With truckers in such high demand across America, there are plenty of incentives to get into the industry and thrive with a rewarding truck driving career. Even with such high demand, you may find yourself in a position where you cannot afford to fund truck driving school on your own – a critical step to obtaining your CDL license, and gaining an entry-level driving job. Fortunately, there are several options available to the general public to help fund this education and training, along with some companies offering paid schooling as part of the hiring process.
Today, the average cost of CDL truck driving school is $6,500 for automatic transmission certification and $7,500 for manual transmission certification. While this might not seem like a high cost for some, the training can be completed between 3-7 weeks, with 35 hours of classroom time required. This means students must either find a way to pay up 6-8k quickly or else fund it in other ways.
Since professional OTR truck drivers are needed now more than ever, there are plenty of federal and state Pell grants, military grants and financial assistance, scholarships, paid training schools, and personal loans available to help mitigate these costs. This type of assistance is often easier to get than other grants and scholarships since truck drivers play an essential role in keeping the global economy running.
While the upfront cost of truck driving school may seem high, CDL drivers are well-compensated within even the first year of driving, with several experience and safety-based bonuses and incremental pay increases to follow. At H. O. Wolding, our average first-year driver earns a salary of $61,000 annually. With time and experience, you can work your way up to our top earners, with the top 20% of our drivers earning an average of $81,000 in 2020! We offer all of our drivers per/mile compensation rates of $0.45/mile – $0.63/ mile for solo drivers, and $0.54/mile – $0.70/mile for team drivers. Our benefits packages offer a great selection of affordable medical, dental, and vision plans, along with a great 401K plan to help you plan for retirement. Within just a few months of driving for H. O. Wolding, you will notice the benefit of attending CDL truck driving school.
Curious about starting a new career in OTR trucking? Consider the benefits of working for one of the best names in the business – H. O. Wolding. Give us a call today at 800 288 1972, or browse our job listings to find the perfect job opportunity for you.