Part time OTR?

[USMCRebelGuardnU]

Okay. So I went through the class I was supposed to go through today, and need to go back on the 21st to see about wrapping things up. Yes, I'm going to do this semester of college, but I figure that if I have the chance now to get my CDL while I'm in the middle of everything, I might as well get it as another thing that I can fall back on. If I'm not able to go OTR, or decide that I don't want to, I can still see about using the CDL for local opportunities.
Again, thanks for everybody's advice, and trust me, I have taken it into consideration. Though my dad's friend accuses me of asking him for advice just so I can go do the exact opposite, but that's another story.

[GMAN]

Unless you put some time in driving after you get your CDL it may not do you much good. You may need to go back for a refresher to be considered by most carriers unless you have experience. I would suggest you sit down and decide what you really want to do and then put a plan together to achieve your goal. I don't think an education is ever wasted, no matter what you decide to eventually do for a living.

[USMCRebelGuardnU]

Had my individual counseling session on getting the public funds to pay for the CDL school, and so far, so good. I go back next week for some additional hoops to jump through, but that shouldn't be bad. The stats for the program that I'm looking at shows for the Class A program alone, 184 completed, and 147 employed after 9 months, for a placement percentage of 80%. Heavy Equipment/CDL has 33 completed, and 31 employed 9 months after for a 94% placement rating. If I were to do the combined program, I would have to find a way to cover at least $2k on my own. I'll settle for the Class A for now and go from there.

The way it looks to me now, with the next class starting next week and me still doing paperwork, I probably won't be done with the program until the middle of March, which leaves me with about 5 - 6 weeks left of the college semester before actually being able to work unrestricted. I'll go this route and see where it leads.

[jonp]

Congrats on not sitting on your butt and whining about the job market but going out and getting something done about it. Then again, your a Marine. Hoo Ahh

[USMCRebelGuardnU]

I found it rather funny that one of the guys I had to talk to gave me some lip about collecting the GI Bill and still wanting the gov't to pay for me to get a CDL. So he asked two other people working there, and they both told him that if it was somebody off the street, they would say no. With a vet, they'd overlook it and put the paperwork in anyway--besides, the funding is from a separate program and one has no effect on the other.

If I had known about the training program when I first came home, I would have jumped on it then. But the "best advice" (their idea of advice, not mine) that the Vet Centers up here gave me when I was on terminal leave was to file for unemployment and enjoy the vacation until school. Even the Vet Rep at the unemployment office was of the same ideology. Not acceptable for somebody who is used to working 50 hours a week, minimum.

I have a few bills that I want to get paid free and clear before going to school full time, and in general, the Pittsburgh area just gets me depressed with the lack of interest in progress. Once I get the CDL and finish this semester, I'll give at least a year or two OTR before making the attempt to settle down for school again. And GMan, I will take into consideration doing online courses while OTR. At least I can work on getting rid of the general stuff, and try to keep my mind geared for school.

Again, thanks for the support from everybody here. Semper Fi.

[GMAN]

And GMan, I will take into consideration doing online courses while OTR. At least I can work on getting rid of the general stuff, and try to keep my mind geared for school.

Again, thanks for the support from everybody here. Semper Fi.

Even if you can only take one class at a time, you will be surprised at how much progress you can make in a short period of time.

[USMCRebelGuardnU]

Well, finished jumping through most of the hoops for the feds to pay for my CDL course. I was supposed to go back Friday to talk about assessment test scores, but the instructor held me back after class to tell me that I had "aced" the TABE test that we had to take, and talk to me to make sure that truck driving was what I wanted to do. I'm still having a hard time finding my niche--growing up as top of my class, yet working with my dad in construction makes my job preference rather confusing for most people. I'm sick of hearing the phrase "you can do anything that you want."

Anyway, after the class, I went out to register for the CDL course. The admissions counselor was surprised at my knowledge/awareness (thanks to this board) of the industry, and she encouraged me to try getting on with Roehl first over Schneider, with the caveat that if I gave 6 months to OTR, I would be gold for a local company. All in all, as it sits now, I start the school March 22 and finish April 15th. That leaves me with about a two week lapse between getting the full CDL and wrapping up this college semester. She recommended the later course as more beneficial for my job prospects as I would only require a 2 week break between CDL school and driving, rather than the month+ that I initially was expecting.

So, that's where I stand now, and after dealing with the backup from Pittsburgh's "Bathtub" Tuesday night, I can't wait to get out of this town again....