If you’re considering going to truck driving school, you may wonder, “How much does truck driving school cost?” We’re here to help you understand tuition costs and launch your new career.
The typical truck driving school may cost up to $8,000, but at Truck Driver Institute, you can begin with just $225 in out-of-pocket expenses.
Please continue reading the post after this one to see more details.
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What Is A Truck Driving School?
The truck driving school trains you to drive trucks if you want to do so. You can start a new career with the help of a practical truck driving school and CDL training facility, sometimes in as little as a month.
You gain real-world driving experience and learn the necessary skills to pass the Class A CDL exam as you learn to drive. In order to operate a large truck in the United States, one must pass the commercial driver’s license (CDL) test. To be more exact:
To operate any combination of vehicles with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more, provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is over 10,000 pounds, you must have a Class A CDL license. Tractor-trailers that travel long distances are the most common vehicles requiring a Class A CDL license.
Modern training tools and automatic transmission trucks are available. Over 160,000 graduates have received our training after more than 30 years of operation.
The truck driver training facilities offered by Roadmaster include computer labs, large classrooms, specially designed field driving courses, and late-model tractor-trailers that are used exclusively for training students.
We ensure that you receive assistance with job placement after graduation from our campuses, which are spread out across the country.
How Is The CDL Training School?
Roadmaster Drivers School has a training program that includes things like:
- laws governing Department of Transportation compliance. Additionally, you’ll gain knowledge of map reading and trip preparation.
- driving experience, both in the real world and at our driving range. You get to actually do it rather than just reading about it.
- picking out preventive maintenance. Learn to spot problems with big trucks.
- hooking and unhooking. Additionally, you’ll practice backing and turning in our 53-foot trailers, which are industry standard.
Although these are just a few of the highlights, you obviously learn much more. Our CDL training places a strong emphasis on safety and preparing you for a new career in truck driving. We provide real-world training, so you’ll learn everything you need to know to start working as soon as a company hires you. You get to drive and learn the ins and outs of living on the road permanently rather than spending the entire day staring at a computer or a book.
Read about: Transporting goods locally, such as in the northeast or southwest of the United States, is referred to as regional trucking.
How Much Does Truck Driving School Cost?
To obtain their CDL, many drivers decide to attend a truck driving school. The ability to learn locally and spend the majority of the time close to home is a perk of truck driving schools that may influence your decision. Typically, a truck driving school is run either independently or through a technical college. These programs can be very expensive, with an average cost between $3,000 and $7,000. Even though the price is higher, a better education may not always be worth the extra money. In fact, truck driving schools frequently require students to practice during the day in a constrained area near the facility and may provide little, if any, time for on-the-road instruction.
It can be challenging to pay for truck driving school. The majority of programs will require upfront payment, so you should find a payment method as soon as possible. If the program is run through a college, some may be eligible for student loans, but this could result in a high loan payment down the road. Other programs might advise you to use your sign-on bonus to make payments, but this presupposes that you will land a job right away and that it will provide a sign-on bonus. In the absence of any of these choices, you might turn to private loans, which may have interest rates that are even higher than those on student loans and may be more challenging to repay. Some students qualify for grants for their CDL school. If you decide to attend a school, make sure to research your options and ask your CDL school if they can put you in touch with any extra resources.
Truck driving schools usually do not pay for other aspects of your training, including:
- Housing
- Meals
- Transportation to training
How Much Does An Official CDL Training Program Cost?
The industry has a number of company-sponsored CDL training programs. Since every program is unique, be sure to enquire about the total cost before paying for it.
The Prime Student Driver (PSD) Program is one of these initiatives. The PSD Program allows you to receive top-notch truck driving training at a significantly reduced cost. For a training program that is worth $4,475, students who sign up to drive with Prime for a year pay only a $100 application fee and permit costs. You don’t have to pay anything extra for the training program as long as you drive for Prime for a year with your Class A CDL.
You can get an interest-free loan of $200 per week to cover living expenses and food while you study for your CDL exam (which takes about a month). If you are available to drive for the second phase of training and log 30,000 miles of team training on the road after receiving your CDL, you will be guaranteed $700 per week. Not only will you pay less through our program than at a driving school, but Prime will offer you a job once you have your Class A CDL.
Have you already received your CDL? You still have options, so don’t worry. Participants in the Student Driver program who already possess a CDL are still welcome. For your first training week, you can earn $600, and for all subsequent weeks, you can make $700. You may be qualified for tuition reimbursement of up to $1,500 if Prime is the first company you drive for after receiving your CDL and you graduated from a CDL school within the last 45 days. To learn more, speak with a recruiter.
How long is truck driving school? Since many employers demand 120 or 160 hours of training, truck driving school is frequently completed in just three to four weeks.
Schools That Offer Truck Driving Courses
You’ll be happy to learn that there are many options available to you if you’re thinking about taking a truck driving course. Whichever you decide on should be determined by the course’s price, value, and location. Some of the most common options include:
College
For students who are interested, numerous colleges across the country proudly offer truck driving training programs.
The course material teaches students everything they need to know about operating these kinds of vehicles, and it can assist them in passing their CDL test and landing a great job. Schools that provide these programs and courses include, for instance: St. Crowder University, Victoria College, Saint Louis Community College, and Davids Country Community College. Schools in your area that specifically offer these courses should come up in a quick online search.
Independent Trucking Schools
Some of the most popular resources for people interested in this career path are independent trucking schools.
Given that they provide a wide range of programs and are widely accepted by employers, it is simple to understand why. These teach students everything they need to know about truck driving, just like college courses do. In order to obtain a CDL, you may need to have formal education as well as prior driving experience on the road. These can be found all over the country, but using your zip code in an online search to locate one nearby is the simplest method.
Methods Of Paying For The Cost Of School
Although attending trucking school can be a worthwhile investment, most people cannot typically afford the out-of-pocket costs. Fortunately, there are a variety of payment options available, so you’re not confined to making the payment all at once.
These options include:
How Am I Going To Pay For Trucking School?
Upfront, In Full
Your best bet is to pay out of pocket if you have enough cash set aside to cover your program’s tuition, any required supplies, and living costs like rent and groceries. Although this method does have the highest upfront cost, there is no credit check, no interest is charged, and you won’t need to worry about remembering to make monthly payments. Look around to see if there are any scholarships or grants available to help with the tuition amount since CDL programs can cost up to $10,000!
Workforce Innovation And Opportunity Act
Programs sponsored by the government that offer grants and scholarships for technical schools include the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). You might be able to use these to pay all or some of the CDL course’s tuition with them. You must get in touch with your school directly to learn if these are offered for your program.
Employer Reimbursement
In the world of commercial truck driving, employer reimbursement programs are fairly widespread. When you graduate from your program, your future employer pays for your tuition in return for an employment contract. In exchange for receiving the full tuition, these contracts typically call for a one- to two-year commitment of employment.
This can be a great way to pay for your CDL program, but you should read the contract carefully because in some cases, if you leave your employer before the agreement expires, you may have to pay back the entire tuition amount.
Contact your school to find out which businesses they partner with if you’re interested in using this payment option!
Pay-as-you-go Payment Plan
Some schools also provide payment plan options for students who are unable to pay the full tuition cost upfront and are not using a scholarship, grant, or employer reimbursement. In order to lower the initial cost, this enables students to make several smaller payments throughout the course of the program. You won’t pay more than you would with a loan because there isn’t a credit check involved and there isn’t any interest. Although you’ll pay less overall, your monthly payments will be higher because payments are spread out over a much shorter time than with other financing options.
Student Loan
Students who need to make the smallest monthly payments, as opposed to those who must pay more or in full up front, may find that a student loan is a good option. Private student loans might still be available, even though not all truck driving schools accept federal loans. You might be able to choose between a full deferral, an interest-only deferral, or an immediate full repayment, depending on the loan terms that are available for your program.
When it comes to financing, Climb collaborates with a number of trucking schools, and we don’t pull your credit until a loan has actually funded. So your credit score won’t be affected if you apply to check out our options.
But there are a few things you should bear in mind. The majority of loans have an interest component, so you will ultimately pay more than the cost of tuition. Once loan funds are sent, your credit will also be pulled, which could affect your credit score. In the end, you’ll have to decide which option suits your needs the best: lower monthly payments while paying more overall, or higher monthly payments while paying less overall.
Grant
Although you must fulfill certain criteria in order to be approved, scholarships are available for CDL training. First, submit a FAFSA (free application for federal student aid) online or at the financial aid office of your school to get the process started. You will learn if you qualify for any grants after your application has been processed. It’s very likely that you will qualify for this CDL grant if you are a student in a lower income bracket and need financial assistance to cover school expenses.
Scholarship
If you meet the requirements, you may be accepted for a number of scholarships. Speak to the admissions office at the school you intend to attend to find out more about these. They can point you in the direction of applications that you can complete, submit, and then wait to hear back about.
Paid Training
Trucking companies don’t typically provide paid training unless there are conditions. If you come across an offer of this nature, make sure to carefully review any contract before agreeing.
Reimbursement
Although the specifics of these offers do vary, some trucking companies do provide their employees with reimbursement assistance. To make sure you comprehend the offer completely, it’s critical to ask numerous questions.
Is The Investment Beneficial?
Each person’s response to this question depends on their comfort level. But the majority of students who complete these courses concur that they are worthwhile because they provide so much information about this profession. The initial investment in such a course can be justified by the fact that taking advantage of it can make it simpler to find employment.
How To Get Started?
Roadmaster is a practical truck driving school that assists students in getting ready for their Class A CDL driver’s license exam. Call us at 1-800-831-1300 or complete our online form to get started on the road to a brand-new career with lots of potential. Roadmaster can assist you in beginning a new life in about a month if you are unemployed or simply looking to improve your situation for yourself and your family.
Before they even complete their education, many of our students have a lucrative job lined up for them. Graduation can be followed quickly by hitting the road. No need to look for a job or submit applications. There’s no need to stress about paying bills anymore.
And keep in mind that we provide financing to those who qualify, and some carriers may offer 100% tuition reimbursement after graduation while working for the carrier. A new career could be just around the corner, so there is nothing to lose by learning more.
