What are the most affordable schools in the country?

Southwest Truck Driver Training
This one will finance and first payment isn't due until 45 days after graduation. That's easy; you'll start your new trucking job the day you graduate. Probably hire on with a company that will reimburse the tuition back to you in monthly installments.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
Our North Las Vegas location is situated east of the I-15 off of Craig Road. We are minutes away from Nellis Air Force Base and you are just weeks from a new career in Truck Driving.

 

Southwest Truck Driver Training
In-House Financing
For students who do not meet state grant requirements, Southwest Truck Driver Training offers an in-house tuition program to help meet your needs. We offer affordable payment plans to suit your needs. Loans payments typically do not start until 45 days after graduation which gives you time to secure a driving position before making any payment. Contact a Financial Aid Representative to find out more about this program.

 

Well said, thank you. I can’t stress this enough to people trying to get their CDL. You most likely won’t be in this industry 3 years from now anyways why pay out of your own pocket for this. Especially when so many employers have their own training program. Just bite the bullet and pick the first best one (they all shaft you the same it’s just the color of truck that’s different) do you time and bounce once your contract is up.

I remember when I first got my CDL in 2007 it was so hard, all these mighty companies that wouldn’t even look at you back then unless you had 2-5 years OTR and had this demand, or that requirement and snarky recruiters saying there’s no chance with no experience all have training programs now. Brings a smile to my face…

 

To be clear, picking your first employer is the most important decision you will make in trucking. Which CDL school you go to is wholly unimportant unless it harms you getting hired at a company that matches your needs. It's false that all trucking companies are alike. For the 95% of newbies that will quit before their second year, just flip a coin. For those looking to make a career, find the trucking company that works for you and treats you like a human. If anyone volunteers to be screwed, take your abuse like a man and leave the rest of us out of it. Most newbies watch a YouTube video, do a Google search and start working at one of the worst companies in the industry before deciding this industry is trash. You get what you put into your job search. Bad results can be your fault or the company's fault. Choose like the outcome is important. It is.

 

You already have a cdl don't you?

 

OP is looking for an affordable school to get their CDL.

 

Company-sponsored training may seem like the cheapest option, but if you read the fine print they often expect you to pay back the full tuition costs--which they inflate substantially--if you leave the company before you've completed two years of employment. But that being said, it can still be a good option for some people. If you live or can relocate near a community college or other state school that offers CDL training, I think that's your best bet. Not only are community college programs usually the cheapest overall if you're paying full price, they often have better training than private schools do. State schools have several advantages over private schools, not the least of which is that state schools don't have to make a profit, and in some cases they don't even need to break even. Private schools can't continue to operate if they don't make a profit, and that profit motive often leads them to try to skimp on training level and quality as well as trying to rush as many students through in as short a time as possible. Community college programs are not limited by those same constraints, and that gives them the opportunity to offer more extensive and comprehensive training. They are also often limited by the state as to how much they're allowed to charge for their classes, so in many cases community colleges will give you better quality training for significantly less money.

Another advantage of state schools is that they often qualify for state and federal financial aid, though that can depend on how the class is structured within the school. There are often state workforce and job development grants that will pay for training outright, and unemployment programs will often cover training as well. Admissions offices can tell you which programs are available and help you to apply to them, as can state employment offices. Many localities also have private non-profits that will pay for training--here in Wyoming we have a non-profit called Climb Wyoming that provides free vocational training for single moms, and Class A CDL is one of the programs they offer.

 

Get on with an LTL company--Saia, Estes, FedEx Freight, Old Dominion, etc.--on the dock, then go through their dock-to-driver program. Earn while you learn.

The cheapest school is the one that PAYS YOU.