Are you thinking about starting a career as a truck driver? There are lots of well-paying job opportunities for truck drivers in Washington State. The first step towards becoming a licensed driver is to complete Washington CDL training. Luckily, there are a number of schools teaching CDL classes in Washington, making it easy to earn your license and get a job with a local or national company.

What is a CDL?

CDL stands for commercial driver’s license, and it’s the type of license you’ll need to operate any kind of semi-truck, bus, or other large commercial vehicle. There are different types of CDL available depending on the type of vehicle you plan to drive:

  • Class A CDL: This is the standard license for professional truck drivers. It’s necessary for any vehicle weighing over 26,000 pounds, and towing over 10,000 pounds. This includes semi-tractor trailers, double and triple trailers, tankers, livestock carriers, and flatbeds. A Class A license also enables you to drive Class B and Class C vehicles.
  • Class B CDL: This license enables you to drive trucks with a gross weight over 26,000 pounds and towing less than 10,000 pounds. It is well suited to buses, box trucks, and dump trucks. You can also drive class C vehicles with a class B CDL, as long as you have the necessary endorsements.
  • Class C CDL: With a Class C, you can drive a vehicle that weighs under 26,000 pounds and is transporting either at least 16 people or hazardous materials. Class C drivers typically drive HAZMAT vehicles, small cargo trucks, and buses.
  • Endorsements: Certain kinds of vehicles or cargo also require separate endorsement certifications. These include school buses and other passenger vehicles, and anything transporting hazardous materials. If you’re considering a job driving one of these kinds of vehicles, you’ll also need to complete endorsement training. These take less time than a full CDL class.

What are the requirements to earn a Washington CDL?

The requirements for earning a CDL vary by state, and they’re set by the Washington State Department of Licensing. To qualify for a Washington CDL, you must meet these requirements:

  • 18 years or older (21 if you want to drive interstate)
  • Have a valid WA Driver license
  • No lifetime disqualifications

In addition to meeting these requirements, you must pass a CDL test and complete training. Before you can take your test, you have to complete training with a registered training provider. That means that even if have friends or family who are truck drivers, you cannot study and prepare for the CDL exam on your own. Washington State requires a certain amount of time in training. For a Class A CDL, you’ll need to spend at least 160 total hours training, or 80 hours for a class B or C CDL. Registered training providers will plan their classes to meet these requirements.

Steps to Earn a CDL in Washington

Before you can start your career in truck driving, you need to take the following steps:

  1. Pass a physical with the Washington DOT
  2. Take a knowledge test at a driver licensing office
  3. Get your Commercial Learner’s Permit
  4. Complete CDL training at a registered school
  5. Take the CDL skills test
  6. Get your CDL

At Washington Trucking School, we’ll prepare you for both the CDL knowledge test and skills test. We’ll guide you through getting your CDL Learner’s Permit as part of your training program, so you don’t need to worry about obtaining it in advance.

How to choose a Washington trucking school

As of October 2022, there are 64 registered CDL training schools in Washington. The good news is that you have plenty of options and should be able to find a school that’s convenient to you. The bad news is that it can be hard to choose! Here are our tips for what to look for:

  • Teacher experience: You want to learn from the best! Questions to ask a potential school include how long their instructors have been driving, and whether they have an accident/violation-free driving background.
  • Student-teacher ratio: This is a key factor that will affect how easy it is to learn. Small class sizes will mean more attention from instructors, and more support for your questions. At Washington Trucking School, we have a student to instructor ratio of just 3:1.
  • CDL pass rate: Of course, you want to pass your CDL exam after completing your training. Most schools keep a record of their first-time pass rate, so feel free to ask when comparing schools. At Washington Trucking School, our first-time pass rate is 84%.
  • Placement record: You’ll also want to consider how successful the school’s past students have been in finding trucking jobs in Washington or with national companies. If you know you want to work for a particular company, you can also ask if the school has placed students with them before.
  • Program length: Most Class A CDL classes take between 4 and 8 weeks. At Washington Trucking School, you’ll finish CDL training in just 4 weeks.
  • Equipment: The right equipment makes a difference. You don’t want to be learning to drive on broken-down trucks, or on old trucks that won’t prepare you properly to use newer technology. Look for a school using recent models for its CDL training.

How to Pay for Washington CDL Training

For a Class A CDL, most training programs are going to cost about $4,500-$6,000. This is a worthwhile investment for a trucking career, but it can still be a significant financial obstacle. Luckily, there are some options available to help cover the cost of CDL training:

  • Scholarships: Washington trucking students are eligible to apply for scholarships that will cover part of your tuition. At Washington Trucking School, we can help you find and apply for a scholarship you qualify for.
  • Personal Loans: Some CDL students choose to take out personal loans to cover the cost of their CDL training. At Washington Trucking School, we partner with a number of financial institutions, and can help you to find a loan with a low interest rate.
  • Tuition Reimbursement: A number of trucking companies will reimburse you for your CDL tuition in return for signing a contract agreeing to work for them for a certain amount of time. At Washington Trucking School, we do not use a contract model ourselves, but we can connect you with companies that offer tuition reimbursement. We advise you to compare the salary you would make on one of these contracts to the average salary of truck drivers in Washington. Often, your income on one of these contracts will be lower, and you may actually pay less than the salary cut by taking out a personal loan instead.

Washington Trucking School

If you’re planning to earn your CDL, we would love to teach you at Washington Trucking School. We offer classes in Class A, Class B, and passenger and HAZMAT endorsements.  Our students often praise the quality of our teachers, the close attention they get in class, and how well-prepared they felt after finishing our program. We’d love to have you join the ranks of successful truck drivers coming out of our school.