Trucking: Truck Driving, truck driving schools, cdl license

Question
I live in Huntsville, Texas and I am looking at getting into trucking. I wanted to see if you could give any advise on the matter. All that I know at the moment is that you can either get your CDL license or go to a school that trains you to drive. I've already found a school thats free and offers $200 a month for expenses. I'm really not sure what I'm getting into so I thought I might run it past someone more experienced. I'm a little nervous about just jumping into a school because I don't know what to look for or whats a good school and whats not. What should I beware of? Is schooling necessary if you don't own your own rig? What would be a good route for a beginner? What would be a good job for a truck driver? Any advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Answer
Michael, I don't have any knowledge of truck driving schools, but there is a shortage of qualified drivers.  You should have no problem finding a job, just look at the classifieds.  Generally speaking long haul over the road drivers will make more but spend most of their time on the road away from home.  Local driving jobs pay less but offer regular hours.  The best thing you can do is keep a clean driving record and stay drug-free.  If you use drugs or drive wrecklessly thisa is not the career for you.
Good luck.
JIM