Dallas trucking companies don’t want you. At least not yet. Not until you’ve shown that you want to get involved in their industry and find employment as a commercial truck driver.
How does one do that? Well, there are a couple of ways, and both involve getting a CDL. One way is by getting a commercial driver’s license, then applying for jobs with Dallas trucking companies. The other way is to go to the Dallas trucking companies that offer free or greatly reduced tuition fees and tell them you want to take advantage of their CDL training offer. These are two very similar, and very different, ways to approaching the business. Of course that seems like an oxymoron, but it really is true. Just keep reading to find out why.
Let’s start with getting a CDL on your own. You will find a truck driving school, CDL training academy, or some other type of institution at which you can obtain your CDL license. There are many of these schools out there, and you have many options to choose from. Even the Dallas trucking companies that offer the free CDL training fall under this category. So why not just go to the free training? We will discuss that shortly.
So, find a CDL school that fits your needs, enroll and go through the program. For a moment we will discount the free CDL schools and focus on those you’re paying for yourself, whether you’re paying or you’re receiving financial aid for CDL training, whether it’s a grant, scholarship, or student loan. The point is you have to find the money for this training some way.
CDL school is similar to other schools in that you will be asked to attend classes and do lab work, which in this case mostly involves driving a semi truck under the guidance and instruction of a licensed instructor. It’s a relatively simple formula and you should, with the proper amount of preparation and work, be able to complete the training without all that much difficulty.
The other option is a free CDL school. Again, the material you learn is much the same, and the format in which you learn is pretty much the same as well. There are two main differences: the first is that you are not charged any money for this service, or else you’re charge relatively little compared to a normal CDL training school.
Of course, this sounds like a spectacular idea, right? Well, maybe it is. But what if I told that in accepting this free CDL training, you are agreeing to work for the Dallas trucking companies that bankroll your education for a set period of time? What? That sounds even better? A guaranteed job in the trucking industry immediately upon getting out of CDL school?
Well sure it sounds good, but keep in mind the reality of the situation: you are stuck working with a certain company for a set amount of time. Let’s assume 2 years, just for the sake of argument. That means no matter what the employer asks of you (barring something illegal), you are pretty much obligated to do the bidding of the Dallas trucking companies for that entire time. If you quit, you will be required to pay back a portion (or maybe all of) the tuition you received for free or deeply discounted. At some schools you work for the trucking company and they take the money out of your paycheck.
So while free CDL training may seem like a great idea, the reality is that you may end up feeling taken advantage of. That’s not to say the Dallas trucking companies who do this kind of work will abuse you in that way, but it’s a possibility you will need to keep in mind.
So approach those Dallas trucking companies with caution. Maybe you will have a great experience with either of these options. But keep in mind the potential risks and choose the Dallas trucking companies you associate with carefully. You don’t want to get yourself mixed up with an unsavory company to start out your career.
Don’t get us wrong: most Dallas trucking companies are here to work with you, not enslave you. Just make sure you know who you are doing business with.