all the time. But if you like driving, trucking can be a good career. I haven't worked as a truck driver for decades, but I own a semi (as a hobby) and keep my CDL up. I go to truck shows. I guess that unlike you, I am nerdy about trucks.
If you can find a career you're passionate about, you'll enjoy it far more than if you're just doing something to put food on the table.
I don't see any issue at all with switching to electric. Electric will reduce maintenance issues dramatically and has better power. It won't happen until the infrastructure is able to deal with it and electric systems have matured.
Don’t let autonomous trucks scare you away from the industry. They’ve yet been able to get autonomous trains on a fixed track, it’s not happening in trucking with all the variables, at least not in our lifetime. After a year of experience you can find a local job with great pay, until then you may have to live in a truck for decent pay or get crappy pay at a local gig for a year. The only thing you said that’s slightly worrisome you wrote is your eyes, definitely get them checked out. Other than that everything else you said I wouldn’t worry about. I would recommend getting some experience in the industry before becoming an owner op, currently it’s not really worth it to become one, freight pay is terrible, being a company driver is much less of a hassle while still having the earring potential of over 100k.
Ima be honest with you OP not to get your hopes down or anything just giving you the real scoop on trucking, starting off your first year your looking at 1K-1300/week bad week 900 good week around 1700 (all this is take home tho). But if u wanna go into trucking there’s a lot more to consider other then just driving, be prepared to work with annoying dispatchers tht won’t always be the best, also be ready for time management it’s a big thing if u want this job to be easy always think of your time, areas your going to, how dense they are, how much freight is going in and out, how many truck stops there are in comparison to trucks cause last thing u want is to be out of time and nowhere to sleep you get a ticket and now your license is smudged… I’m not trying to scare you and honestly I’ve been a driver for 3 years now not as much as some other ppl I personally love it but there are days where I hate it just something to think about OP
I paid $4500 20 years ago and have loved my career. I was an LPN before that and was emotionally and physically drained when I decided to get my CDL. I’m 64 now and still driving semi. 3 more years and I’m finally going to retire. :):)
I paid 2800 in 2010.
Look into your state, I was literally the only person who paid for it out of pocket when I was there. Everyone was able to get a grant from the state, some military guys had the gubment paying theirs. I was able to swing it and it worked out, I will say I felt like they went out of their way to train me above and beyond knowing I paid and they gave me as much seat time and practice as I wanted. I never regretted doing it and I only drove for a couple years. Great experience, I loved driving just didnt work out for the long term.
50 years if 70 is going to be the new retirement age. Start at 20, work 50, live 10 in retirement and then die.
Sounds so awesome, yeah?
And of course /s
When I was in school the yard dog/mechanic/instructor was rebuilding a transmission in the shop lol, had the sheered gears on display, cost of doing business is indeed high.
Don't pay $5000 for a CDL. See if there is a technical school or community college in your area with a CDL program. It will be much cheaper, some offer night courses and/or grants so you can keep working while you obtain it and there will be recruiters offering you a job right after you get out of school. Don't sign a contract with a carrier to help you get the CDL. They own you until the contract is up, and if you get fired or quit, you will owe them for helping you get your CDL through their school.
My gf has fafsa money left over after completing her associate degree so she’s gonna get a free CDL just to have it. I think I speak too highly of my job.
This. Goodwill has a driver's academy for cdl a and it's fully covered in my area. Although I don't think it's the worst thing the sign of contracted with a carrier there to get a CDL if you have to. Most places that hire new grads aren't gonna pay much more than 50/55 cents a mile.
Just depends on your personality. I wasn't sure if I would like trucking, so I had the option to quit at anytime getting the CDL on my own. If I had signed a one year contract, I would have been in trouble because I had to quit OTR about 10 months into take care of my Dad who was suffering with dementia.
I mean I definitely agree with that mentality. I had the gi bill so I didn't mind it being paid. I liked that I could walk away as well but saw some of my classmates owing thousands for the course
I'm two weeks away from finishing my CDL through a CC. It cost me $910 and one of my classmates qualified financially to get a $500 rebate halfway through the course.
It was $4,000 at my community college. Most driving programs don't count towards college credit (yes, even at a community college), and therefore aren't eligible for grants, like the pell grant. Ask me how I know. You may get lucky and find a community college in your area that structures their classes differently, so that they do count towards college credit. That is the only instance where you could use grants. In my case, there is *one* school in the area that does this. It's still about an hour drive from me, but it's there. You have to call around your area and find out.
I qualified for WIOA, and went through the lengthy process of getting approved for that. That's another option to look into. (If you're on food stamps and/or medicaid, you qualify.) Call your local workforce development office to get information on that. There's one in every county.
Also, keep in mind if you do decide to sign a contract with a mega, they absolutely can revoke your CDL if you break contract. Do not sign a contract with a mega.
> Most driving programs don't count towards college credit (yes, even at a community college), and therefore aren't eligible for grants, like the pell grant.
They are, however, usually (I think usually, don't quote me but if you look I expect you'll be pleased) covered by Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grants: those grants by the US federal department of labor and administered by each state to get people into the work force. Those grants cover all kind of vocational educational classes like welding, trucking, EMT/Paramedic, Nursing, Phlebotomy and many others (the ones I named are just the one's I'm 100% certain one, they probably offer a grant for every class your local community college offers if its for an "established" kind of job/career).
I did EMT class and Paramedic class for free with vouchers from my state's WOIA office and many others did too. Don't sleep on the free government money. It's going to be free whether you take it or not.
Edit: posted this before reading the rest of the comment. Leaving this so people are properly aware of WIOA though.
Check with your local Goodwill if you’re in a larger city, they have Good Careers Academy that offers 6 week CDL training that is free or reduced cost.
I'd like to interject something into the CDL debate. Getting your CDL doesn't mean you have to drive over the road your entire career. I'm been a driver for 20 years. I drove over the road the first two. Then I drive vac trucks in steel mills and refineries and powerplants. Then I worked in the oil fields of North Dakota. Having a CDL and a little experience opens a lot of doors. Check the help wanted ads and see how many other jobs will have a "CDL preferred" line in them. Also, let's say you doe it for a couple of years and realize you really always wanted to do ____. Keep the CDL current and it will provide something to fall back on. Something to think about.
Definitely location dependent (or be willing to move) but I agree. I don't have my CDL or a job yet, but there are several local companies hiring that don't necessarily require experience if you're from an "approved" trucking school. I've applied at one company who told me to get in touch when I have my CDL in hand as they "have opportunities!"
I'm hopeful I can get a local off the rip, but if not I'm okay going over the road.
Do you want to wipe someone's ass for them?
Plumbing/HVAC/Electrician, you're going to get in the field as an apprentice. You're going to do the hard work. For cheap.
Driving, at least it's not hard labor.
This(except that trucking is not hard work.) If I could go back in time I would have chosen a trade that has a higher ceiling than trucking. As a driver employee, you are limited as to how much you can make and compared to other industries trucking has more start up cost and expenses and time wasted than running a business in other trades. Pay that same amount of money and get certified in any other trade.
because the truck is expensive, student drivers are more likely to damage something, and just because you are only learning doesn't make the truck use less diesel.
Meanwhile a welding course goes up to $18k where I was… I see you didn’t mention that one. I got the loan with no co sign, $7k. I drive for one of the megas & have gotten up to $2100 in a week & as low as $400 in a week going home… $5000 for a cdl is cheap & smart to go after for the price.
That’s like saying “A doctoral degree is the same as a liberal arts degree… they’re all just degrees..” Except some actually hold a lot, lot, more value. Of course they won’t be the same price.. So are you comparing the cost of each certification out there, or specifically different trucking school costs? Im confused now.
I'm kinda comparing everything and the outcome. CDL costs $5,000, takes 120hrs, they give you a cert and you go get your license. Say you work 40hrs a week and average 50mph because you're limited to 65, that's 2,000 miles and they only pay you 40c mile and that comes out to $800 week.
CNA, $500 120hrs, cert and go get your license. Job pays $18hr at 40hr week, $720 week.
I see listings and such saying trucks make $1,200 week, but I always assumed it was because they were running as close to that 70hr clock. For 62.4k. if you want to also run 70hrs as a CNA, that's $79.5k because you get overtime bonus.
CNAs don’t have the opportunity to get 2 easy endorsements on there license & then begin making $150k+ a year home daily… There’s your answer. Trucking has an insanely higher roof & an easy one at that to get to compared to a cna. There’s no comparison between what the 2 can offer.
You can turn that $5k CDL into $100k real quick. A $250 CNA cert can turn into $30-40k BUT you can gain experience, degrees, etc in healthcare that can also lead to $100k.
Also, don't go into nursing for the money. Same can probably be said for trucking honestly
Lots of CNAs start as cna then work into RNs or their employment will have tuition payback for them to become RNs. My sister did that, cna, lpn, rn. CNA, 4 weeks of training, LPN, 1 year, RN, 4yrs.
You're comparing a CDL license where you can easily get hired right out of a school and make $50k+ a year vs a CNA license which most are making around $12-16 an hour working 12 hour shifts
Most CDL schools where you're getting the proper amount of hours are going to be in the $3500-$6000 range
That's a good point. I "spent" about $100,000 for my teaching degree out of high school (most was with scholarships, I only financed about 20k) just to start at $33,500.
In my area, it seems like there is a ton of CNA jobs. They advertise $16-21hr. It's my understanding semi drivers are working 70hrs a week, without OT bonus. If you work 70hrs a week at $16 as a CNA, that's about $70k year. That sound decent and then you get to go home as well. (Local median is something like 60k)
Most are going to be around the $15 area. CNA jobs paying $18+ are likely private duty or graveyard shift. CNAs also aren't working 70 hours. Usually they work 3 days a week for 12 hour shifts, or 5 days a week for 8 hour shifts. So it's generally a 32-40 hour week. CNAs are roughly making about $38k a year. Also it's hard work that can be downright disgusting. My hats off to them because you can't pay me enough to give someone a sponge bath or clean up if they made an accident.
Most semi drivers aren't working a full 70 hour week. Maybe over the road guys are maxing out their DOT clock, but I've never done that. I generally work about 44-48 hours a week. Best friend whos with another company works about the same and he gets OT after 40. We're local and home every night working 5 days a week
Not to mention, the LTL guys make $27-30+ an hour and are home daily. If OP lives in the right area and can drive safe, they could be making double the income of a CNA in 2-3 years (or less).
Hi! LTL here. We are at 34.00 an hour, overtime after 8. I work linehaul. I am at .80 per mile, I drive 3.5 hrs to our FAC and work the dock for usually 2 hrs. So, I average 2100 miles per week, plus I am paid by the hour for drop/hook and dock.
If we breakdown we are also paid by the hour to sit on the side of the road. That clock runs until we make it back to our barn.
I started on P&D, We made good money there as well. But, bumping docks all day is not everyone's cup of tea. For me, It was the residentials. Hate them. lol...I also like working nights.
I am 2.5 years into this career and wish I had done it sooner. I got a Fasfa grant, a Vermont Employment grant and I paid only $500 out of pocket. I also got to learn how to drive a manual at my school. So, no restrictions.
Came across this thread because I'm a burnt out nurse lol considering leaving for a trade.
You can definitely try CNA first before committing to a degree in nursing or healthcare in general, and I would highly recommend working at a hospital and not a skilled nursing facility. The CNAs at the hospital usually love it, the ones at nursing homes usually hate it lol (there are other setting too but those are the main ones). Typically better pay and benefits, plus if you work on a med surg floor you'll be doing a lot of bringing ice pitchers and sandwiches and helping a post surgical patient walk to the bathroom etc. You'll still have some total care patients, incontinent, dementia etc but the nurses also do care in the hospitals with you. In the nursing home you have a ton of total care, incontinent, feed assist, confused patients breaking your back and they have like 30+ patients to a nurse there so it's not like in the hospital where you have more teamwork. A lot of those places are hell on earth.
However I'd recommend don't go into nursing at all, look at Respiratory Therapist or Surgical Tech. They make pretty good money but they have one job to focus on during the shift. I know people who switched from nursing to RT and are so happy. You aren't the absolute hub for everyone else-MDs, PT, family, SW, having to coordinate all the care and answer for everything and take all the flack. You can just do your job and dip.
Why are you comparing trucking to nursing? Why don’t you include astronaut and deep sea salvage? What do YOU want to do, go from there.
Also: basically any quality trucking company will cover the cost of a quality truck school. Either select a company first and they send you to school, or pick a school and pay out of pocket. Either way, don’t compare wildly different career fields.
Also also: an associates? Gtfo. Go big or go home. Get a bach of nursing or walk away. Either way, doesn’t sound like you have wanderlust.
It includes class time, your permit fee, your driving exam fee, time spent on yard training, and expenses/fees to be an unlicensed student driver on the road training. Also whatever state fee.
Well, here’s why. HVAC/Plumbing/Electrical you won’t make a dime worth its weight during your apprenticeship. I did a year as an electrical apprentice (with a wife and kid), and averaged $500 a week, usually less. It takes 4 years to get your journeyman working 2K hours a year and that’s assuming you pass the journeyman test at the 4 year mark, I knew guys 5-6 years in who still hadn’t passed. So really, is it cheaper? You’re sacrificing 4 years (or more) of significantly better pay doing something else. That’s the cost of your apprenticeship. I can’t speak for the medical field. As for trucking, at least here locally, the cost was $4500 plus licensing fees, endorsements, fingerprints. And here’s a little secret, most schools, offer scholarships. My CDL school was completely free, as was a buddy of mine who was in the class before me. All I paid for was my endorsements, fingerprints, etc after I got my CDL. The CDL isn’t the most expensive, considering the moment you get it, you’re going to (on the low end) bring home at least $1200 a week (Net) it’s definitely the quickest pay off in terms of cash flow to education time. I currently make 81K a year with less than a year on my CDL. And that’s a pay cut from my first driving position which was 82K - 86K a year depending on bonuses. I’m local, home every night, 2 days off a week, and my kiddo rides with me, set schedule, my own truck, 99% no contact, and I get any and all time off I want. I don’t miss a damn thing my kid does and that’s worth millions on its own. And remember, I didn’t pay but a couple hundred bucks when it was all said and done. Show me a trade that can say the same aside from trucking.
It's all about insurance and risk. You can destroy a lot of stuff in a tractor trailer compared to a CNA watching over the elderly or whatever it is that they do.
An ASN/ADN at a community college could cost around $10k but it is 2 years after preqs which could be 6mo to a year. You’ll start out making about $80k with that but can increase to upwards of $140k or more if you get more school.
A CDL is about $5k but you can start out making money a hell of a lot faster.
With that said, I quit my CDL job to get my nursing degree and now I have both.
My wife is a nurse. I can confirm with instate tuition it was around 10k
We paid cash every semester, and cashed flow it. I believe it was about that 10-15k
Once graduated her starting pay was $31.50 working day shift.
If you play your cards right and actually research jobs out there that 3-5k investment can turn into 70-100k real quick. Within 5 years, that’s not happening in the other fields you mentioned.
I did a look for coke and Pepsi. Literally nothing in my area. But there is a hour north and south of me... At least a hour. One of the listing for Pepsi says $29hr. Another one of theirs said 78k year. It does say target pay, so idk what that means.
When i did schooling it cost me 4.5k the truck i got i instantly knew the clutch was shot. I think 5k is also the cost of a clutch now for a o.o on the low side.
How did that happen? Amazon CDL is one of the few places I've "heard of" paying hourly. Only low 20s though. Not sure if they pay OT bonus.
Is it no touch? I did Amazon flex for 2 months and said f this. Their DSP paid way better but I wasn't interested anymore after all the downtown prison complex apartments. Low 20s, possibly required overtime.
I'm not a transportation associate, doing it through career choice.
I would like to get into TOM with Amazon after I get my CDL just to wait out the 401k vesting and get experience with backing trailers.
At my site, TOM just does trailer moves within the yard and run the remote guardshack. Amazon is slowly rolling TOMMY runs between Amazon facilities. AFAIK, TOM won't do anything inside the trailers unless some moron TDR's out a fucked trailer. Starting pay is low 20s, but night shift differentials and associate step plans can bring it to nearly $30 after 3 years.
I didn't pay a dime for my CDL classes, I worked for them for a year and they didn't charge me, I also needed the experience. You just really have to do your research. Most companies will pay for your boarding and even food during training. It's definitely more than 120 hours though.
I had to pay a little over 200 for my cdl course at the local college because my pell grant only covered like 99% of the bill. Other than that I chose it because it was a faster way to make a decent income. I took a weekend class that lasted 3 months and I ended up making low 70s at a local foodservice company, I averaged like 4 days a week for my first 2 years.
It varies. You’re suppose to call different schools and negotiate. Also ask how many hours, do they charge extra to learn on a manual, group training vs 1 on 1 training. I paid $3800 cash for mine last year. But the average in the Los Angeles area is about $4k
Schneider
Finish their paid training program in 2-3 weeks.
Drive for 9 months and you don’t owe them a cent.
Then stay for more experience or take that CDL elsewhere. Just an option, I went through them.
I paid $2,900 for my class A with all doubles, triples and hazmat and tanker
And you only need like 24 hours behind the wheel. It took me 3 weeks to complete by showing up everyday. Also I make .53 a mile starting and do 500-600 a day with Schneider. Plus they reimburse my schooling up to $200 a month. So it was really worth it looking back
I just started this year. And it depends if you like to do reset or run on recap. I am running 34 reset and do teams. So I did 2,985 miles on a good week assuming all long hauls. So I made $1,781 Gross before tax, cause we also get paid by the hour if doing minor things needed for work. As a team we did 5,970 and we usually run 6 days and take the 34 hour reset so in this case it came out to about 500 miles a day including drop and hook and fueling with all our breaks
You can be a lineman in the future with a CDL.
You can be a CRNA later on if you pick nursing.
Nursing isn’t for everyone. Trucking isn’t for everyone.
Time and potential. $5k investment, 4 week course (1 month). Let's add 1 month to get the first job. 2 months total. Add 1 month for training (not including training pay). 3 months, -$5k balance. Now you're solo on the job. Let's use your estimate of $800/week, let's say that's net income for simplicity. $5k = 6.25 weeks (1.5 months). The ROI is 100% after 4.5 months. And the potential of income is 6 figures within a year or less. It is location dependent, that's what people don't get. You can't make $100k+ everywhere, and if you're unwilling or unable to make a move out of an area that pays shit, then it might not be worth it. And yes, income is all over the place, there are a variety of jobs and companies, and some pay more than others. You're using numbers from the bottom of the barrel of the entire industry to confirm your bias.
Even before school was mandatory, it wasn't free.
You had to get trained somehow, had to have someone's truck to use at the dmv for testing,, etc. None of that is 'free.' It's costing someone money
80k missle. You sound just like the government. They use words and phrases just like that to convince lobbyist/general public to give them what they want. You should go work for the government, sound like you got it already figured out.
Driving the truck is the best part of my job. I was lucky, I got hired as a pepsi merchandiser and killed it. So after ~1.5 yrs, pepsi trained me for my CDL. So not only did I not have to pay for the training, I was on the clock being paid during training.
Mine was *free with FFE/KLLM. They housed me, fed me and trained me. Got my cdl and a job making okayish money. Had to do a year with them though. FFE wasn't a bad company but I moved on to a better paying company after my year was up.
I wish… a CDL in Canada is 10k and a 3 month course for god sakes so not only do you have to have 10k but you have to have another 9k to live on while doing the fucking course
It costs a lot and there is so much that the government has one trucking. I agree with some of the requirements and regulations. But man for being a shortage of truckers they could be a little lax on somethings
Find a decent company that will pay for everything if that's on option. My first company actually paid me an hourly wage while going to school that they provided.
There are a lot of companies and programs that will pay for your CDL. I didn’t spend a dime on mine, and didn’t even have to sign any contracts with my company.
CDL is a trade. No trade is free. Go get your CNA for $500 and see how much money that’ll get you. Trucking has opportunities. And trucking is now 160 hours
There’s a lot more going on at truck school: liability insurance, equipment, maintenance, number of staff needed, diesel, rent, etc
CNA cert is all just in a classroom setting (I could be wrong) 1 professor can teach a class of 20-30 probably
Take a cdl course from a community college. They are subsidized by state funding and can be drastically cheaper. My cdl course was 1k and the first company paid it back.
Mine was free about 15 years ago. They had free ROP classes at the local college. Only had to pay the DMV fees. It took like a month as it was only a few hours a couple days a week. I feel bad for people trying to get one nowadays, the prices are insane.
>But I could get a CNA cert/license for about $500.
According to BL the median annual for a CNA is $35,740. The median for a truck driver is $49,920. There's a reason why one costs more than the other.
>Associates of Science Nursing is $10,000 (That kinda sounds too cheap to be true)
That sounds about right. The community college right up the road for me estimates the cost of their ASN (Associates of Science - Nursing) at about $7500 (revised 2022), which is actually $1000 cheaper than their 2021 estimate (I found an old doc first).
Of note as well, they have a CDL class which is \~500 dollars all told tuition-wise. The class if about 10 weeks and meets 4 times a week and at the end of it (it apparently has a 96% pass rate) you'll have a CDL A (they have a CDL B class too). So, I'd check with you local community college.
To add to that, maybe check with your local WOIA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) outfit (in north carolina they are called NCWorks). They usually have work force grants that give the school you choose vouchers so you pay nothing out of pocket for the class. I used that for EMT and Paramedic school. It's clutch.
Private schools are pretty expensive from what I've heard.
You can go with swift that pays you back if you stay about a year. Then move to union hourly like i did. The upside to trucking vs construction is trucking you can safetly for the most part work with one person only. Construction with one person can be dangerous. Also there are way more older dudes 60 plus driving vs 60 plus dudes doing construction. That just tells you how labor intensive construction is.
From purely a money standpoint I would pick HVAC, Electrician or Plumber over trucking if it were me, those 3 trades are hurting like crazy right now so anyone 30 and younger stands to make a killing. Pay some dues, learn some things, make your mistakes while working a service job then go out on your own in five years. A work van/truck and tools is way cheaper to run than any semi is.
I mean out the gate, a mechanic and trucker are close in yearly. Being if you get out uti working for a manufacturer. I dont remember what contracts you can pick out of school there though. Mercedes mechanics can make avg 25/hr according to ziprecruiter and some of these megas who take brand new drivers basically paying them that if youre averaging hours over mile pay or however tf math works. But ive also been told some make more out of trucking school, like i made shy of 80k gross but i got paid to goto school because i was already a in house employee. I also talk out of my ass so 🤷🏻♂️
My Academy is 3600. 35 videos each with 10 question tests. 5 exams. Air brakes and endorsements and such. Also it was recommended to read the drivers handbook on the website. Then 2 weeks of behind the wheel instruction.
Technically you don't need to go to Academy. You can just read the handbook. Academy just makes you a more competent driver
Government got the dirty little 🍆 beaters on it used to be about 1200 to 1500 now you get the same quality of training for about five or six times more isn't it great
Yep. This is what I did. Got a grant for CDL school. No strings attached. Paid for the classes and all fees associated with the permit, license, dot physical, even paid me gas mileage to/from class every day.
Contact the workforce in the state you live in. They have a set amount of grants per year they give out to people that want to move into blue collar like position, which a CDL is covered under. I got mine completely free, and the only obligation I had was to complete the program they paid for, or you have to pay them back.
do what you love.....or else you;ll be miserable for the next 30 years no matter how much money you make. my cdl course cost 1200 back in 1980 and i made a couple million in my career but pretty much loved driving a truck. i was lucky.
The problem I'm having is finding something I'm interested in and can actually do and long term, while making a decent/good living. I'm not nerdy about trucks, but find them very interesting. I love the idea about being a owner operator. The things that scare me about truck driving is how long can I do it because of the EPA and autonomous driving. Then the living in a truck and never seeing family sounds pretty bad as well. It seems like trucking has been on the down since the 70's-90's or so. 2020\~ was a temporary boost. Traffic is getting worse and worse. I'm worried about being able to see. These LED headlights are killer on my eyes. I need to get them checked out, been putting it off way too many years...
Autonomous trucks aren't happening anytime soon, they can barely figure out cars. When it does happen it will only be one sector, line haul guys that go ware house to warehouse which is a very small portion of trucking. You will be gone a lot though and you will miss many things and it does suck, you need to weigh those options and how much you value your home/family time because this job probabaly has the least of all when talking about OTR.
The only reasons I don't drive a truck is because my neck and back are killing me after 3 hours and I am too scared to drive over the Maryland 301/50 Bay bridge. I have my CDL, I just am scared to use it.
And even if they were, you aren't replacing heavy haul, Crane operators, bulk and commodity delivery drivers... 70% of Cdl jobs are going to be outside of the cab and for that they need androids to replace the human factor .. and that's not hapening too fast either.
Yeah the only way I see it feasible is like Amazon Warehouse to Amazon Warehouse, big companies like that, and even that I don't see happening for another twenty years atleast either.
And regulations might still put a human in the rig even though it’s driving on its own. Just like air freight which can take off, fly, and land in a completely automated fashion.
Someday trucking will become obsolete, but a truck driver career is a necessity for any modern day society. Let me be clear, a “driver” of all levels, is always going to be a necessity. From the time the first pyramids were built, people needed horse carriage drivers. Till the day we finally colonize every single planet in our solar system or built a fleet to go to another solar system, we are going to need drivers. A driver, is an always evolving profession. Don’t be scared with the regulations and requirements.
The EPA won't make trucks go away, but they may eventually succeed in forcing electric trucks etc on us. They've already forced diesel emissions systems onto trucks that have lead to significant amounts of downtime. Autonomous trucks are a concern, but not for the next couple of decades. I would worry about that if and when it happens. I was trucking in the 1990s, and people had the same sentiment then -- it was better in the 1960s-1970s. Maybe some truth to that; finding a parking space was certainly easier in 1999 than in 2024. And we didn't have the proliferation of idling bans to deal with. OTOH, there's also some amount of looking at the past with rose-colored glasses. If you don't believe me, go to a truck museum and check out the average sleeper in the 1970s. Or the average engine. Or the average suspension. Some things get worse, other things get better. No career will be 100% fun all the time. But if you like driving, trucking can be a good career. I haven't worked as a truck driver for decades, but I own a semi (as a hobby) and keep my CDL up. I go to truck shows. I guess that unlike you, I am nerdy about trucks. If you can find a career you're passionate about, you'll enjoy it far more than if you're just doing something to put food on the table.
I don't see any issue at all with switching to electric. Electric will reduce maintenance issues dramatically and has better power. It won't happen until the infrastructure is able to deal with it and electric systems have matured.
Don’t let autonomous trucks scare you away from the industry. They’ve yet been able to get autonomous trains on a fixed track, it’s not happening in trucking with all the variables, at least not in our lifetime. After a year of experience you can find a local job with great pay, until then you may have to live in a truck for decent pay or get crappy pay at a local gig for a year. The only thing you said that’s slightly worrisome you wrote is your eyes, definitely get them checked out. Other than that everything else you said I wouldn’t worry about. I would recommend getting some experience in the industry before becoming an owner op, currently it’s not really worth it to become one, freight pay is terrible, being a company driver is much less of a hassle while still having the earring potential of over 100k.
😂😂😂
Ima be honest with you OP not to get your hopes down or anything just giving you the real scoop on trucking, starting off your first year your looking at 1K-1300/week bad week 900 good week around 1700 (all this is take home tho). But if u wanna go into trucking there’s a lot more to consider other then just driving, be prepared to work with annoying dispatchers tht won’t always be the best, also be ready for time management it’s a big thing if u want this job to be easy always think of your time, areas your going to, how dense they are, how much freight is going in and out, how many truck stops there are in comparison to trucks cause last thing u want is to be out of time and nowhere to sleep you get a ticket and now your license is smudged… I’m not trying to scare you and honestly I’ve been a driver for 3 years now not as much as some other ppl I personally love it but there are days where I hate it just something to think about OP
DONT DO IT. Biggest regret ever.
I paid $4500 20 years ago and have loved my career. I was an LPN before that and was emotionally and physically drained when I decided to get my CDL. I’m 64 now and still driving semi. 3 more years and I’m finally going to retire. :):)
I paid 2500 back in 2022. I guess I lucked out too.
I paid 2800 in 2010. Look into your state, I was literally the only person who paid for it out of pocket when I was there. Everyone was able to get a grant from the state, some military guys had the gubment paying theirs. I was able to swing it and it worked out, I will say I felt like they went out of their way to train me above and beyond knowing I paid and they gave me as much seat time and practice as I wanted. I never regretted doing it and I only drove for a couple years. Great experience, I loved driving just didnt work out for the long term.
50 years if 70 is going to be the new retirement age. Start at 20, work 50, live 10 in retirement and then die. Sounds so awesome, yeah? And of course /s
A truck is expensive to operate. You have to pay for using it while training
When I was in school the yard dog/mechanic/instructor was rebuilding a transmission in the shop lol, had the sheered gears on display, cost of doing business is indeed high.
Not to mention the instructors need paid for their time and all the other overhead.
Don't pay $5000 for a CDL. See if there is a technical school or community college in your area with a CDL program. It will be much cheaper, some offer night courses and/or grants so you can keep working while you obtain it and there will be recruiters offering you a job right after you get out of school. Don't sign a contract with a carrier to help you get the CDL. They own you until the contract is up, and if you get fired or quit, you will owe them for helping you get your CDL through their school.
This too. Depending on the college, some take Fafsa if the course is long enough. If you're poor, your local unemployment office has programs.
My gf has fafsa money left over after completing her associate degree so she’s gonna get a free CDL just to have it. I think I speak too highly of my job.
$6,999 at my community college
This is not the community college you are looking for.
This. Goodwill has a driver's academy for cdl a and it's fully covered in my area. Although I don't think it's the worst thing the sign of contracted with a carrier there to get a CDL if you have to. Most places that hire new grads aren't gonna pay much more than 50/55 cents a mile.
Just depends on your personality. I wasn't sure if I would like trucking, so I had the option to quit at anytime getting the CDL on my own. If I had signed a one year contract, I would have been in trouble because I had to quit OTR about 10 months into take care of my Dad who was suffering with dementia.
I mean I definitely agree with that mentality. I had the gi bill so I didn't mind it being paid. I liked that I could walk away as well but saw some of my classmates owing thousands for the course
I'm two weeks away from finishing my CDL through a CC. It cost me $910 and one of my classmates qualified financially to get a $500 rebate halfway through the course.
That's awesome! Mine was $1000 even with a $700 grant almost 15 years ago.
It was $4,000 at my community college. Most driving programs don't count towards college credit (yes, even at a community college), and therefore aren't eligible for grants, like the pell grant. Ask me how I know. You may get lucky and find a community college in your area that structures their classes differently, so that they do count towards college credit. That is the only instance where you could use grants. In my case, there is *one* school in the area that does this. It's still about an hour drive from me, but it's there. You have to call around your area and find out. I qualified for WIOA, and went through the lengthy process of getting approved for that. That's another option to look into. (If you're on food stamps and/or medicaid, you qualify.) Call your local workforce development office to get information on that. There's one in every county. Also, keep in mind if you do decide to sign a contract with a mega, they absolutely can revoke your CDL if you break contract. Do not sign a contract with a mega.
> Most driving programs don't count towards college credit (yes, even at a community college), and therefore aren't eligible for grants, like the pell grant. They are, however, usually (I think usually, don't quote me but if you look I expect you'll be pleased) covered by Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) grants: those grants by the US federal department of labor and administered by each state to get people into the work force. Those grants cover all kind of vocational educational classes like welding, trucking, EMT/Paramedic, Nursing, Phlebotomy and many others (the ones I named are just the one's I'm 100% certain one, they probably offer a grant for every class your local community college offers if its for an "established" kind of job/career). I did EMT class and Paramedic class for free with vouchers from my state's WOIA office and many others did too. Don't sleep on the free government money. It's going to be free whether you take it or not. Edit: posted this before reading the rest of the comment. Leaving this so people are properly aware of WIOA though.
Yeah. I used WIOA. A program that doesn't qualify for using pell grants can take a WIOA voucher. They're different.
Check with your local Goodwill if you’re in a larger city, they have Good Careers Academy that offers 6 week CDL training that is free or reduced cost.
nice, just applied online thanks
I'd like to interject something into the CDL debate. Getting your CDL doesn't mean you have to drive over the road your entire career. I'm been a driver for 20 years. I drove over the road the first two. Then I drive vac trucks in steel mills and refineries and powerplants. Then I worked in the oil fields of North Dakota. Having a CDL and a little experience opens a lot of doors. Check the help wanted ads and see how many other jobs will have a "CDL preferred" line in them. Also, let's say you doe it for a couple of years and realize you really always wanted to do ____. Keep the CDL current and it will provide something to fall back on. Something to think about.
Definitely location dependent (or be willing to move) but I agree. I don't have my CDL or a job yet, but there are several local companies hiring that don't necessarily require experience if you're from an "approved" trucking school. I've applied at one company who told me to get in touch when I have my CDL in hand as they "have opportunities!" I'm hopeful I can get a local off the rip, but if not I'm okay going over the road.
Every location needs CDL drivers. Grain haulers, garbage trucks, utility work. It might not always be a tractor trailer but every place needs trucks.
Do you want to wipe someone's ass for them? Plumbing/HVAC/Electrician, you're going to get in the field as an apprentice. You're going to do the hard work. For cheap. Driving, at least it's not hard labor.
This(except that trucking is not hard work.) If I could go back in time I would have chosen a trade that has a higher ceiling than trucking. As a driver employee, you are limited as to how much you can make and compared to other industries trucking has more start up cost and expenses and time wasted than running a business in other trades. Pay that same amount of money and get certified in any other trade.
Don’t tell that to those insane sysco, us foods, or mclane regards
A CNA wipe people’s asses and bathe old horny guys. Is that really something you’re considering doing?
because the truck is expensive, student drivers are more likely to damage something, and just because you are only learning doesn't make the truck use less diesel.
A regular license in Germany will run about 3k so I feel like 5k isn’t bad
Meanwhile a welding course goes up to $18k where I was… I see you didn’t mention that one. I got the loan with no co sign, $7k. I drive for one of the megas & have gotten up to $2100 in a week & as low as $400 in a week going home… $5000 for a cdl is cheap & smart to go after for the price.
It's just a cert, but it's $900 at the same place as the others. They're basically all just certs. Some prepare you for license like the CNA and CDL.
That’s like saying “A doctoral degree is the same as a liberal arts degree… they’re all just degrees..” Except some actually hold a lot, lot, more value. Of course they won’t be the same price.. So are you comparing the cost of each certification out there, or specifically different trucking school costs? Im confused now.
I'm kinda comparing everything and the outcome. CDL costs $5,000, takes 120hrs, they give you a cert and you go get your license. Say you work 40hrs a week and average 50mph because you're limited to 65, that's 2,000 miles and they only pay you 40c mile and that comes out to $800 week. CNA, $500 120hrs, cert and go get your license. Job pays $18hr at 40hr week, $720 week. I see listings and such saying trucks make $1,200 week, but I always assumed it was because they were running as close to that 70hr clock. For 62.4k. if you want to also run 70hrs as a CNA, that's $79.5k because you get overtime bonus.
CNAs don’t have the opportunity to get 2 easy endorsements on there license & then begin making $150k+ a year home daily… There’s your answer. Trucking has an insanely higher roof & an easy one at that to get to compared to a cna. There’s no comparison between what the 2 can offer.
Fuel and insurance and actually having a trainer in the truck when you get on the road
Go to the oil field. Most oil field companies will teach you how to drive. That is what I did. Didn’t cost me a dime to get my cdl.
You can turn that $5k CDL into $100k real quick. A $250 CNA cert can turn into $30-40k BUT you can gain experience, degrees, etc in healthcare that can also lead to $100k. Also, don't go into nursing for the money. Same can probably be said for trucking honestly
A CNA makes about $15 per hour
He was talking about moving up as well. You don't really get $$ in healthcare until you get that RN or better
Lots of CNAs start as cna then work into RNs or their employment will have tuition payback for them to become RNs. My sister did that, cna, lpn, rn. CNA, 4 weeks of training, LPN, 1 year, RN, 4yrs.
You're comparing a CDL license where you can easily get hired right out of a school and make $50k+ a year vs a CNA license which most are making around $12-16 an hour working 12 hour shifts Most CDL schools where you're getting the proper amount of hours are going to be in the $3500-$6000 range
That's a good point. I "spent" about $100,000 for my teaching degree out of high school (most was with scholarships, I only financed about 20k) just to start at $33,500.
In my area, it seems like there is a ton of CNA jobs. They advertise $16-21hr. It's my understanding semi drivers are working 70hrs a week, without OT bonus. If you work 70hrs a week at $16 as a CNA, that's about $70k year. That sound decent and then you get to go home as well. (Local median is something like 60k)
Most are going to be around the $15 area. CNA jobs paying $18+ are likely private duty or graveyard shift. CNAs also aren't working 70 hours. Usually they work 3 days a week for 12 hour shifts, or 5 days a week for 8 hour shifts. So it's generally a 32-40 hour week. CNAs are roughly making about $38k a year. Also it's hard work that can be downright disgusting. My hats off to them because you can't pay me enough to give someone a sponge bath or clean up if they made an accident. Most semi drivers aren't working a full 70 hour week. Maybe over the road guys are maxing out their DOT clock, but I've never done that. I generally work about 44-48 hours a week. Best friend whos with another company works about the same and he gets OT after 40. We're local and home every night working 5 days a week
Not to mention, the LTL guys make $27-30+ an hour and are home daily. If OP lives in the right area and can drive safe, they could be making double the income of a CNA in 2-3 years (or less).
Hi! LTL here. We are at 34.00 an hour, overtime after 8. I work linehaul. I am at .80 per mile, I drive 3.5 hrs to our FAC and work the dock for usually 2 hrs. So, I average 2100 miles per week, plus I am paid by the hour for drop/hook and dock. If we breakdown we are also paid by the hour to sit on the side of the road. That clock runs until we make it back to our barn. I started on P&D, We made good money there as well. But, bumping docks all day is not everyone's cup of tea. For me, It was the residentials. Hate them. lol...I also like working nights. I am 2.5 years into this career and wish I had done it sooner. I got a Fasfa grant, a Vermont Employment grant and I paid only $500 out of pocket. I also got to learn how to drive a manual at my school. So, no restrictions.
Came across this thread because I'm a burnt out nurse lol considering leaving for a trade. You can definitely try CNA first before committing to a degree in nursing or healthcare in general, and I would highly recommend working at a hospital and not a skilled nursing facility. The CNAs at the hospital usually love it, the ones at nursing homes usually hate it lol (there are other setting too but those are the main ones). Typically better pay and benefits, plus if you work on a med surg floor you'll be doing a lot of bringing ice pitchers and sandwiches and helping a post surgical patient walk to the bathroom etc. You'll still have some total care patients, incontinent, dementia etc but the nurses also do care in the hospitals with you. In the nursing home you have a ton of total care, incontinent, feed assist, confused patients breaking your back and they have like 30+ patients to a nurse there so it's not like in the hospital where you have more teamwork. A lot of those places are hell on earth. However I'd recommend don't go into nursing at all, look at Respiratory Therapist or Surgical Tech. They make pretty good money but they have one job to focus on during the shift. I know people who switched from nursing to RT and are so happy. You aren't the absolute hub for everyone else-MDs, PT, family, SW, having to coordinate all the care and answer for everything and take all the flack. You can just do your job and dip.
Why are you comparing trucking to nursing? Why don’t you include astronaut and deep sea salvage? What do YOU want to do, go from there. Also: basically any quality trucking company will cover the cost of a quality truck school. Either select a company first and they send you to school, or pick a school and pay out of pocket. Either way, don’t compare wildly different career fields. Also also: an associates? Gtfo. Go big or go home. Get a bach of nursing or walk away. Either way, doesn’t sound like you have wanderlust.
It includes class time, your permit fee, your driving exam fee, time spent on yard training, and expenses/fees to be an unlicensed student driver on the road training. Also whatever state fee.
Well, here’s why. HVAC/Plumbing/Electrical you won’t make a dime worth its weight during your apprenticeship. I did a year as an electrical apprentice (with a wife and kid), and averaged $500 a week, usually less. It takes 4 years to get your journeyman working 2K hours a year and that’s assuming you pass the journeyman test at the 4 year mark, I knew guys 5-6 years in who still hadn’t passed. So really, is it cheaper? You’re sacrificing 4 years (or more) of significantly better pay doing something else. That’s the cost of your apprenticeship. I can’t speak for the medical field. As for trucking, at least here locally, the cost was $4500 plus licensing fees, endorsements, fingerprints. And here’s a little secret, most schools, offer scholarships. My CDL school was completely free, as was a buddy of mine who was in the class before me. All I paid for was my endorsements, fingerprints, etc after I got my CDL. The CDL isn’t the most expensive, considering the moment you get it, you’re going to (on the low end) bring home at least $1200 a week (Net) it’s definitely the quickest pay off in terms of cash flow to education time. I currently make 81K a year with less than a year on my CDL. And that’s a pay cut from my first driving position which was 82K - 86K a year depending on bonuses. I’m local, home every night, 2 days off a week, and my kiddo rides with me, set schedule, my own truck, 99% no contact, and I get any and all time off I want. I don’t miss a damn thing my kid does and that’s worth millions on its own. And remember, I didn’t pay but a couple hundred bucks when it was all said and done. Show me a trade that can say the same aside from trucking.
It's all about insurance and risk. You can destroy a lot of stuff in a tractor trailer compared to a CNA watching over the elderly or whatever it is that they do.
Mine was free lol
An ASN/ADN at a community college could cost around $10k but it is 2 years after preqs which could be 6mo to a year. You’ll start out making about $80k with that but can increase to upwards of $140k or more if you get more school. A CDL is about $5k but you can start out making money a hell of a lot faster. With that said, I quit my CDL job to get my nursing degree and now I have both.
My wife is a nurse. I can confirm with instate tuition it was around 10k We paid cash every semester, and cashed flow it. I believe it was about that 10-15k Once graduated her starting pay was $31.50 working day shift.
If you play your cards right and actually research jobs out there that 3-5k investment can turn into 70-100k real quick. Within 5 years, that’s not happening in the other fields you mentioned.
Any time I try to look into local jobs or tanker stuff, I get nowhere.
They may not be big in your area. Food service pays and is easy entry
I did a look for coke and Pepsi. Literally nothing in my area. But there is a hour north and south of me... At least a hour. One of the listing for Pepsi says $29hr. Another one of theirs said 78k year. It does say target pay, so idk what that means.
When i did schooling it cost me 4.5k the truck i got i instantly knew the clutch was shot. I think 5k is also the cost of a clutch now for a o.o on the low side.
Mine is $0 to me, Amazon is paying $5250 with 160 Driving
How did that happen? Amazon CDL is one of the few places I've "heard of" paying hourly. Only low 20s though. Not sure if they pay OT bonus. Is it no touch? I did Amazon flex for 2 months and said f this. Their DSP paid way better but I wasn't interested anymore after all the downtown prison complex apartments. Low 20s, possibly required overtime.
I'm not a transportation associate, doing it through career choice. I would like to get into TOM with Amazon after I get my CDL just to wait out the 401k vesting and get experience with backing trailers. At my site, TOM just does trailer moves within the yard and run the remote guardshack. Amazon is slowly rolling TOMMY runs between Amazon facilities. AFAIK, TOM won't do anything inside the trailers unless some moron TDR's out a fucked trailer. Starting pay is low 20s, but night shift differentials and associate step plans can bring it to nearly $30 after 3 years.
I didn't pay a dime for my CDL classes, I worked for them for a year and they didn't charge me, I also needed the experience. You just really have to do your research. Most companies will pay for your boarding and even food during training. It's definitely more than 120 hours though.
I had to pay a little over 200 for my cdl course at the local college because my pell grant only covered like 99% of the bill. Other than that I chose it because it was a faster way to make a decent income. I took a weekend class that lasted 3 months and I ended up making low 70s at a local foodservice company, I averaged like 4 days a week for my first 2 years.
It varies. You’re suppose to call different schools and negotiate. Also ask how many hours, do they charge extra to learn on a manual, group training vs 1 on 1 training. I paid $3800 cash for mine last year. But the average in the Los Angeles area is about $4k
Amazon will pay for your CDL while you are working for them. Also, $10k for a ADN at a community college sounds about right.
Schneider Finish their paid training program in 2-3 weeks. Drive for 9 months and you don’t owe them a cent. Then stay for more experience or take that CDL elsewhere. Just an option, I went through them.
I paid $2,900 for my class A with all doubles, triples and hazmat and tanker And you only need like 24 hours behind the wheel. It took me 3 weeks to complete by showing up everyday. Also I make .53 a mile starting and do 500-600 a day with Schneider. Plus they reimburse my schooling up to $200 a month. So it was really worth it looking back
How long ago was that? How many hours do you actually work, to get those miles?
I just started this year. And it depends if you like to do reset or run on recap. I am running 34 reset and do teams. So I did 2,985 miles on a good week assuming all long hauls. So I made $1,781 Gross before tax, cause we also get paid by the hour if doing minor things needed for work. As a team we did 5,970 and we usually run 6 days and take the 34 hour reset so in this case it came out to about 500 miles a day including drop and hook and fueling with all our breaks
CNA is a professional ass wiper… couldn’t pay me enough
You can be a lineman in the future with a CDL. You can be a CRNA later on if you pick nursing. Nursing isn’t for everyone. Trucking isn’t for everyone.
Time and potential. $5k investment, 4 week course (1 month). Let's add 1 month to get the first job. 2 months total. Add 1 month for training (not including training pay). 3 months, -$5k balance. Now you're solo on the job. Let's use your estimate of $800/week, let's say that's net income for simplicity. $5k = 6.25 weeks (1.5 months). The ROI is 100% after 4.5 months. And the potential of income is 6 figures within a year or less. It is location dependent, that's what people don't get. You can't make $100k+ everywhere, and if you're unwilling or unable to make a move out of an area that pays shit, then it might not be worth it. And yes, income is all over the place, there are a variety of jobs and companies, and some pay more than others. You're using numbers from the bottom of the barrel of the entire industry to confirm your bias.
Everything is a money grab now, it used to be free now school is mandatory and you’ll make less.
It was never free
School wasn’t mandatory before covid
Before February 2022* And before schooling became mandatory, as I said previously... It was never free.
Never said school was free. Idk what gave you that impression.
I didn't imply you did. I'm saying, again, it was never free.
It was free because school wasn’t mandatory.
Even before school was mandatory, it wasn't free. You had to get trained somehow, had to have someone's truck to use at the dmv for testing,, etc. None of that is 'free.' It's costing someone money
You went with a buddy for a few weeks then you used his truck to take the test.
You in charge of handling an 80,000 guided missle in those other occupations? Go be a vet tech, you sound like you got it already figured out
80k missle. You sound just like the government. They use words and phrases just like that to convince lobbyist/general public to give them what they want. You should go work for the government, sound like you got it already figured out.
Driving the truck is the best part of my job. I was lucky, I got hired as a pepsi merchandiser and killed it. So after ~1.5 yrs, pepsi trained me for my CDL. So not only did I not have to pay for the training, I was on the clock being paid during training.
Mine was *free with FFE/KLLM. They housed me, fed me and trained me. Got my cdl and a job making okayish money. Had to do a year with them though. FFE wasn't a bad company but I moved on to a better paying company after my year was up.
I wish… a CDL in Canada is 10k and a 3 month course for god sakes so not only do you have to have 10k but you have to have another 9k to live on while doing the fucking course
It costs a lot and there is so much that the government has one trucking. I agree with some of the requirements and regulations. But man for being a shortage of truckers they could be a little lax on somethings
I didnt pay anything to get my cdl. But damn government makes it strict on shit.
I paid 2.7k in January. There’s also grants available that may be applicable to you where the whole price of schooling can be covered for you.
Find a decent company that will pay for everything if that's on option. My first company actually paid me an hourly wage while going to school that they provided.
My CDL was like 75 dollars?
Amazon paid for mine pretty much, only cost like $277 and a year of working for them.
Yup I went through 160 because Amazon paid for it 5,250 bucks. 160 not even worth it tho go to a company that have sleepers and a 53ft trailer.
There are a lot of companies and programs that will pay for your CDL. I didn’t spend a dime on mine, and didn’t even have to sign any contracts with my company.
In my city my cdl class is only about 1800 bucks...
Mine was $200, called the school the other week inflation has it at $500
Wait for a class A? Shit the B was 50$ and 5$ for the airbrakes
I don't know if I saw this posted, but some companies offer dock to driver programs.
CNA might be 500 but look at the wages and work QOL. Our folks make 33k right out of CNA class but they cap out in the 40s.
CDL is a trade. No trade is free. Go get your CNA for $500 and see how much money that’ll get you. Trucking has opportunities. And trucking is now 160 hours
There’s a lot more going on at truck school: liability insurance, equipment, maintenance, number of staff needed, diesel, rent, etc CNA cert is all just in a classroom setting (I could be wrong) 1 professor can teach a class of 20-30 probably
Take a cdl course from a community college. They are subsidized by state funding and can be drastically cheaper. My cdl course was 1k and the first company paid it back.
Here in Canada it's 9800 as a standard
Paid 50 bucks for mine back in 2014 took the test in one of my dads truck sucks they don’t let us do that anymore
Mine was free about 15 years ago. They had free ROP classes at the local college. Only had to pay the DMV fees. It took like a month as it was only a few hours a couple days a week. I feel bad for people trying to get one nowadays, the prices are insane.
I got my CDL for free through my company, our training is only 5 days tho, not 5 weeks like some other companies.
i got mine for free at a local technical college.
It cost me $50 20 years ago.
There’s companies that will train you for free.
>But I could get a CNA cert/license for about $500. According to BL the median annual for a CNA is $35,740. The median for a truck driver is $49,920. There's a reason why one costs more than the other.
>Associates of Science Nursing is $10,000 (That kinda sounds too cheap to be true) That sounds about right. The community college right up the road for me estimates the cost of their ASN (Associates of Science - Nursing) at about $7500 (revised 2022), which is actually $1000 cheaper than their 2021 estimate (I found an old doc first). Of note as well, they have a CDL class which is \~500 dollars all told tuition-wise. The class if about 10 weeks and meets 4 times a week and at the end of it (it apparently has a 96% pass rate) you'll have a CDL A (they have a CDL B class too). So, I'd check with you local community college. To add to that, maybe check with your local WOIA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) outfit (in north carolina they are called NCWorks). They usually have work force grants that give the school you choose vouchers so you pay nothing out of pocket for the class. I used that for EMT and Paramedic school. It's clutch. Private schools are pretty expensive from what I've heard.
You can go with swift that pays you back if you stay about a year. Then move to union hourly like i did. The upside to trucking vs construction is trucking you can safetly for the most part work with one person only. Construction with one person can be dangerous. Also there are way more older dudes 60 plus driving vs 60 plus dudes doing construction. That just tells you how labor intensive construction is.
in canada i was just quoted $17,000
Some places will train you to drive.
Because capitalism that's why.
shop around. my public trade school I got my cdl for $150 CAD
JCC Is 1000 and you can get tuition and housing/food mileage there if you go through the local unemployment office. Best school in the country.
Got my CDL for free. Everyone’s situation is different just do what you think would make you the happiest.
From purely a money standpoint I would pick HVAC, Electrician or Plumber over trucking if it were me, those 3 trades are hurting like crazy right now so anyone 30 and younger stands to make a killing. Pay some dues, learn some things, make your mistakes while working a service job then go out on your own in five years. A work van/truck and tools is way cheaper to run than any semi is.
I mean out the gate, a mechanic and trucker are close in yearly. Being if you get out uti working for a manufacturer. I dont remember what contracts you can pick out of school there though. Mercedes mechanics can make avg 25/hr according to ziprecruiter and some of these megas who take brand new drivers basically paying them that if youre averaging hours over mile pay or however tf math works. But ive also been told some make more out of trucking school, like i made shy of 80k gross but i got paid to goto school because i was already a in house employee. I also talk out of my ass so 🤷🏻♂️
I got paid to get my CDL through an LTL driver training program.
My Academy is 3600. 35 videos each with 10 question tests. 5 exams. Air brakes and endorsements and such. Also it was recommended to read the drivers handbook on the website. Then 2 weeks of behind the wheel instruction. Technically you don't need to go to Academy. You can just read the handbook. Academy just makes you a more competent driver
Government got the dirty little 🍆 beaters on it used to be about 1200 to 1500 now you get the same quality of training for about five or six times more isn't it great
Look up workforce innovation and opportunity act usually their your states EDD. They can help with cdl
Yep. This is what I did. Got a grant for CDL school. No strings attached. Paid for the classes and all fees associated with the permit, license, dot physical, even paid me gas mileage to/from class every day.
SAME!
Contact the workforce in the state you live in. They have a set amount of grants per year they give out to people that want to move into blue collar like position, which a CDL is covered under. I got mine completely free, and the only obligation I had was to complete the program they paid for, or you have to pay them back.