What About Company Schools? Why Should I Pay for School?

Many prospective students ask me why they should pay for their license when there are truck driving schools that will help them get it for "free." The following is a worst-case scenario. This means it won't necessarily happen every time, but it could, has, and will happen again. Most trucking company schools are two to three weeks long, or somewhere in the neighborhood of 80–120 hours. Afterward, you will go with a trainer to complete the rest of your instruction.

So, let’s say that things go well: you complete your schooling, finish your time with a trainer, and pass your test to go out on your own. Congratulations! What could go wrong?

Now, let’s say that three months after finishing with your trainer, you’re sitting, waiting for a load. So are nine other drivers, except that they all have four or five years with the company. Now, suppose there are only nine loads available that day in your area. Who do you think won't be getting a load that day—you, or the guys with experience? Keep in mind, that they need to keep those experienced drivers happy because they could easily go to another company. You, however, are contracted for another year and nine months.

So, this happens several times, and eventually, you say enough is enough. You know that you’ll have to pay for the “school” that the company put you through to get out of your contract, but you decide that it’s worth it to get a better job. So, you quit, and they give you a bill for $5,000 to pay for their school.

Now you go to another company to get a job, but they inform you that you need to have at least one year of verifiable experience or have graduated from a school that was at least 160 hours in length. The company school you went to was only 120 hours, so it doesn’t count.

So now (if you’re not so frustrated that you just give up on ever driving a truck) you come to see us at DCS School of Driving and pay another $5,000 to get the proper training of at least 160 hours (Our CDL course is 200 hours). So, you’ve spent months and months and an extra $5,000 to get what you would have gotten in five weeks if you had done it right the first time.

A much better option is to use a company’s "Tuition Reimbursement." This means that you come to DCS School of Driving and pay for the schooling yourself, but the trucking company reimburses you monthly once you start working your first job. We know this may be difficult, but at least afterward, you’ll have the diploma that allows you to go anywhere you want, anytime you want.

If you stay with the company until your schooling is paid off, your CDL ends up being essentially free. If you don’t, at least you aren’t stuck owing a company that you no longer work for.

We hope you find that "perfect" job the first time, but if you don’t, the license you get from DCS School of Driving will allow you the freedom to leave a company at any time and find a better job. The choice is yours. Contact us for more details. We are happy to help answer any questions you might have.