CR England Girl

This article originally came from a truck driving school blog

Here is the short and sweet abbreviated version to save you some time reading the entire article-

The quick and dirty truck driving school list:

1. Check out the facility.- Since we are talking ablaut your neighborhood truck driving school here, you should make your decision in person. Go and see what the school has to offer. Is the facility clean? Are the employers happy to help you?
2. Look at the training equipment.- Make sure the school doesn’t have a bunch of old rust buckets for training. After you get your license your going to want to work for someone so you better make sure you learn on current equipment because large professional trucking companies usually don’t have old trucks in their fleet.
3. Ask your neighbors. – By this we mean ask people in the community or at the local truck stop to see what people are saying. Ask about the training program specifics. Ask what they think about drivers that attend that school. Are they safe or are they dangerous truck drivers.
4. Check with work force service.- See I the truck driving school has tried to work with job service to get unemployed people training. Usually a quality school will have some sort of relationship with work force services or the division of labor. Even if they just have flyers or job postings it shows they are somewhat organized.

By following the items on the list above you can steer clear of the truck driving schools that could potentially rip you off.  Good Luck-

As the economic downturn continues (though many believe we are now in the recovery stage), trucking schools are still experiencing a high boost in enrollment as many people seek out new careers, including one as a long-haul trucker.  Trucking will remain an important component of the economy since nearly everything consumed in this country – from toys and cars to lumber and fabric – is transported by commercial truck at one point or another.  Subsequently, the high enrollment at trucking schools across the United States is expected to remain unusually high throughout the remainder of the summer and into the fall.

Love to drive and want to see the country?  If you are one of the many interested in learning what it takes to begin a new trucking career and how you can get started, check out C.R. England’s four trucking schools located throughout the country.

I realize I’ve posted about the C.R. England truck driving schools before but I thought I’d share a valuable resource that could be beneficial for those who are considering attending one.  The C.R. England student blog is an assortment of accounts and testimonials straight from the horse’s mouth: the students themselves.  Read a few for yourself and you may just see why C.R. England has one of the best training programs in the country.

In conjunction with the previous post addressing how to pay for truck driving school, I thought it was only fitting to give a brief overview of the financial alternatives CR England provides students.

Tuition at any one of CR England’s four trucking schools is $2,995 (which includes temporary lodging during training if you need it).  All students are required to pay an additional, non-refundable $50 administrative fee when applying.

Pay In Full – Students who pay in full upfront (cash, credit card, or check) can receive a $1,000 discount on their tuition bringing the total cost to just $1,995.

Financing – For students who need to finance their training, CR England offers financing through Eagle Atlantic Financial Services, which pays the $2,995 tuition at 18% interest.  If you’re worried about your credit (or lack thereof), financing with CR England doesn’t require any cosigners or credit requirements.  Starting four weeks from the date the loan is issued, students who choose to finance will have $55 deducted from their paycheck for 18 weeks.  After that, $75 will be deducted from each paycheck until the loan (plus interested) is paid off.

Independent Contractor Program – CR England will pay the full tuition for students who qualify for and enroll in the Independent Contractor Program.  Once a driver signs their truck lease, CR England will pay the $55 a week loan payment for as long as they remain in the program or until the loan is paid off.

And to make the deal even sweeter, CR England offers a $1,000 reimbursement for any company drivers who complete three years of driving for the company.

To learn more about CR England’s truck driving schools, click here.

It’s no secret that truck driving school is expensive; the average cost of training is nearly $4,000. If you’re interested in attending trucking school but don’t have access to that kind of dispensable money (who does?), take heart! I’ll show you just a few of the many ways to finance your new and exciting career behind-the-wheel.

Federal Student Loan Programs – Students at truck driving schools are eligible for federal student loan programs just as students attending traditional colleges and universities. You can submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online to receive federally funded or federally guaranteed financial assistance. Federal loans are borrowed money that must be repaid (with interest) upon completion of your education.

Federal Grants – Sometimes referred to as Gift Aid, certain people qualify for grants which do not have to be repaid. Grants are often given to individuals with low income, people who have served in the military, and much more. You can fill out a FAFSA to see what grants you are eligible for or visit Grants.gov. The amount of a grant given depends on the individual’s needs.

Workforce Investment Act – Passed in 1998, the WIA allots federal funds that are used to help train disadvantaged and dislocated adult workers and youth.

Veterans Employment and Training – If you are a veteran, you can take advantage of the VETS program which provides funds to train veterans, reservists, and National Guard members.

Vocational Rehabilitation – If you are a veteran with service-related disabilities, you may qualify for The Department of Veterans Affair’s Veterans Benefits Administration’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E). The program provides disabled vets with vocational rehabilitation which enables vets to retrain for a job in the workforce.

Employer-Based Financing – Most truck driving companies offer employer-based financing in which they will pay your tuition with a predetermined interest rate. The terms of the financing will vary with each company, so ask about them before signing with a trucking company.

Tuition Reimbursement – There are many truck driving companies that will actually pay for your training if you agree to work for them after graduation. There’s typically a minimum amount of time you must work for them in order to not have to pay the tuition back (generally two to three years).

When checking out a truck driving school, speak to a financial assistance counselor to find out what all your options are. They can help determine which would be best for you and your financial situation.