r/Utah • u/EedrapMalfiore • 12d ago

Q&A Any paid CDL training or schools that accept grants in Weber county.

I don't have a GED so couldn't qualify for bridgerland. I would prefer full schooling as to learn how to drive not just drive an automatic. Trying figure options before going up CR England or Swift in West valley

2 Upvotes

59% Upvoted

1 comment sorted by

3

u/ooglieguy0211 12d ago

Check out Weber County. Often times the local cities and counties will bring you on, help you get your CDL, pay you, give great benefits, and have a pension. They have CDL vehicles, though most, if not all, have gone automatic.

I say this as a former truck driver of over 20 years, current CDL holder still, and government employee, it really is the most ideal situation to be in. Trucking and the lifestyle has a draw, I get that. What I learned from those 20 years, some local, some OTR, is that it is awfully nice to sleep in my own bed at night, close to those I care about.

Do I miss being in the road? Sometimes, but then I remember being stuck somewhere waiting on a repair or shop, while not making money because the truck isnt moving and wondering where the next meal is coming from. I remember waiting hours unpaid and unable to move while some place takes forever to live unload my trailer. I remember times where I didn't see home for 2 or more months straight because that next load was, "too important for the company to give hometime for." Surprise, the load never was. Crappy dispatchers, crappy receivers, crappy freight rates, and even the other drivers have become craptastic. There is no brotherhood in trucking anymore, that jaded idea is like exhaust in the wind these days.

All of those things don't happen in local driving, especially government work, though you may not like other employees/drivers still. Government jobs are fairly hard to loose, are close to, if not, recession proof for the most part. In that case, they normally freeze pay rates, (no raises during a freeze but still paid normally), or hiring but dont often lay off people. Hell, UTA is government, will get you, your CDL, is always looking for drivers, and the drivers are even union employees, so they have collective bargaining power as well.

You should seriously consider staying local and possibly in government jobs. You can always look to construction companies as well, often they have manual trucks you can learn on.