I have narrowed my choices for company sponsored training down to swift or prime. I would go to allstate but 6 months and then to have a 6500 student loan debt is too much plus trying to work a full time job and go to school way to much would rather just have to concentrate getting trained and being out on the road. I even looked at my locla community college(6 weeks) and they want 4500 and since the cdl program is separate they dont have fianancial aid and i would have to get a loan for it on my own, i tried that route but cant get fianancing because of my fair credit.

The only thing thats holding me back from going to prime or swift is the fact my friend whos going to be moving to north carolina the first of next year is getting married on december 15th.
do you think either prime or swift would work with me to get me home on the 14 and 15th of december if i am up front with them and tell them before I set my date to come onboard? Or if i really want to go to his wedding just to suck it up and go to school locally and spend the

Got a little trigger happy with the submit button didn't ya. :wink: :lol: :lol:

If you want my advice, I'd take the community college route.

At the CC, they are going to actually teach you how to drive a truck. At the company paid training, they're basically going to help you get your license. You learn to drive the truck when you're out with your company trainer, and that month sucks because you won't know anything, and your trainer will be all over your butt for a month.

Don't work for Swift. They suck. I don't know anything about Prime.

So get the money however you can. Can you ask a family member for the money? Maybe you should try and save money over a period of time, and they take the community college route.

Chances are you are going to get a better driving job if you get the community college training.

call your state unemployment office and find out who to talk to about a Worforce Investment Act grant to pay for the community college. Also ask about what other state programs might pay for it.
I don't know the details on your story, but I would suggest doing 4 years in the Navy if you are OK to enlist. It is fun, a guaranteed paycheck every 2 weeks, 3 meals a day, a place to live and they will even teach you a trade. Then when you get out you can use the GI Bill to pay for driver training.

OK, seriously, I am not trying to be a butt hole here. I really do believe that everyone that is qualified should do a tour in the military. I wouldn't recommend the Army because they are getting shot at a lot lately.

Once you become a otr trucker getting home for birthdays, weddings, Christmas, etc. all become hit or miss. Even if your dispatcher is honestly trying to work to get you home things like bad weather and breakdowns happen.

I would go with Swift.

1. Their schools are all PTDI certified, which is a good thing.
2. Three weeks and you're done. You will start earning money sooner than CC.
3. Everyone says you'll be an slave to a training company. Whatever. Regardless, you should be staying with your first company a year and in that time Swift will be paying back that loan. If you went to CC, you would get tuition reimbursment from your first employer. BUT, if you leave your first company under the CC plan, most companies DO NOT pay tuition reimbursement if they were the second employer for you. And most tuition reimbursment plans are stretched out to keep you longer that if you went the company route.

Swift will get you on the road to a paycheck sooner if that is what you're looking for.

I would avoid Prime's training. They "train" you on a team truck for 4 months.

Swift is no worse than any other training company. It just depend if you want to get going quicker or wait around for CC.

You have been given some pretty decent advice thus far....given the choices you have offered. But like many who come looking for "advice" you neglect to put down where your home is.... There may be many other options available to you that you are unawares of ......

If you are actually limited to the 3 you listed....I would suggest in order of preference:

1. Community college route....beg borrow or earn the money. Collect cans from the side of the road.... Remember, delayed gratification tastes much sweeter than an instant reward, with hidden costs. Being a free agent beats the dickens out of indentured servitude.

2. Swift. No better-no worse than any of the rest of the "mega-carriers". Just another revolving door outfit for many people. You could do worse, you could do better....but not knowing where you live severely limits the input you can get from people here.

3. Prime..... Not a freaking chance.

4. If any doubts, reread # 3 above.

Im north of baltimore about 30 minutes from the PA Line, when I talked to rick from drivers choice he told me I would go to school in tenessee and be based out of Harrisburg. Which would't be bad I'm like an hour from harrisburg.I havent talked to Deb at swift lately maybe I should just call her and double check and make sure that info is correct. I talked to Deb back in april and I remember she said i would be going to TN for school, but I dont remember which terminal I would be based out of. I dont know of any prime terminals in this area.

One thing about prime, while you are training otr to get your license, they will give you a personal advance of 240 a week to help you with expenses, unlike most carriers

I appreciate every ounce of advice ive been getting. its been helpful

Don't sell your soul to Prime for a mere $240!!!! As previously mentioned, they will keep you in "trainee" status for 4 months. During this time you can expect to pull the midnight shift a lot while your trainer is in the back sleeping (oops, I mean training you). You could be on your own truck in half this time with most other training companies and earning full pay verses trainee pay.

If you need help with food and such, you may want to look at Stevens Transport. They will give you money for each of the two weeks you are in school. They are a decent company and the only complaints I've heard is they keep you out a lot. But I have heard they are fixing that and getting drivers home more. They have top notch equipment.