Looking to start a career

Hi all, I came to this forum to get some opinions. Ever since I was young I was fascinated by heavy equipment. As of now I'm attending a technical college for an associates degree in diesel technology. I've recently decided diagnosing and repairing trucks/equipment isn't for me. I'm torn between pursuing a career in welding or operating. I just don't know where to start getting into the industry of operating. I've looked online at a few operating schools and they all seem to be about $12k for a training program and cdl. I was so seeing if anyone has any advise on taking one of these programs. Are they really worth the money? Rip off? The one that caught my intrest was "HCA" in New Hampshire. Also where's a good area to search for well paying busy jobs around the country? Any advise would be greatly appreciated

Looking to start a career