Welcome back readers and hello to new readers. So you've decided you want to be a truck driver. Good for you, welcome to your new field! It's time to get started on the next part of the journey - picking out your school. Now there are lots of schools out there to check out. The only difference from searching for a college is that you will only be there 4 to 10 weeks and you will have to commute everyday. So location for some will be a very big key as to where you attend but try not to let it be the biggest. Do some homework again. Investigate the school, go and tour the facility, try to talk to the students there and get their opinions of how the program is. Trying to find graduates of the program that are out on the road will be near impossible. Some good questions to ask your instructors while you are visiting the school are:
- How much experience do you have?
- How recently did you drive a truck for a living?
- Were you a city driver, regional driver, or over the road driver? City drivers are more familiar with close quarters backing and driving than over the road drivers. Over the road drivers would be more accustomed to highway and rural areas. An Over the Road teacher will have knowledge of grades and laws about things like free range cattle. A good mixture of both kinds of teachers would give you a more balanced education.
You may think "How hard can truck driving really be?" Remember that no one has seen it all or knows all there is to know about trucking. But the knowledge you can gain from the right school is worth more than any price tag. Ask questions and find the right mixture of drivers to learn from at the school you choose. Now these schools are not cheap, depending on there program it can be anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 dollars. I know that is quite a bit of money to get a license but you have to understand the equipment and fuel are also very expensive and keep operation cost very high. So lets discuss the options to pay for it. For my readers that are on unemployment there are programs to help with these cost if you can get the approval to help you find a new career. They do not make it easy. There are a lot of tasks you will need to accomplish like resume building, proving that there is work in the field, proving that you have been looking for a job in your previous field before they will approve you. It's a way to make sure that you are dedicated to what you are asking to do. If you are diligent and truly want this you won't find it to be a problem. Now your other option should you not want to do all this is the student loan path. Most schools offer student loans for all of your school expenses. At this point again you have some work ahead of you and I wish you good luck on your journey. In our next post it will be time to start looking for your starter company so safe travels to all and we'll be back next week with are next segment to to Colonel's Corner.
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