I am planning on getting my CDL and have been studying the cdl manual religiously for the past week. I am planning to take the clp exam at the DMV in early to mid December. Would it be better to get my CLP first and then apply for a paid cdl sponsorship program at Swift or Roehls? or should I just go ahead and apply? The reason why I ask is my application to Swift got denied due to the unemployment gap that I had during covid. Other than that, I think I more than qualify. Long story short – I got in contact with one of the recruiters again and she seems very honest and is willing to help me get in to the academy. However – I still want to go ahead and get my clp on my own. I feel like that would put me at a greater advantage by giving me leverage as oppose to not having any credentials. What do you guys think? Is it worth getting the clp on your own? Does it help speed up the academy? And does it also help with the hiring process when applying to different trucking companies that offer paid cdl sponsorship programs?
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Thank you

