[VPIDarkAngel]

"Werner said they had a regional dollar store route available in my area."
I'm doing that right now (DG out of South Boston). It can be good money ($1000 gross per week) for someone with no experience, but be forewarned. It is unlike anything else that Werner has. It's not for everyone, which is why they're usually taking new guys in most of the time.
If you train somewhere else (48 state, regional, or other dedicated account), you'll have to do five 'ride-along trips with a trainer to learn some account specific stuff. If you'll be pulling out of South Boston and don't smoke, that trainer could be me.
By the way, where ARE you? It sounds like you're in WV or eastern KY. You'd either be pulling out of Scottsville, KY or South Boston, VA for Dollar General, although we also have a Family Dollar account somewhere out there.
As for schools, I'd stay away from ones run by trucking companies simply because it's better to not be chained to them by the cajones, financially speaking.
I know a lot of folks fusss, gripe, grumble and complain about the paperless logs, but they are worthwhile. They're not perfect, by any means, but it's not hard to get used to them. They're also good for getting the 'deer-in-the-headlights' look on DOT officers' faces when doing inspections. If you do go with Werner, be prepared to explain how to read those things to DOT, because most of them are used to paper logs.
That being said, good luck in your quest.

[rapatorr]

Seriously, if you can get on the WIA, do it, that's how I got my license, the only thing they ask is that you didn't quit or get fired, it has to be a layoff and they have a list of state approved schools that the will pay for, in other words you can't choose your own school, you might have to wait about 1 or 2 months to go through a couple of interviews with different counselors at the unemployment office and then they'll let you know if you qualified. BOL

[GMAN]

There are a few carriers, such as Swift, that train inexperienced drivers. The only catch is that you need to agree to work for them for a minimum amount of time. Most seem to want at least a year of commitment. The down side is that if you fail to complete your agreement you could be liable for the entire cost of training. Personally, I think that I could stay at least a year with most any company. It is a way to get your training at no cost.

[mudvayne1]

I actually found a way to get my training for free. Through the WIA. It might be at a local community college but its still the 160-170 hours, and they probably teach the same if not more about trucking than the overpriced 'private' schools.