Quote:
Originally Posted by a8000
thanks very much for the advice! i'm unemployed and broke, so i think i'll have to deal with a company paid training.
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Not necessarily...Talk to your unemployment office. Pretty much every state has funding for displaced workers.
I don't know where you are at, but your best bet is to find an accredited school. Also, check with your local community college. If your local CC has a CDL course then you can cover about 3/4 of your tuition with a fed grant. Do that, then have your state unemployment fund pay for the other 1/4 and you should be good to go.
As far as working in Texas, my contacts tell me that 60K is right around the bottom for annual wages right now. Guys are mostly working 12-14 days 5 on 2 off or 6 on 1 off. So the money is there. Bottom-barrel wage is about $16/hr and after a year or so you should be at $20/hr. Crude haulers go on a commission basis.
There are a lot of companies down there that will hire you right out of school, but you can't just walk right in. You will need the CDL schooling (640 hrs., I think) and you will need hazmat and tanker endorsments. It's also advisable to get a TWIC card too. You can look that stuff up and see the requirements. All in all you're looking at a few hundred dollars for those docs.