Military Apprentice Program,Good or bad?

“Military Apprentice Programs" sounds glory but those companies are taking an advantage of veterans that want to burn their GI Bill for BAH. In reality, up to 2 years of free tuition money for doing nothing, those companies use it to pay you the bonuses they offer (CDL tuition reimbursement, sign on bonus, and etc.) and keep the extra.

Such a smart tactic, use the veterans benefit to pay for everything, doesn't cost the company anything

 

The drivers doing Schneider Bulk post they get $1000.000 extra in their paychecks monthly. I don't know, that program wasn't available to me. The GI Bill wouldn't even pay for my private cdl school because the school was too short.

 

yea, that extra monthly income is paid for your BAH from the new post 911 GI Bill (not from the company), which would help veterans to pay for housing or whatever while attending school. i would say it is a waste to give a trucking company 2 years worth of your educational hours and let them taking an advantage of the program and getting all the tuition money for doing nothing

 

Yes, the money if from the GI Bill. In some cases it really helps the vet during the transition to civilian life, especially if the vet has a family to support.

 

I used my G.I. Bill to pay for my CDL school right after my discharge date. That way I could get the BAH and go to school. I wouldn’t recommend using or waising your benefits to earn more money while you drive a truck. Some people don’t stay in this industry long and then however many months you have used is gone. I would suggest holding on to them and use it to further your education or attain more skills. I recently found out that you can use the G.I. Bill to get more skills in Heavy Vehicle Operator which is operating the big machines like cranes and what not at construction sites. It’s only 4 weeks long so yes it’s only a month but if trucking doesn’t work out you have that avenue plus another skill trade under your belt. I have 5 months left of my G.I. Bill and I have no clue on what I can use it for.

 

There's schools for refrigerated trailer mechanic or merchant seaman.
I received my "Ordinary Seaman" document with no school or tests because I showed my DD-214 from the Navy.

 

It would not be recommended to use your GIBill for an apprenticeship program. It's a great way to burn through it and not get its true value.

 

Can you give me some more info on that. I would like to pick up another trade if possible to have under my belt.

 

Hello everyone. First post on the site, this thread prompted me to sign up. I used the GI Bill to pay for my CDL school and am applying with Schneider. The recruiter made the apprenticeship program seem like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow; exactly what I would expect from a recruiter. Ask me why I’m skeptical. (Hint: I was a recruiter in the Marines, but not by choice)

I’ve been weighing options since retiring this Feb. Full time at a university wasn’t in the cards so I pursued the CDL. At first thought I figured “why not get $1,200 extra per month through the apprenticeship program”? Soon after, my common sense kicked back in.

I am by no means an expert on GI Bill benefits, but I do know a little. My plan is to attend an online college during my off duty hours. Full time is two or three classes per semester at most colleges. Actually, “full time” is incorrect terminology. “Rate of pursuit” toward a degree is what VA considers in order to calculate your “MHA” (what many of us refer to as BAH)

Now let’s compare some numbers...

1. Apprenticeship: $1,200 per month or somewhere in the ballpark.

2. Online college: Half the national average of BAH for an E-5 with dependents = $825 per month at the time of this post, AND you’re getting an education, AND you get a yearly books/supplies stipend.

3. Combination of online and in-class: If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where you can plant your ### in a chair for one of your classes you will get full MHA for the location where you attend class. This is likely out of reach for most in the trucking world, but worthwhile to at least investigate. ($1,929 per month in Dallas for example)

I’ve read some pretty crappy posts about vets on this site, even from some vets. Every experience is different, but I know I busted my ### while I was in the service, and I’m not going to piss away any of my hard earned benefits to a company who will make money from my service. Mileage may vary, so they say.

 

@ethos is a former Marine and recently acquired his degree while trucking across the USA. He also is a former trainer for Schneider Bulk. Perhaps he'll give you some advice.