VA Apprenticeship Program questions

Schneider Bulk - call and ask. I do know they have Post 9/11 program.

Keim TS
Melton Truck Lines
Contract Freighters Inc. (www.cdidrive.com)
Jim Palmer Trucking

 

I specifically took part in the apprenticeship program through TMC. It's a decent program, however if you start tracking towards a set amount eventually you'll be graduated from the program. When I started at TMC 3 years ago, that amount was $52,000 a year gross. So if you grossed $1000 a week consecutively for several months, they will remove you from the program

And if I recall the program is for all veterans with GI Bill or post 9/11

 

troops2transport | CDL School

is the school Schneider uses for it's veterans.

They sent this school my information, and they have been getting me into school. It uses 4 months of your gi bill.

 

So do you have gi bill left? Or just trying to go off VA Vocational Rehab?

 

check with any of the local Teamsters unions that may have truck driving schools with in your area.

can't say for sure where you'd find them, maybe under schools, trade or technical as well..???

 

I know some colleges have cdl schools which you could take the cdl classes in the college and learn to drive as well.. Many technical

colleges offer that and I know Vocational rehab will pay for those classes.

used some google skills for you..

http://www.gaston.edu/economic-workforce-development/truck-driver-training/

 

I'm a vet just getting ready to go to CDL school myself.

As far as I can tell, the apprenticeship programs don't offer up much for future employment opportunities. Looks like all they really provide is a DoL "Certified Truck Driver" certificate, which I'm not sure if that would help any with getting hired at a trucking company. Maybe someone who's had prior experience with apprenticeship programs can enlighten us on what they actually do for the driver.

However, the biggest benefit I can see to an apprenticeship program for a vet is GI Bill benefits. I've seen programs advertised ranging from 12-24 months. During that time, if you have the Post 9/11 GI Bill available, you can use those benefits to draw the BAH and supplement your training/driving income with it for up to the length of the apprenticeship program (depending on how many months of benefits you have remaining). I looked at Melton's apprenticeship program and they were saying you'd get paid about $950 per month from the VA for your first 6 months, then about $650 per month for the second 6 months.

Voc Rehab would probably benefit you more going to a private CDL school or community college CDL school. If I recall correctly, Voc Rehab does not pay anything to the student, just to the school. If your finances can handle little to no income during schooling, this would probably be your best route. This opens you up to any company you want to go for. Once you get your CDL going this route, you can go to a company and join their apprenticeship program to draw GI Bill benefits if you have eligible GI Bill benefits remaining (if you don't plan on using them for further education).

Montgomery GI Bill typically pays the student, then the student pays the school. In that case, you could get a bit in your pocket. If you have this and served after 9/11, you may be able to convert it to Post 9/11 GI Bill if you choose. However, be sure it's what you want to do because it can't be converted back to Montgomery GI Bill. I started with Montgomery and converted to Post 9/11 when starting community college back in 2014.

Personally, I'm going to Roehl's GetYourCDL program (company paid CDL school that pays the student $500 per week during training...paid after 3 weeks, at a cost of a 15 month commitment to the company or $5,000 if leaving the company prior to that...steep commitment, but I feel the GI Bill will help me complete that commitment, and in my current situation, I feel this is my best option. After 4 weeks getting the CDL, it's a week home to transfer the CDL to the driver's home state if trained out of state. Then about 2 weeks give or take with an OTR trainer at $90 per day,IIRC, before getting a truck and being cut loose under a training fleet manager for a month before being transferred to a normal fleet) and participating in their apprenticeship program (24 month program, which is what will allow me to draw my GI Bill payments) and Honor Program (honorably discharged vets basically get a sticker on their truck once they go solo...maybe a few memorabilia items...not really anything to write home about or make/break my decision to go there, but it's something). I'll be using my remaining 15 months Post 9/11 GI Bill to help offset the lower pay received during the first year. I've heard both positive and negative about the company, but I feel it's the best option for me. Your mileage may vary. I do believe they also hire recent CDL grads.

Hope this helps. I know I'm new to trucking myself, but hopefully this can clear up some of the VA benefit side of your question (I used to work as a VA rep at a for-profit "college").

Dart