Fees For Getting Your CDL In Washington:Standard CDL - $102. CDL skills test for school bus endorsement - $100. Reduced CDL skills test (Head Start only) - $225. Add CDL endorsement to a WA driver license - $10 license fee + $17 per yr for the time remaining on your license.
Walmart says they have 8,000 drivers that travel over 700 million miles to deliver merchandise. To start your career as a professional truck driver, you will need to have a Class A CDL license which can be obtained at Roadmaster Drivers School in as little as 3 weeks.
In order to qualify for most free CDL training programs, you will need to have a clean driving record, a clean criminal background check, pass both a DOT physical and a DOT drug test, and be at least 21 years old.
OTR CDL truck drivers earn the most, with salaries averaging $59,158 a year. Team truck drivers earn an average of $71,000 each per year. The average owner operator can earn $270,000 year, but they are responsible for all of their truck repairs and maintenance, which is very costly.
The pay isn't bad: Truckers earn a median annual wage of $37,930, which is $4,000 more than the median wage for all jobs, according to the BLS. The top 10% of truck drivers make more than $58,000 per year. So why do so many long-haul trucking jobs remain unfilled? First, it's difficult to get certified.
On average, a Class A CDL program lasts about seven weeks. This is based on full-time programs that run for five days per week. Class A programs tend to last longer than Class B programs, since a Class A license permits you to drive a greater variety of trucks and take on larger loads.
Professional Truck Driving Schools and Tuition Costs
| School | Course Length (hours) | Tuition and Fees |
|---|
| HDS Truck Driving Institute | 730 | $7,900 |
| National Tractor Trailer School | 602 | $10,200 |
| Iowa Central Community College Transportation Technology Center | 600 | $6,300 |
| Great Lakes Truck Driving School | 600 | $10,000 |
Start a truck driving school by following these 9 steps:
- STEP 1: Plan your Business.
- STEP 2: Form a legal entity.
- STEP 3: Register for taxes.
- STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card.
- STEP 5: Set up business accounting.
- STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses.
- STEP 7: Get Business Insurance.
The most important reason to go back to school is to earn a skill you can earn money with and build a career on. Going to trucking school gives you a license at the end of the course that makes you immediately hirable at many companies. According to the USA Today, truck drivers are in high demand.
According to All Trucking, not all felonies are grounds to disqualify a driver from getting a CDL. But, there are offenses which do not allow a driver to get one, including those above mentioned and other felonies such as arson, bribery, extortion, smuggling, treason, kidnapping, and others as provided by law.
Aside from federal grants, there may also be state-specific grants for truck driving school to help pay for your CDL training. California: California residents can get state grants to cover the cost of educational programs by filling out their FAFSA as well as the California Dream Act Application (CADAA).
The SBA does not offer grants for felons specifically but a felony will not keep you from getting a grant. The SBA offers a verity of funding programs including the following; Loans for small businesses. Investment capital.
How do I apply? You should start by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. You will have to fill out the FAFSA form every year you're in school in order to stay eligible for federal student aid.
Government ProgramsUnited Truck Driving School is approved by the California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE). With the help of government funding programs, many truck driver training students get funding to cover part or all of their CDL training costs.
When you arrive at Schneider, their training pay is $80 a day even if you do not train at all. You must be available to work to get that pay, so if you're sick, you get no money. You also have to keep a current logbook while training. Yes, company pays for all aspects of training.
Total Pay AverageThe typical FedEx Freight Road Driver salary is $79,696. Road Driver salaries at FedEx Freight can range from $45,554 - $131,447. This estimate is based upon 58 FedEx Freight Road Driver salary report(s) provided by employees or estimated based upon statistical methods.
Training to obtain your CDL is part of the job. You are hired and paid as an employee on Day 1. You'll be paid $500 when you work a full week while you get your CDL™. The CDL training is three weeks and is available in multiple locations.
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act TrainingFor job seekers who qualify, financial assistance can be used to enroll in training and/or classes delivered through an approved provider (typically a college or a training school), and pay for course fees, books, and other materials.
You sleep in your truck, you eat in your truck, you spend every minute in your truck. The trucks have sleeper berths behind the cab, with bunk beds and cabinets and a few shelves, and that basically becomes your home for weeks at a time. Some truck drivers even wear diapers to avoid stopping at bathrooms — not kidding.
Truck driving school is hard and its meant to be that way. Do not go into this career thinking it's going to be easy. Whether you've been driving a truck for 4 days or 40 years, the first day you stop learning something new is the first day you become a dangerous trucker. Trucks are cool - enjoy the experience!
Pay by the mile is the most common type of base pay in the trucking industry, but how companies pay for those miles may vary. The three most common per mile pay rates are: Practical Mileage: This is calculated using the most efficient distance between the origin and the destination.
Swift Transportation is the highest paying company for rookie drivers. Not only can new truck drivers get their schooling through Swift, they can go right into employment with the company when the schooling and training are complete.
The answer is an emphatic yes. Every time a truck driver gets behind the wheel, he or she is at risk. In fact, of the top 25 deadliest occupations in America, truck driving ranks seventh on the list. Truck drivers also face the highest number of fatalities of any job, at a rate of 918 fatalities each year.
How much does it cost to get a CDL? Truck driving school costs and CDL fees will vary by the school options you choose and where you live, but the total cost is typically between $3,000 and $7,000.
Tariffs and a looming trade war raise the risk of an economic recession, and Vieth noted that an industrial recession is already underway in the U.S., which has led to a freight recession across all segments. “The evidence overwhelmingly suggests 2020 is going to be a very, very tough year,” he said.
Typically, for OTR jobs, you will get home time only if your trainer also takes it. When you go solo, you could be home anywhere from a couple times a week to once every 4-6 weeks, depending on the position.
Truck driving is a great semi-retirement job for those who want to delay social security a little longer while still having a reason to get up in the morning. Truck driving is a good job to consider after retiring from another job because it keeps a person active in many ways.
