YRC Freight Trucking School Review – Company Paid CDL Training

The beginning of YRC Freight can be traced all the way back to 1924 when a man named A.J. Harrell, an Oklahoma City entrepreneur, created a bus and taxi service named Yellow Cab Transit Company.

In 1930, two brothers in Akron, Ohio, named Galen and Carroll Roush established Roadway Express. Roadway Express quickly grew thanks to the brothers’ reputation for keeping their commitments. In fact, if no trucks were available for a rush pickup, Galen Roush would immediately rent a truck and take care of the delivery himself.

In 1952, Reimer Express was founded by D.S. Reimer and his father Frank Reimer. Reimer Express was one of the very first trucking companies to form a route from eastern Canada to western Canada. By 1969, Reimer Express provided coast to coast delivery service in Canada.

Fast forward to the year 2003, when all three of these companies joined together to become Yellow Roadway Corp., or YRC for short. By 2009, the name was changed to YRC, Inc.

Today, YRC, Inc. is now known as YRC Freight. The company excels in helping less-than-truckload (LTL) shippers across America strengthen their supply chains.

Now that you know a little bit about the history of YRC Freight, let’s take a look at the YRC Freight CDL Training Academy.

The YRC Freight CDL Training Academy is one of the few paid CDL training programs that is certified by the Professional Truck Driver Institute. This means that you can expect to receive truck driver training that conforms to a high-quality standardized curriculum and doesn’t just meet government mandated regulations, it exceeds them.

YRC Freight CDL Training Academy has various locations in different parts of the United States. Classes are held at the terminal location that you’ll be employed at after you complete the training program.

The CDL training program offered by the YRC trucking company is 4 weeks (160 hours) of unpaid truck driver training, that includes one-on-one, behind the wheel training with an instructor that is highly qualified:

• Obtaining your CDL permit on your own time
• 40 hours of classroom instruction (home/classroom/video)
• Obtain your CDL License on your own time
• 40 hours of classroom instruction (home/classroom/video)
• 40 hours of practice in the training yard with your driving instructor
• 40 hours of road training with your driving instructor
• Going through a mock road test
• Taking your CDL exam

The paid training portion of the program is 4 weeks in length as well, which also equates to 160 hours of hands-on training with an experienced YRC Freight truck driver.

You must also do the following in order to be accepted into the program:

• Obtain a Class A CDL Permit (you must pay)
• Pass DOT Physical (you must pay)
• Obtain TSA background/fingerprint check for HazMat endorsement (you must pay)
• Pass a DOT drug test (YRC Freight pays)
• Obtain a Motor Vehicle Report (YRC Freight pays)

Please note that YRC trucking company does not pay students while they attend the academy, students are paid during the OTR portion of the CDL training program. The entire program is tuition-free as long as you drive for YRC Freight for at least 1 year.

If, as a YRC Freight truck driver, you fail to fulfill the 1-year employment agreement, you will be required to pay the entire tuition cost. There is no “pay up front” option since the academy does not charge tuition.

In the training yard, you’ll finally get behind the steering wheel and start practicing basic backing maneuvers. Because the class sizes are small, you won’t have to share a truck with any other students. It’ll just be you and the instructor inside the truck cab, one-on-one.

In the training yard, you’ll learn and practice the following maneuvers:

• Left side alley dock
• Right side 90 degree alley dock
• Driver side parallel parking
• Offset right
• Offset left

Next your truck driving instructor will have you do a mock road test before you finally take the CDL Road Test on your own in order to obtain your Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).

You’ll also take the CDL endorsement tests for the following endorsements:

• Doubles & Triples
• Hazmat
• Tanker

Please note that you will be required to pay for the testing and licensing fees yourself, as well as the Department of Transportation (DOT) physical exam. You’ll also be required to pay for the TSA background/fingerprint check in order to obtain your Hazmat endorsement. YRC Freight does pay for your DOT drug screening and your Motor Vehicle Report (MVR).

Now that you have your Class A CDL, it’s time for the final phase of the paid CDL training program, the phase where you actually get paid while you train!

Once you complete the four-week CDL training program at the academy and obtain your Class A CDL, as well as your HazMat, Tanker and Doubles/Triples endorsements, YRC Freight will pair you up with a certified driving instructor, and you’ll hit the road for four weeks as a YRC Freight employee. You’ll be required to accumulate 160 hours (4 weeks) of behind-the-wheel, hands-on training.

After you complete your 4 weeks of paid training, you’ll get paid competitive wages as a first-year driver, up to $60,000 (paid by the mile) with an annual wage raise based on union contract. Some of the employee benefits that YRC Freight offers include:

• 401(k) retirement plan
• Defined benefit pension
• Paid overtime
• Paid delay time
• Paid jury duty
• Bereavement pay
• Paid worker’s compensation
• Paid sick days
• Paid personal days
• Paid holidays
• Paid vacations
• 100% paid medical care coverage
• 100% paid dental care coverage
• 100% paid vision care coverage
• Accidental death & dismemberment life insurance

YRC Freight is the only company that pays their truck drivers an hourly rate during breakdowns and load delays. Plus, the benefits that YRC Freight drivers receive are exceptional as well.

All equipment is provided and maintained by YRC Freight. YRC Freight road drivers can also expect to have minimum time away from home with 5 tours per week on average. YRC Freight will also pay for your hotel stay while you are on the road, unless you are a team with a sleeper tractor.

Benefits

• There is no upfront cost for the school.
• One-on-one behind the wheel truck driver training.
• The unpaid CDL training is only 4 weeks (160 hours) long and is tuition-free if you drive for the YRC trucking company for 1 year.
• The OTR paid CDL training is 4 weeks long (160 hours).
• You’ll be paid a very competitive rate per mile as a first year YRC truck driver.
• You’ll receive union contract pay which means you can earn up to $60,000 (paid by the mile) your first year as a driver.
• Experienced LTL drivers can earn up to 56 cents per mile.
• Pickup & delivery (P&D) drivers can earn over $22 per hour on average.
• Wages are very competitive with annual increases based on union contracts.
• You’ll be out on the road an average of 5 tours per week. Pickup & delivery (P&D) drivers are home each night.
• You’ll get 100% free health insurance for you and your family, including medical, dental and vision insurance.
• Drivers are eligible for a retail prescription plan and a mail-order prescription plan (90-day supply).
• You’ll get paid overtime, paid jury duty, bereavement pay, and Worker’s Compensation pay.
• If you become disabled you’ll receive basic and accidental death and dismemberment life insurance.
• If you become disabled you’ll also receive short-term disability or long-term disability, plus a defined benefit pension and a 401(k) savings plan.
• Qualified drivers receive family medical leave.
• You’ll get paid hourly during breakdowns and load delays. Something no other trucking company offers.
• Drivers qualify for a 401(k) retirement savings plan.
• Weekly pay via direct deposit.

Requirements

• You must be at least 21 years of age or older.
• You must obtain a Class A Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP).
• You must pass a DOT physical exam.
• You must pass a DOT drug test.
• You must pass a background/fingerprint check.
• You must have a current MVR with a history of safe operation.
• You must obtain a Doubles/Triples, HazMat, and Tanker endorsement.
• You must be able to read, write, and speak English proficiently and understand roadway signs and traffic signals.
• You must be able to read and understand a bill of lading and make entries in a daily driver log.
• You must be able to follow posted safety rules and safe operating procedures to ensure proper techniques.
• You must be able to work various days of the week and different shifts. You must be willing to work overtime.
• You must be physically able to sit, stand, walk, and maintain balance for long periods of time.
• You must be able to frequently lift up to and including 55 lbs. from floor to waist level horizontally and carry objects up to 100 feet.
• You must be able to lift up to 70 lbs. on occasion (seldom lift up to 100 lbs.) and push/pull up to 129 lbs. for long periods of time.
• You must be able to climb ladders on the tractor and/or trailers and frequently enter/exit the tractor cab.
• You must be able to perform tasks such as stretching, turning, bending, crouching, squatting, kneeling, reaching overhead, and stooping for long periods of time.
• You must be able to operate a forklift, dolly, hand truck, pallet truck, carts, and any other equipment needed for loading/unloading pallets.
• You must be able to get to and from the truck driver training academy on your own.
• You must work for the YRC trucking company for at least 1 year in order to offset the cost of tuition.
• If you fail to fulfill the 1-year employment agreement, you will be required to pay the full tuition cost.

Get Paid While You Train and Make $45,000 or More Your First Year with Paid CDL Training!

Are you ready to take the next step and begin your career as a well-paid professional truck driver? We’ve partnered with some of the best trucking companies in the nation and have helped thousands of people just like you get into a high quality paid CDL training program. You can get your CDL in as little as 3 weeks and start making good money as a professional truck driver. Plus, you can make up to $500 per week while you train!

Here’s what you can expect from the paid CDL training programs in our network:

Just click the green button below and fill out the quick 1-minute application on the next page to get started. Hurry! Classes are filling up fast!

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