Garry
New Member
Posts: 1
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Post by Garry on Aug 13, 2003 13:14:52 GMT -5
Hey, first of all, let me say this is a the coolest site i've come across so far. Now, down to business. I've recently made up my mind to establish a career as a driver. For the most part all is well. But the hardest thing i've found, is. How can i get into a driving school with bad credit? Loans, ha, forget it. I've tried relentlessly. So my only option is to pull my hair out . I desperately want this. I've searched for grants and such, but no luck so far. Please, any light on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!
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Post by SilverBullet on Aug 13, 2003 16:25:47 GMT -5
Garry, Many companies teach you to drive if you have no CDL. You will have to sign a 1 yr. contract saying you will drive with them for at least 1 yr. if they get your CDL for you through their program. As I said on the General board, from what I hear, Schneider National has an excellent training program. This may be one option you can look in to.
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Post by Arcflash on Aug 13, 2003 16:53:57 GMT -5
Run over to google.com and check out "Workforce Investment Act" and narrow the search to whatever state you are in. There should be a WIA offce near you and they may pay for your schooling in full if you qualify.
It's a bit of a hassle with all the testing and such. They test the crap out of you to make sure you're smart enough for them to spend money on.
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Post by truckertom on Aug 14, 2003 15:29:34 GMT -5
Arcflash is right! (Sp)
I work at a small driving school here in Texas and we do get some students that are through Texas Workforce Commission and Rehab. So you may be qualified for these services.
As far as the one year commitment goes, a year in an OTR truckers life goes fast! And I have seen some of my former students go a year only to be given a raise and a brand new truck as a corrot to stay with the same company! Also the days of staying away from home for months at a wack are gone so it is not like you will never get time at home anymore. So a one year commitment seems huge going in, but what were you doing anyway? I like earning money in an air conditioned truck, don't you?
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Post by Mike on Aug 15, 2003 10:29:20 GMT -5
If your bad was not caused by Student Loans, even with bad credit you can get them (Student Loans).
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Post by Arcflash on Aug 16, 2003 9:45:55 GMT -5
I like earning money in an air conditioned truck, don't you? That about sums it up for me. Yesterday I toiled in an unaircoditioned shop for 12 hours and walked away with $47 for my effort. I went home and ate some partially cooked chicken, then tried to sleep through utter chaos around my place. It seems like every day goes about like that for me anymore. I can't WAIT to get out on the road.
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Post by truckertom on Aug 16, 2003 12:07:32 GMT -5
That sound like a good attitude, who else gets paid to see the country and can win the Lottery in all 48 states and Canada? ? Avoid sunflower seeds, one day I looked down and my legs were swollen up like tree trunks. It was after 250 pounds of sunflower seeds in 3 days!!! I had to take water pills on my days off!
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Post by Arcflash on Aug 16, 2003 12:10:07 GMT -5
That sound like a good attitude, who else gets paid to see the country and can win the Lottery in all 48 states and Canada? ? Avoid sunflower seeds, one day I looked down and my legs were swollen up like tree trunks. It was after 250 pounds of sunflower seeds in 3 days!!! I had to take water pills on my days off! 250 lbs? That's a lot of seeds my friend. I am defiantely a big eater but I don't know if I could down 250 lbs of anything.
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Post by truckertom on Aug 16, 2003 13:19:12 GMT -5
Well, I am telling a falsehood when it comes to the ammount. I may have embellised the facts!
How can you tell when a trucker is about to lie? His mouth moves!
I did eat alot of them though and had to take these big pills that made me become a permanant bathroom dweller for a few days. My dispatcher was not amused.
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Post by Arcflash on Aug 16, 2003 13:45:07 GMT -5
Was it the salt that did you in or something specifically with the seeds?
LMAO I was picturing you rolling down the road with a burlap sack of sunflower seeds next to you. A trail of seed hulls marking your way down the interstate.
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Post by truckertom on Aug 16, 2003 16:24:51 GMT -5
It was the salt. I was retaining water like a corpse that was burried at sea....two weeks later!
And yes there is a hiway they renamed "Hullway" somewhere in South Carolina! Better yet the "trail of salt hullway". If I had bought stock in Davids sunflower seeds, I would be rich right now.....you believe me, don't you?
That is another thing I learned from being raised in a family of truckers.....the first liar ain't got a chance!
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Post by SilverBullet on Sept 11, 2003 14:03:23 GMT -5
Arcflash, thanks for the tip on WIA... My fiance is now going through the motions of testing with them to go to school for her Associates Degree in Paralegal. She should start school soon.
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Post by Arcflash on Sept 11, 2003 14:31:17 GMT -5
Cool! I'm glad to hear that. It's a good program, and she'll see after the tests that it is good way to spend our tax dollars. The testing is fairly extensive... It's definately not just a handout. It may seem like a lot of hassle to get an education grant, but it serves a purpose. The WIA program knows for certain that they produced a worker that is educated and capable, and working in a job that will more than likely put them in a higher tax bracket.
Before she goes for the TABE test tell her to brush up on high school math. Basic arithmetic, as well as geometry, calc, and trig.
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Post by SilverBullet on Sept 11, 2003 14:40:33 GMT -5
She's taken the Tabe test before. She used a similar program when she lived in Arkansas to get her CDL. I have her papers here from that test. I don't know how they score these tests, but it says:
TABE form 7, Level D
TABE, Test 1, Reading: She scored an 11.2
TABE, Test 3, Applied Math: She scored an 8.1
I don't know if that is good or not, but it was good enough for them to send her to Truck Driving School.
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Post by Arcflash on Sept 11, 2003 15:09:19 GMT -5
I got hit with the level A test. It was horrible... I opened that book and saw advanced mathematics in there. I was ready to run screaming from the room. You only had to score 9th grade or higher to get into a CDL program. 10th or higher for parlegal or medical... I scored over 12th grade, but I have to admit that I got lucky with a lot of guesses.
The computamatch assessment was a fun test though. There was some extended math in it but basically it was reading, perception, and hand eye cordination tests.
There were three tests that tested hand eye coordination. I am ambidextrous so I rocked the living hell out of them.
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