DriveForMoney.comDriveForMoney.com

Home › CDL training › Wisconsin

CDL training in Wisconsin

Free and low-cost CDL training in Wisconsin

Public colleges with CDL programs, grants that can pay your tuition, and companies that will train you for free, with the official Wisconsin links you need.

Minimum age18 to drive within Wisconsin; 21 to cross state lines or haul hazmat
Licensing agencyWisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles
Study guideOfficial Wisconsin CDL manual
Grant-approved schoolsWIOA training provider list
Find a job centerWisconsin job centers
Diesel this week$6.402/gal (Midwest average)

Public colleges and career centers with CDL training

These 6 public programs were checked on their own websites. Prices and schedules change, so confirm before you apply.

Fox Valley Technical College

Appleton, WI
Class A8 credits; starts about every four weeksAbout $1,900 tuition and fees plus $555 materials

Also Chilton, Clintonville, Wautoma; not financial aid eligible.

Program page ↗

Northcentral Technical College

Merrill, WI
Class A9 creditsAbout $2,366

CDL Training Center; flexible 'Drive Your Way' format; Class B certificate also offered.

Program page ↗

Chippewa Valley Technical College

Eau Claire, WI
Class A,B12 weeks or less; 8 credits$2,278 estimated ($1,994 tuition + $284 materials)

CDL permit needed before day one; starts June, August, January.

Program page ↗

Lakeshore College

Cleveland, WI
Class AOne 8-week term (9 credits)$2,505 total

Not federal aid eligible but on Wisconsin's ETPL for WIOA funding.

Program page ↗

Gateway Technical College

Kenosha, WI
Class A360 hours, about two months (10 credits)$2,560 ($2,453 tuition/fees + $107 books)

Horizon Center for Transportation Technology; program acceptance required.

Program page ↗

Moraine Park Technical College

Horicon, WI
Class A12 weeks (9 credits)

Held at Horicon Regional Center; not financial aid eligible.

Program page ↗

Ways to get your CDL paid for

  1. WIOA grant. Visit a local American Job Center and ask about WIOA training funds. If you qualify (often people who are unemployed, laid off or on a low income), the grant can cover tuition at a school on the state’s approved training provider list.
  2. Company-paid training. The carriers below train new drivers. You usually agree to drive for them for 6 to 12 months, and may owe part of the cost if you leave early.
  3. Paid Class B training. School districts, transit agencies and bus companies in Wisconsin often pay you while you train.
  4. GI Bill. Veterans can use GI Bill benefits for approved non-college programs, including truck driving school.

Trucking companies that train new drivers

Swift TransportationCompany CDL training available (work commitment required) · Nationwide; terminals in most statesSchneider NationalTuition reimbursement for CDL school · Nationwide (HQ Green Bay, WI)Prime Inc.CDL training paid back through a work commitment · Nationwide (HQ Springfield, MO)Werner EnterprisesPartners with CDL schools · Nationwide (HQ Omaha, NE)J.B. HuntDriver academy in some areas · Nationwide (HQ Lowell, AR)Roehl TransportPaid CDL training with commitment · Midwest, Southeast, Northeast (HQ Marshfield, WI)Old Dominion Freight Line$0 · Nationwide service centers (HQ Thomasville, NC)Estes Express Lines$0; school available to employees · Nationwide (HQ Richmond, VA)FedEx Freight$0 · NationwideSaia$0 · Nationwide, growing fast (HQ Johns Creek, GA)Stevens TransportSponsored training with commitment · Nationwide (HQ Dallas, TX)TMC Transportation$0 · Nationwide (HQ Des Moines, IA)C.R. EnglandCDL school cost repaid through employment · Nationwide (HQ Salt Lake City, UT)CRSTTraining ($3,000–$7,000) paid by CRST with a 6–12 month commitment · Nationwide (HQ Cedar Rapids, IA)Averitt Express$0; paid training · Southeast and South Central (HQ Cookeville, TN)Maverick Transportation$0; paid orientation · Nationwide (HQ North Little Rock, AR)XPO$0; earn-while-you-learn school · NationwideABF Freight (ArcBest)$0 · Nationwide (HQ Fort Smith, AR)

Local jobs that train you for a CDL

Foodservice Delivery$0 · NationwideBeverage Route Driver$0 · NationwideSchool Bus Driver$0; training usually paid · Every school districtCity Transit Bus Operator$0; paid training · Cities with public transitZūm$0; CDL training usually paid · School districts in CA, WA, IL, TX, NE and other states

Trucking companies based in Wisconsin

Questions about getting a CDL in Wisconsin

Can I get a CDL at 18 in Wisconsin?

Yes. Wisconsin lets you hold a CDL at 18, but until you turn 21 you can only drive within the state and can’t haul hazardous materials. Many local jobs, like beverage and construction routes, hire 18 to 20 year olds.

Is there free CDL training in Wisconsin?

Often, yes. If you qualify, a WIOA grant from your local American Job Center can pay tuition at an approved school. Several trucking companies also train new drivers for free in exchange for a work commitment, and many school districts and transit agencies pay you while you train for a Class B.

How much does CDL school cost in Wisconsin?

Public programs listed above show prices from About $1,900 tuition and fees plus $555 materials, About $2,366, $2,278 estimated ($1,994 tuition + $284 materials), $2,505 total. Ask about books, testing fees and the DOT physical, which may not be included.

How long does it take to get a CDL?

Most full-time Class A programs take 3 to 8 weeks. You also need a DOT medical card and a learner’s permit before behind-the-wheel training, and a skills test at the end.

Before you enroll: make sure the school is listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry. Since 2022, first-time Class A and B drivers must finish Entry-Level Driver Training with a registered provider before taking the skills test.
See Wisconsin on the driver map

Fuel prices, CDL schools, freight corridors and carriers near you.

Open the map

Sources: official Wisconsin licensing and workforce pages linked above, each school’s own program page, FMCSA, and EIA fuel prices (week of Nov 2, 2026). Checked Nov 9, 2026. Programs, prices and dates change, so confirm with the school before you apply.

Your privacy choices

Choose how this site may use cookies and similar technology. Your choice is saved in this browser only, and you can change it any time from the “Cookie settings” link at the bottom of every page.

Strictly necessary

Remembers your settings, like light or dark theme, companies you picked to compare and these privacy choices. Stored only in your browser; never sold.

Always on

Lets Google and its partners use cookies to show you ads based on your interests and your visits to this and other websites. Turning this off is your request to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information and targeted advertising under U.S. state privacy laws. You’ll still see ads, but they’ll be less relevant.

Affiliate links

Some “Apply” and product links are affiliate links. When you click one, that company or its affiliate network may set a cookie to credit us with a referral. We don’t set these cookies ourselves, and they don’t change what you pay. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Info only

More detail: Privacy policy · Your state privacy rights · How we make money