What to Expect at Truck Driving School and Why Paid CDL Training Might Be a Better Fit

What to Expect at Truck Driving School / What to Expect When Training for A CDL

***Update - training looks different now due to COVID-19. Contact us to learn more! ***

As you consider whether truck driving school is the right choice for your truck driving career, think of what you are expecting to get out of training. Do you expect to be ready to make $60,000 or more in your first year starting out with this training? Are you looking to learn everything necessary for safely operating a big rig? If you have these kinds of concerns about what to expect in truck driving school, we are here to help. Check out these things to know about truck driving school and why a company-sponsored CDL training program may be a better fit (more on Roehl’s paid CDL truck driving training program and job in a bit)

Timeline for Training

The first thing to focus on is how long it will take you to go through trucking school. Most truck driving school students spend the first week of their training getting their commercial learner’s permit or CLP. In Roehl’s Get Your CDL truck driver training program, we streamline the timeline. Instead of spending an extra week (or in some cases three months or more in trucking school), we help you get your CLP prior to starting your training. That means you spend more time actually learning the skills you need to be successful. That’s also how we train our student drivers in just three weeks. Within a month you can be ready to test for your Class A commercial truck driver license. And, because Roehl’s program is a job, you are hired on the first day and you know you have a position with a safe fleet offering new equipment. 

Cost of Trucking School

The amount of money you have to pay to be a truck driver is a major consideration for student drivers. Trucking school tuition will need to be paid in full, and some schools may charge quite a bit of money in tuition. Other company-sponsored programs offer you limited choices in the trucking companies you can work for. In Roehl’s GYCDL program, you’ll experience something different from almost all the trucking schools around the nation. Here’s the difference.  

With Roehl, you won’t have a tuition debt from a trucking school. We provide our student drivers with paid CDL training. You are an employee of ours, and your job is to obtain your CDL. What this means is our students get paid $616 a week while they earn their CDL in our paid CDL program. At a truck driving school or other company sponsored training programs, you won’t be spending time out of work and without a paycheck. Instead, you are employed while you get your CDL and that is a great way to start your trucking career moving in the right direction money-wise.

Multi-Phase Training

Another area of training for students that sets Roehl Transport apart is in multi-phase training. Many trucking schools will train you to test for your CDL, but that is just the beginning. Most major trucking companies believe that students are not fully ready to hit the road on their own just because they have a CDL. At Roehl, we offer a finishing program that includes additional paid training. In Phase 2 training, you are paid $112 a day while you are out with a certified truck driver trainer. You will not be team driving during this time. You’ll be actually doing the job with a trainer there to teach, guide and mentor you. Phase 2 typically lasts about three weeks.  

Prepare for OTR Trucking Jobs

Ultimately, the goal of going to trucking school is to prepare you to test for your CDL, and that sets the foundation to be a truck driver. At Roehl, our training will take you further – from getting your CDL, to training you to be a safe professional truck driver to having success in the trucking industry, and you do it all as a member of our company! Along with earning your commercial driver’s license, you are also trained for handling safety issues, as well as trip planning and routing, all within the framework of one of the nation’s most successful trucking companies.

At a truck driving school, you may not learn how to handle different trailer types. When you train with Roehl, you will have options, including in our flatbed, refrigerated and dry van fleets.

Get Started at a Trucking Driving School or with Roehl Transport

No matter where you decide to get your truck driver training, you’ll need to apply. It’s easy to apply to Roehl Transport’s paid CDL training for student drivers, and you’ll find that our training is located near our terminal locations. Once you get to the training location, Roehl provides lodging and most meals, and again, you’ll be paid while you get your CDL!