Is there really free truck driver training??

Here is MY personal OPINION as to what I have researched online and dealt with. I am in Operations for a major trucking company and feel bad for all those that fall for this scam!
Is there really free truck driver training? There are several questions you should ask before signing up for free, or paid truck driver training.
1) "What is the rate per mile for the extent of my contract?"
Contract terms usually run around a year or so. When companies quote $40,000 a year, they are talking about once you complete your contract term. During your contract you will work for 12 to 22 cents per mile. If you go to a private school your rate per mile will be 32 to 37 cents per mile. Big difference. Let's say you run 2500 miles per week which is about average for the industry. On the high side of free training at .22 cents per mile you will earn $550 before taxes are taken out. If you choose to go to a school to get your training, you can earn .32 cents per mile on the low side, $800 a week before taxes are taken out. Or on the high side $925 a week at 37 cents per mile. So let's look at the big picture. Now keep in mind, I only calculated from the high side of free training. Not the low side. At 2500 miles a week times 52 weeks in a year, that works out to be 130,000 miles a year. Again using the high side of free training and the low side of school training there is a 10 cent per mile difference. 10 cents per mile times 130,000 miles equals $13000 you will pay for your training best case scenario. Using the high side of both free training and the high side of school training, there is a 15 cent difference. That works out to be $19500 you paid for your training. Again these comparisons are made against what I have found to be the highest rate of pay of 22 cents per mile for free training. Most companies pay much less, like 16 to 18 cents per mile. So that does not sound much like free training does it?

2) Next question you should ask is "How long will I be gone during training, and what kind of home time can I expect once I am out of training and I get my own truck?" Most companies that do free training do so for a reason. The reason is that they can't compete with most of the companies for drivers any other way. Their home time is usually 2 to 3 weeks out with a couple days off after you return. And you are usually gone 3 to 5 weeks at the very beginning during your training period. So in order to get drivers, they have to use other methods such as "free training" to lure drivers from other companies that have better home time. If you go to a school to get your training, you can be home every week and in most cases you can be home every weekend. And then 6 months to a year, there are options where you can be home every night.

3) Next question should be is, "What if I do not like it and I quit and go work for someone else?" This is where it becomes ugly. If you stay there for 2 months and you quit, most of the companies will sue you for the cost of the training. This will be anywhere from $5000 to $9000. But what is even worse than that is, you can't work for anyone else. Yes that's right! Even though you have your CDL, and you have 2 months experience, you cannot get a job with any other company without going back through school again. This is how the companies keep the drivers once they get them this far. Most drivers do not know this going in. In order for another company to hire you, you must have 2 things. You must have your CDL, and you must have a certificate of completion from a licensed school. The reason that these contract training companies can get away with false advertising and deception, is because they are not licensed schools. They are not regulated by any state or federal organization that requires them to conduct their training in an ethical fashion. So many students fall victim of this thinking that if it's really as bad as all the forums say it is, like "ripoffreport.com", then I will just quit and take my CDL somewhere else. Wrong. You will have to stay working with that company for the extent of that contract and get a minimum of 12 months experience before another company will hire you.

4) Next you should ask, "how many students will start class with me and how many will actually get a job driving a truck." The success rate is very low for free training. This is primarily due to the fact that most students do not ask these questions!!! The fact is, these companies that offer free training are not licensed schools, and they pay recruiters on commission. The recruiters can say anything they want, and they don't have anyone to answer to. So a lot of students drop out in the first couple days due to the fact of being misrepresented by the recruiter. And then comes the company cuts. They really know very little about you until you get there. That's when they do a background check, and pull your driving record. They also will give you another physical and drug test. If anything is different, than what you put on your original application, you will be cut right then. You see, in some cases, the trucking companies will start 50 or more students on a Monday. They will usually lose about 10 to 15 the first week. They do not need 50 drivers a week, so they sift through them and pick what they think is the best for them. Students get sent home with absolutely no explanation. Simply because they have too many students. And because they pull students from all states, they have an unlimited source of students to pull from. So you should consider your first week or so to be a try out. Hopefully you will make the team. When you go to a school, you will have the option of going to work for any one of 25 or 30 companies. And the school will make sure that the information is correct and that you will qualify for the company before you go. So you will not be sent home without a job.

5) Summary. Nothing in life is free. Don't take my word for it, ask the questions. Do your homework. Have the contract sent to you before you go 500 miles away for training. These companies are actually breaking the law in the state of Tennessee. State law in Tennessee says that if you are advertising in the state of Tennessee for training, and you require a student to sign a contract to work for them for a designated length of time in exchange for training, then these companies are required to be licensed with Tennessee Higher Education Commission, and abide by the laws regulating them. These companies are not licensed by the state and are breaking the law. I am not saying that it is not for everyone, but I am saying to do your homework, ask the right questions, and make sure you are aware of what you are getting in to.