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Company-sponsored CDL training
FMCSA's training registry lists 26,825 private training locations, most of them employers training their own drivers, next to 4,272 public in-person schools and locations.
How it works
The carrier pays for your school, usually in exchange for driving for it for a set time. Leave early and you may owe the cost back.
A 2023 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report found a case where drivers were billed $6,000 for training the carrier had paid a school $1,400 to $2,500 for. Read the contract for the length of the commitment, the amount you would owe and whether it shrinks as you drive, interest, and whether the debt can go to collections.
Some states now limit these "stay or pay" terms; California's AB 692 took effect January 1, 2026. Ask your state labor department what applies to you.
Whoever pays, the school must be on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry for a first Class A or B CDL (49 CFR 380.703).
Carrier training terms, from each carrier's own page
8 carriers, in alphabetical order, with what each one's own recruiting page says about length, pay while training, cost and the commitment. "Not stated on this page" means the page does not say it; ask the recruiter and read the contract.
| Carrier and program | Length | Pay while training | Cost to you | Commitment | If you leave early |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.R. EnglandPremier Truck Driving School (owned by C.R. England, four campuses with student lodging)Carrier page, read October 10, 2026 | As little as 10 days | Not stated on this page | Tuition charged; amount not stated on this page | Not stated on this page | Not stated on this page |
| J.B. HuntPaid on-the-job training for recent CDL-A graduates (you bring the CDL)Carrier page, read October 10, 2026 | 6 weeks with a J.B. Hunt driver trainer | Paid; amount not stated on this page | School is not part of this program | Not stated on this page | Not stated on this page |
| Knight TransportationKnight CDL Academy, then paid over-the-road trainingCarrier page, read October 10, 2026 | Academy 3 to 4 weeks; 3 to 6 weeks of over-the-road training on average | $650 or $850 a full week with an over-the-road trainer, depending on the location listed | Not stated on this page; Knight lists CDL school tuition reimbursement without an amount | Not stated on this page | Not stated on this page |
| Prime Inc.Prime Training Program (permit holders)Carrier page, read October 10, 2026 | 2 to 4 weeks with a CDL instructor on your permit, then required training miles after the CDL | A $300 a week loan for food and living costs on the permit phase; a minimum of $900 a week after the CDL while finishing training miles | Nothing to start, and nothing for training if you drive for Prime for 1 year after getting your CDL | 1 year after the CDL | Not stated on this page |
| SchneiderCDL Apprenticeship Training (CAT), at Schneider facilitiesCarrier page, read October 10, 2026 | 5 to 7.5 weeks | Paid program; Schneider-funded lodging (if applicable) and meals; travel to the facility covered | Company-paid. Separately, graduates of other schools can get tuition reimbursement of $200 a month, up to $7,000 | Not stated on this page | Not stated on this page |
| Stevens TransportStevens Driving Academy (Dallas, TX) and partner schoolsCarrier page, read October 10, 2026 | School, then a paid finishing program of 240 hours behind the wheel with a trainer | The 240-hour finishing program is paid; pay amount not stated on this page | No out-of-pocket costs for CDL training | Not stated on this page | Not stated on this page |
| TMC TransportationTMC Pro Driving Academy (Des Moines, IA and Columbia, SC); a DOL-certified Heavy Truck Driver ApprenticeshipCarrier page, read October 10, 2026 | 3 weeks in-house, then 4 weeks of over-the-road training | $500 a week at the training facility and $500 a week in over-the-road training; travel and lodging paid | No upfront cost | 1 year after the CDL | You repay a prorated part of the training cost |
| Werner EnterprisesRoadmaster Drivers School (owned by Werner, 23 locations) or a partner school, with Werner tuition reimbursementCarrier page, read October 10, 2026 | Werner says CDL training typically takes four to six weeks | Not stated on this page | Tuition charged by the school; Werner's Tuition Reimbursement can offset it (amount not stated on this page) | Not stated on this page | Not stated on this page |
Not included: Roehl Transport, CRST The Transportation Solution, Covenant Transport, Maverick Transportation, Swift Transportation, Carter Express (their training pages were not available to read, or list no terms).
Carriers' own words, summarised; terms change and differ by location. Nothing here is a ranking, and no carrier pays to be listed.
Other ways to pay for CDL school
- WIOA training funds: 2,459 truck driving programs are on state training lists in the U.S. DOL file.
- GI Bill: VA lists truck driving among the non-degree programs it covers.
- CDL schools by state and what CDL school costs.