How long does a cdl course take

Are you wondering how long does it take to get your CDL? Depending on the school you choose, it can be done in as little as four weeks. Those who choose to attend school part-time will find that it takes about twice that long. Of course, the length of time you need will vary based on your selected school.

What to Expect from CDL Training

If you’re searching for “how long does it take to get your CDL,” you might also wonder what training involves. It provides essential skills that can be used as a professional truck driver. A few of the items that might be included during training include:

  • Backing up
  • Basic control
  • Dashboard configuration
  • Inspections
  • Operation at night
  • Shifting
  • Truck maintenance
  • Post-crash procedures

By the time you complete the process, you’ll be comfortable behind the wheel of a commercial truck and ready to move into a rewarding career where you spend time on the road.

How Long Does It Take to Get Your CDL?

When you attend a professional driving school, getting your CDL doesn’t take an extreme amount of time. In some cases, it can be done in only 160 hours across a few weeks. You can also choose schools with weekend or night classes that work around your schedule.

Part of the process involves classroom time, where you will learn the basics before you touch the steering wheel. Once that’s complete, you’ll do supervised driving so you can get comfortable and learn how to handle different situations and conditions on the road.

The best schools will include testing in the program. The schools that do not can add time to the process of getting a CDL since you’ll need to go elsewhere for testing. No matter when you can take classes, getting your CDL doesn’t take long and can totally change your future.

The CDL School offers classroom time and a driving practicing course. Getting hands-on experience is very necessary in the path to getting your CDL. CDL school offers guidance from the very beginning of the process until the end. Step-by-step we ensure that you understand the whole process, and ensure that you never are confused as to what to do next.

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Right now, a lot of people are considering changes of career – and that means it might be the right time for you to take the plunge and attend an Ontario trucking school.  You could have a new career in well less than a year, often just in a few months.  It’s one of the most effective ways to jump into a new – and very lucrative – career.

So how long does it take to attend a trucking school in Ontario?  Let’s take a look at that, and how to best manage your time there.

I. The Legal Training Requirements To Become A Truck Driver In Ontario

Truck driving and Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) are regulated by the government, and those regulations dictate most of the time it takes to get trained at a trucking school.

As of 2022, you are required to have a total of 103.5 hours of training before you’re allowed to receive a Class 1 license, which allows you to operate trucks of any legal size and weight.  This breaks down to:

  • 36.5 hours in the classroom
  • 17 hours in the yard (practicing outside of roadways)
  • 50 hours in-cab training behind the wheel, with an instructor

In addition, you’ll also need to pick up an endorsement for air brakes, which gives you the Class 1/A license.  This is necessary because most trucks utilize air brakes, so merely having a Class 1 license isn’t enough to become a professional truck driver.

Fortunately, this endorsement is easy: 6.5 hours in the classroom and 2 in the yard.  You could theoretically get the training done in a single day, although it’s usually broken up into 2 or 3 days.

These numbers vary slightly between the different Canadian provinces, but not by much.  Wherever you go, you’ll be looking at more than 100 hours of training in any case.

II. How Much Time Is Required For An Ontario Trucking School

So, those are the government-mandated minimums.  What does this look like in terms of real-world timeframes?

Well, if you have the time and the financial stability to devote yourself to training full-time, you could have your Class 1/A CDL in only 6-7 weeks – less than two months.  This, of course, requires you to be able to fully pay your own way while you aren’t working, and dedicate yourself to training 6-8 hours a day, likely 5 days a week.

This is a somewhat exhausting way to get your CDL, but if you need a new job in a hurry, it could be an option.

In many cases, you’ll also be living at a dormitory at your truck-driving school – but this is a good thing, in a way.  The very best Ontario trucking schools have their dedicated facilities, such as simulated work sites, allowing you to get hands-on training in a safe and controlled environment.

This isn’t true for most CDL classes within the city itself, which have no room for such facilities.

On the other hand, if you need to work and can only attend classes part-time, you’ll be looking at a longer timeframe to graduate.  3-6 months is typical in this case, although it will vary simply depending on your own ability to get the training done.

In any case, you should be able to complete your training in well under a year – and that’s fantastic considering how most other high-paying fields require years of training and huge school debt to complete.

III. Making Best Use Of Your Training Time

Whenever attending training for any field, you will ultimately determine how effectively the time is used.  Here are a few tips.

1 – Get your affairs in order

If you’re thinking about doing the 2-month crash course, it will be your sole focus for those months.  You’ll have very little time for anything besides eating, sleeping, and training.  You’ll need to have all your other affairs wrapped up, such as arranging for your bills to be paid, so you aren’t distracted.

2 – Commit to learning

Driving a truck is no joke.  You’ll be in charge of a massive, heavy machine that could be incredibly deadly if something goes wrong.  Paying attention in class won’t just help you get your license more quickly; it will save lives – potentially including your own.

3 – Get all the hands-on experience you can

More behind-the-wheel time means better job offers.  Period.  The numbers listed above are the governmental minimums, but nothing stops you from getting in more training time while you have the opportunity.  If you only do the minimum, you may be outclassed by the people who’ve gone above and beyond.

Learn from The Leading Trucking School

5th Wheel Training Institute is one of the premier trucking schools in Ontario, with a highly experienced faculty, and extensive training facilities.  Shipping companies across the continent come to us for new drivers!

Click here to learn more.

How long are most CDL classes?

3-6 weeks. With different schools, your CDL-A training can last anywhere between 3-7 weeks. Instead of most training that take several months or years to complete, you can choose to take the CDL-A training in as little as 3 weeks.

How long does it take to get a CDL in Utah?

Testing for your Utah CDL: Once the general written knowledge test is passed a commercial learner permit (CLP) will be issued for six (6) months. A combination test is only taken by those applying for a class A CDL.

How long does it take to get CDL in NC?

North Carolina issues commercial learner permits and licenses from a central location and mails them to applicants within 20 days.

How long is CDL school in Alabama?

The Commercial Truck Driver Training Program is a 6-week non-credit course that gives individuals an approach to understanding and applying practical guidelines to the laws related to driving a commercial truck.