I know you all get these questions all the time, but I’ve done a bit of research on CDL programs offered by trucking companies and narrowed it down to Hirschbach and Schneider based on a few qualifications. However, neither company has all the information online that I’d like to compare, and I’m not entirely sure that the information I have is completely accurate and up-to-date, so I wanted to reach out here and see what actual experienced truckers have to say. Here’s what I found so far:
Schneider Pros:
– dedicated nighttime Walmart run available for my area
– apparently good amenities at their facilities (in Sterling, anyway)
– decent vacation benefits (two weeks after one year)
– short training (might be a con in the long run, but a pro in the short term)
– no driver-facing cams
– short driving commitment (9 months) and cheap repayment cost if leave early
Schneider Cons:
– not sure where training will take place (probably Indianapolis?)
– meager $80/day during training (although Hirschbach isn’t that much more)
– no pets (not a huge con, but influences my decision to stay long-term or not)
– no provided TV, Sat. radio, or wifi in truck (true?)
– high health insurance premiums, apparently? (was quoted $178/week over the phone)
———
Hirschbach Pros:
– minimum weekly pay of $1350 for dedicated Midwest run (according to their site)
– pets allowed
– trucks provided with TV, wifi, and Sat. radio
– Dubuque location is close to me
– dinner included during paid training
Hirschbach Cons:
– driver-facing cams
– no info on health insurance premiums or vacation benefits on website
– unsure of repayment cost or driving commitment to make up for company training
– heard bad things about their maintenance facilities
Both provide private rooms during training (which is nice as a woman), and hometime seems to be comparable between the two for their dedicated runs (home weekly more or less), but every company says their hometime is good on their website. I’m located in Central Illinois, if that helps anything.
I’ve also been toying with doing Roehl’s CDL program but I keep hearing how low the pay is and can’t find anything about how much their training pay is or whether travel, lodging, and meals are included. Plus I’ve heard they can be hard-asses now that they have driver-facing cameras in their trucks. (Hirschbach has them too but maybe they are more hands off?) I also looked at Linehaul driving for Yellow but apparently they’re about to be fucked financially so I might just stay away from that for now, plus I really want to drive something with a sleeper cab.
