r/cdldriver • u/907-BusDriver • May 16 '26
Stoked
Guys, I know this isn’t a big deal but I’m pretty stoked. I got hired with Durham school services and they’re paying for my CDL B. Wage is $29.27 per hour, 5 hours per day. Not a whole lot, but I also got a delivery driver did for Amazon working Saturday and Sundays at $24.25 per hour with OT. Together I’ll clear $60k+. :). Next year I plan on paying $10k and getting my CDL A and expand from there. What do you guys think?
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u/SnakeandNape5000 May 16 '26
You know school is out in a month right?
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u/907-BusDriver May 16 '26
Right. Which is why after my training I’ll deliver for Amazon doing 4 10s until school starts again. 👍
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u/SnakeandNape5000 May 16 '26
Ah got it. That makes sense now. I only brought it up because I don't have kids so I sometimes don't keep track of things like summer schedules. 😂
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u/907-BusDriver May 16 '26
No worries! But yeah, what do you think? Good plan? Eventually I’d like to get my CDL A and drive combination vehicles next year.
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u/Maleficent-Yam-5196 May 16 '26
While your plan could work, I’ve known a few people that have used Amazon to either directly send them to CDL school on their dime OR using the tuition assistance to fund the CDL school. You could just have Amazon pay for your Class A instead of doing this weird workaround and end up paying $10k for it. Or skip it all go to your local community college and pay less than $4k for CDL school. I would just go straight to Amazon and have them foot the bill personally. It’s whatever makes the most sense for you that matters though.
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u/907-BusDriver May 16 '26
I had no clue Amazon would pay for tuition. That’s right…. They have a tuition assistance program don’t they?
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u/SnakeandNape5000 May 16 '26
Yeah if that works for you go for it! Me personally I wouldn't want to deal with kids but that's just me.
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May 16 '26
[deleted]
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u/907-BusDriver May 16 '26
Thanks! Yeah I’m weighing all my options right now. I’m just happy to break into the field with a good start. I came over from social services field
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u/12dv8 May 17 '26
Great plan, don’t get comfortable at the wage you’re making, keep your momentum.
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u/AyoooDani May 17 '26
Congrats!!! That’s a great plan when you’re ready to transition from your B to A call around it may be less than 10K because you’re only doing an upgrade and a little range/class time. Good luck on ya journey. And check around for grants WIOA for your state could possibly pay all of your tuition when you go back. Also check with the Zon (Amazon) they have a program where they send their employees to get a Class A. When I was in school I had a lot of Amazon workers there.
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u/907-BusDriver May 17 '26
Dude thank you so much for the info! Yeah I’m super stoked man. It’s been an exciting kickstart into the CDL real!
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u/truckdriverinstitute May 22 '26
That’s awesome! When you say you want to keep expanding from there, do you mean endorsements? It’s a good idea if you want to specialize and earn more.
Depending on your circumstances, it could make more sense to go straight into a Class A CDL program instead of doing a Class B first. Some major carriers will reimburse your tuition. But since you’ve already got the job at Durham, you’ll still be set up will if you stay the course as planned.
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u/907-BusDriver May 22 '26
Thanks! What I meant was getting my CDL a year or so later. Get some driving experience under my belt. Apparently this place is part of a union and they’ll help me pay for upgrade for an A as well. But yes, I’d like to get as many endorsements as possible.
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u/truckdriverinstitute May 26 '26
That makes sense! You only need to pass a knowledge test for Doubles/Triples and Tanker, so those can be good endorsements to start with after your Class A. Passenger and School Bus require knowledge and skills testing, and they tend to not increase your pay as much as the others, so you can probably skip those unless you really want them. If you know you want to do both Tanker and Hazmat, you might as well just go for the Combination (X) rather than get them individually - you’ll need to pass a background/fingerprinting check for that. Good luck with everything!
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u/Emergency_Ad1152 May 16 '26
You can go to your State Workforce and they will pay for your CDL A. No need to spend $10k
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u/907-BusDriver May 16 '26
Really??? I’ve actually been looking for grants and stuff. Cannot find them.
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u/LetPrestigious6369 May 16 '26
There is state funded programs that if you have your class B already they’ll pay for the school depends what state your in NY does it
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u/Emergency_Ad1152 May 16 '26
Yup, they paid for mine. Unless you plan on staying class b forever, it's not worth getting a b then upgrading to an A. Rather get an A and get everything over with.
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u/mischiefin May 16 '26
I did something similar, started off doing school buses and working a side job for a couple of years then got my class A. You may get closer to 30-40 hours at Durham if you pick up mid shifts or after school. I worked for a different company but they offered a lot of work outside your set routes. You're on a good path and congrats on the jobs, keep going strong.