Where Do I Get My CDL? A Look at Community College Programs

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Are you dreaming of a career behind the wheel? The path to obtaining your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) has evolved significantly with new regulations that every aspiring truck driver should know. This episode expertly unpacks the recently introduced Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements, designed to reinforce the foundational skills necessary for safe and competent driving. We highlight the differences between community college and private training programs, discuss the various costs associated with training, and share personal anecdotes that provide an authentic glimpse into the world of truck driving education.

Discover why it’s critical to choose a training provider that not only prepares you for the test but equips you with the knowledge and confidence needed to thrive as a professional driver. By understanding the expectations that come with your CDL, including knowledge of regulations such as hours of service and vehicle safety inspections, you'll be better positioned to succeed on the road. 

Join us for this enlightening discussion, and take the first step on your journey towards becoming a professional truck driver. Don’t forget to subscribe and share this episode with someone who might be interested in hitting the road!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hi, good afternoon truckers and future road
warriors, and welcome back toTrucking with Tammy.
I'm your host, tammy.
So today we are going to hitthe road to talk about CDL
schools, whether about yourdreaming of driving a semi.
If you're just curious how itall works, stick around.

(00:25):
I'm going to unpack some ELDrequirements.
I'm going to dive into a coupleof community college programs,
we're going to touch onindividual states and, most
importantly, I'm going to remindyou that once you got that
license, it's your job to knowthe regulations, no matter how
good your training was.
So buckle up, grab your coffeeand let's get rolling.

(00:48):
So let's kick off withsomething that you'll hear a lot
about when you're starting out,and that's your ELDT.
So ELDT is the entry leveldriver training.
It's a federal rule that wentin effect back in 2022.
So, thanks to the Federal MotorCarrier Safety Administration,

(01:09):
fmcsa, you're going to hear alot about them in your career
too.
They kicked that off and it wasdesigned to give new drivers a
solid foundation before theytake their CDL skills test or
they get their endorsement likehazmat passenger school bus.
Their CDL skills test or theyget their endorsement like
hazmat passenger school bus.
So, before the ELD team wentinto effect.
You could have a friend teachyou how to drive.

(01:31):
You could borrow a truck, youcould head down to the driver's
facility all by yourself and youcould take the test, pass and
get your CDL.
And nope, not anymore.
So now ELDT ruling says thatyou have to go to a training
provider that is listed on theFMCSA's registry.

(01:54):
So you're going to go to theprovider, you're going to pay
them a chunk of money and thenthey're going to give you two
things.
They're going to give youtheory, which is classroom
training, and they're going togive you two things.
They're going to give youtheory, which is classroom
training, and they're going togive you behind the wheel
training.
So theory time is like vehicleinspections, basic control

(02:15):
skills, road safety regs.
You're going to learn aboutyour hours of service.
You're going to learn the basicrules and regulations Okay.
Then you're going to get behindthe wheel and they're going to
learn about your hours ofservice.
You're going to learn the basicrules and regulations Okay.
Then you're going to get behindthe wheel and they're going to
split that into range practiceso backing, coupling a trailer
and then you're going to getreal world road driving right.

(02:36):
So you're going to get outthere, you're going to make
those turns, um, and you'regoing to see what it's like to
drive a semi on the road.
Here's the twist Federalregulations do not set a number
of hours.
That a minimum that you must doto prevent.
It's based on your proficiency,uh, and your instructor has to

(03:00):
sign off.
So, if you go to a school thatyou've gotten three hours behind
the wheel, um, and you can pullit off, you're on your way.
Or you can pick a communitycollege that's going to give you
a hundred plus hours behind thewheel.
Better prepare you before theyhead out, right?

(03:20):
So now, this only applies, uh,after 2022, right?
So if you got your CDL beforethat, you were lucky.
You don't have to pay, um that.
You don't need some fancyschool either.
Woo hoo, I went to school, Igot mine before that, um.
So let's keeping that in mind,um, with the ELDT, let's take a

(03:44):
look at what our options are,right?
So, on the registry, schools arebroke down into two categories.
You have community colleges,and then you have your private
schools.
Um, they're everywhere.
There, a ton of providers, andtoday we are going to talk about

(04:08):
community colleges.
Okay, because communitycolleges generally are a less
expensive option, ranging fromanywhere from 1500 bucks to four
grand or so, and then theynormally have during the week
training or evening classes.
They might have Saturday onlyclasses, um, and they're

(04:32):
generally more in depth.
I went to Fox Valley CommunityCollege in Appleton, wisconsin,
myself Great school.
I went ahead and pulled up now,that was a while back, but I
went ahead and pulled up theirtruck driving program in
Appleton, wisconsin.

(04:53):
It's a technical diploma withnine credit hours.
Okay, on their website itestimated cost for tuition and

(05:15):
fees is $1,400.
Okay, um, so when you take alook at their course list, their
course is divided um to foursections.
They have commercial driver'slicense theory and then
commercial driver's licensetheory two.

(05:36):
They have class A CDL behindthe wheel range and class A CDL
behind the wheel public road.
Their theory instructionalhours is 72.
Their behind the wheel range is108 and their behind the wheel
public road is 108.

(05:56):
So you are going to get 300hours give or take of
instruction going that direction, um, with that $2,400 cost.
Now I also went ahead and pulledup, since I live in Illinois,
lakeland Community College,which is a college here in the

(06:19):
town I live.
So Lakeland College in Illinois.
Illinois State has a minimumrequirement on the hours that
schools must provide.
So Lakeland College, based onIllinois requirements, has a
tuition of $4,250.

(06:42):
They require a DOT physical anddrug screen, which you will
have to do to get your permitwith any state that you apply to
, and then there's a CDL permitvia $50.
So with Lakeland you will getyour permit while you're in the
program.
Some requirements or someprograms out there will require

(07:02):
you get your permit on your ownand then you start their program
once you have that.
Illinois Lakeland College'swebsite.
They do not have federalfunding where you could get a
student loan for your college.

(07:24):
You can pay by cash, creditcard, cash money or a personal
check, a grant.
So if you got a grant andsomebody's going to be paying
for it.
They also work with WorkforceInvestment Opportunities Act,
also known as WIOA, which isgenerally a displaced worker
program, illinois Veterans Grantand the Montgomery Air Post 911

(07:48):
GI Bill, and then there's alocal grant.
That's here.
The course covers 80 hours ofclassroom, which is your CDL
permit, study, map reading,logging, trip planning, dot
regulations, and then there's160 hours covering pre-trip

(08:08):
inspections, backing and thenthe control and safe driving of
the vehicle on the road.
So in Wisconsin there was 216hours of range behind the wheel,
this one is 160.
See, not all programs are thesame.
In Illinois, in order to attendthis Lakeland College, you must

(08:29):
have a valid driver's license.
Well, yes, you must be 21 ifyou're going to be crossing
state lines and 18 if you'regoing to remain in the state.
Only you must be able to read,write and speak English
sufficiently and be able to passa DOT physical and drug screen.
So that is two examples ofcommunity colleges and how many

(08:57):
hours that you have to do forthem.
Okay, um, montgomery College inMaryland um, they have what's
called an Earn Maryland grantthat you can check out if you're
in that area.
Um, yeah, so Nassau CommunityCollege in New York partners

(09:22):
with a private company to offera five-week class.
You're getting back down thereto that private company type of
program when you do that.
So when you're checking outdifferent schools, you're going
to want to take a look at whatthey offer you and how much
experience that you're going toget before you get your CDL in

(09:44):
your hand.
Okay, because here's the part Ireally want to drive home CDL
schools, whether they're acommunity college, if it's a
private setup.
Both of you are there to getyou to the license right.
They teach you enough to passthe test, hand you that CDL and

(10:05):
wave you off.
But once you're out there, oh,that's when the rubber really
meets the road.
Doesn't matter if your trainingwas gold star or just enough to
get you through.
Once you are licensed, you arethe professional driver and you
are on the hook.
We're talking hours of service,weight limits, log books,

(10:31):
pre-trip inspections, everything.
If your school skimped on somedetails, no excuse.
If you nodded off during theload securement talk, no excuse.
Tough luck Out on the highway.
Dot doesn't care.
You're the pro now and it'syour job to know the rules and

(10:53):
regulations.
Okay, I had a girl here just aweek ago say she got pulled over
going across 70, didn't havechains.
She got a citation for it.
Her excuse is I didn't know.
I didn't know does not work outhere.
I don't care if the trainer issitting in the seat next to you

(11:13):
when you get behind the wheel.
It is your job to know.
It is your job to know weightlimits.
It's your job to know how tallyou are so you don't go into a
low clearance.
It's your job to know whatstates.
You're required To put chainsin your truck.
Whether you need them or not,they still have to be in the
truck and on what roads.

(11:36):
So think of your cdl as astarting line, right, but you
have to be the one to run therace.
Uh, and picking a college orpicking a course that gives you
that information and get youfully prepared before you start
your journey is very important.
Okay, because when you startyour career and you go to that

(11:58):
first training company, whileyou're getting practice and you
are improving your skills, youare still considered to be a
professional driver and you arestill considered to know what
you are doing.
You are still considered totake responsibility of your
actions and every decision youmake behind that wheel.

(12:18):
So, really, really focusyourself on proper training and
knowing your stuff.
All right.
So this is our segment oncommunity colleges.
We are going to do a secondsegment on private schools and
the different states in who hasthe stricter regulations on that

(12:43):
.
So you have a great day.
Thanks for stopping by Trekkingwith Tammy and we'll see you
next time.