Home › Texas › CDL & Truck Driving schools
CDL & Truck Driving Schools in Texas
11 schools in Texas offer CDL & truck driving-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 60 registered apprenticeship programs in Texas train CDL & truck driving apprentices — see apprenticeships.
Occupation pay is what working CDL & truck driving professionals in Texas earn (all experience levels) — school "earnings" figures above are medians for each school's recent federally-aided students across all its programs, which read lower.
CDL & Truck Driving licensing in Texas: State license required
Texas requires a state-issued Commercial Driver License from the Department of Public Safety to drive vehicles over 26,001 lbs GVWR. First-time Class A/B applicants must complete federal Entry-Level Driver Training through an FMCSA-registered provider, hold a commercial learner permit at least 14 days, pass a DOT medical exam, and pass both knowledge and 3-part skills tests. Paid carrier-sponsored training programs can satisfy the training requirement instead of a private CDL school.
Official source: Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) — Driver License Division · Exam: CDL knowledge test(s) for the CLP plus a 3-part skills test (vehicle inspection, basic control, road test) administered by DPS; knowledge exams administered in English only effective June 1, 2026 · Typical requirement: Valid Texas driver license; age 18 for intrastate, 21 for interstate; DOT medical certificate; commercial learner permit (CLP) held at least 14 days; FMCSA Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) from a Training Provider Registry school for first-time Class A/B (proficiency-based, no federal minimum hours; typical school programs run 160-240 hours over 4-8 weeks)
Official license records related to CDL & truck driving in Texas
From the U.S. Department of Labor's License Finder — these may include contractor, specialty, or related licenses beyond entry-level requirements:
- TOW TRUCK OPERATOR — Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
- DRIVER EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR — Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
- Racing -- Maintenance — Texas Racing Commission
Wage and license data provided by CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) and Minnesota DEED.
Schools, ranked by earnings per tuition dollar
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amarillo College | Amarillo | public | $4,600 | 35.8% | $41,302 |
| Lee College | Baytown | public | $6,879 | 54.5% | $42,178 |
| CET-El Paso | El Paso | private nonprofit | $15,578 | 60% | $32,986 |
| South Texas Vocational Technical Institute-Brownsville | Brownsville | private for-profit | $16,277 | 79% | $31,102 |
| South Texas Vocational Technical Institute-Weslaco | Weslaco | private for-profit | $17,925 | 79.2% | $31,102 |
| Miller-Motte College-STVT-McAllen | McAllen | private for-profit | $20,008 | 80.5% | $31,102 |
| Miller-Motte College-STVT-San Antonio | San Antonio | private for-profit | $20,077 | 69.6% | $31,102 |
| Miller-Motte College-STVT-Corpus Christi | Corpus Christi | private for-profit | $20,477 | 70.9% | $31,102 |
| Miller-Motte College-STVT-Arlington | Arlington | private for-profit | $22,520 | 75.8% | $31,102 |
| Western Technical College | El Paso | private for-profit | not reported | 67.9% | $36,156 |
| M T Training Center | Desoto | private for-profit | $11,362 | 79.9% | not reported |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Figures are institution-wide federal medians for each school as a whole — not CDL & truck driving graduates specifically. Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
Aid deadlines for CDL & truck driving programs in Texas
Federal and state aid programs have windows and deadlines. Get them for your trade and state, plus program matches.
We may share your info with matched school and program partners so they can contact you about enrollment. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy & editorial policy.