How much you guys pay for your CDL?

I read a reddit post that was years old about some dude’s grandpa getting his for free through the Michigan DoL. I figured what the hell and tried the Georgia DoL. Got my CDL school for free. Shitty school, but I’m writing this from my sleeper, so…

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LadyTrucker23@reddit

$280. That was in 1996 through the local community college. I think the permit was $10-20 and the license was something like $40. And I received 3 college credits for an elective.

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saywhat181@reddit

Got with a company that paid for my schooling. That was about 4k. I had to pay for all the testing, and certifications. Maybe $200 out of pocket if I remember correctly.

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Ghostxteriors@reddit

A year at fucking Prime, then $1500 and a week of "training" to get the manual restriction removed.

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OkeyDokey84@reddit

I worked for a mom and pops spot $600.00 total

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Blue_Velour@reddit

Man we re getting ripped off here in canada, i just signed up for my course and its $11 300 CAD almost $8000 USD.

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MikeV2@reddit

Canada here too. My course 12 years ago was $9000 CND. That was at Ontario Truck Driving School. It was a great course though. They even sent us to Michigan to take a skid school class and learn how to handle slippery conditions and jackknife.

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VigilantThinker@reddit

What school?

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MikeV2@reddit

It’s literally called Ontario Truck Driving School OTDSbin southern Ontario.

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highlyelevated_207@reddit

That’s about how much it is here in Maine - $7,800

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Schmolan1@reddit

what the fuuuck, thats awful

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SalesAndMarketing202@reddit

Instructor wasn't even old enough to drive across state lines, lol

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felixthecat59@reddit

My schooling was sponsored by PAM Transport. You signed a 1 year contract, and at the end of that year, you would actually get some money back. In my case, school costs $5500, and I received $1950 back. But that was in 2006 dollars.

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legendarygarlicfarm@reddit

Paid $600/week in April 2020 to get it through my unemployment office. Got the WIOA grant

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C10Savage@reddit

$5,000 - 2024. 10 speed international 48 van.

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LordChaoticX@reddit

Virginia has a program through community colleges that lets you get it for free, I qualified and got mine through Lord Fairfax

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illinois379@reddit

4200 2023

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CJCONTRERAS2021@reddit

$0 paid in full by "Pima 1 Stop" county grant program in Tucson AZ. FEB 2021. 4 to 6 WK Program thru a private local school. Included all endorsements including hazmat. Most of the 30 student class went through same grant program . Without grant he out of pocket cost wouldve been $6,500 without dbls, triples, tanker, hazmat.

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badmechanic12345@reddit

$0. I went to work for a small company and drove for two months before I got my cdl. But this was 20 years ago and I didn't require a school to get my cdl

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kane_eightee@reddit

Maybe $50 at the DMV? If even that. Got my permit from the DMV, got my hours on a dedicated run with one of my contractors, took my skills and driving test at the weigh station with a state trooper doing the evaluation.

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lordyarom@reddit

I got mine for free, went through a job training center, and they got me grants and things and paid the school directly. They also gave me cash for gas money because the school was kind of far from home.

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lordyarom@reddit

2023 is the year I got mine.

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CodeWalkerrr@reddit

Didn’t pay a single cent. Applied for a WIOA grant and even got a check for $4,000 after completing trucking school. Not a single lie told

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jacklisterr@reddit

$5250, 6 weeks, Commuinity College CDL School. Honestly loved it, they weren’t there just to put you through and get you out. Had a great group, kinda miss it.

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kenny710@reddit

I paid $5500 for a 1 month course at fleetforce. I think it was well worth it. We did a week in the classroom learning HOS, learned how to use paper logs, and how to use an atlas. And then we spent three weeks on the test course learning pre-trip, coupling, and straight line, offset and 90° backing, along with driving on the road. It was worth it for all the backing practice alone. I rarely have a problem getting into even some of the tightest spaces now.

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Note69@reddit

Went to a community college/Trade school. Signed up for a grant, didn't pay anything. After I got my cdl, they didn't use all of the grant and they sent me 400 bucks cause that was what was left over.

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Kan-ka@reddit

I worked for Amazon so I got everything for free Amazon paid for my cdl school

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oldtrucker301@reddit

$15 back in 1979 but back then it was a Class A Chauffeur license.

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TruckeronI5@reddit

I paid for my dmv written, background check, medical. Company gave me free in the truck training. They only asked that I did one full season work for them. 3 months.

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Lopsided-Walk-7743@reddit

god damn tomato haulers. I dreaded being stuck behind one of those trucks on the I5 lol because tomato haulers run in packs it felt like!

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TruckeronI5@reddit

I dont like being behind one ither, even when I am driving one.

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Chris018571@reddit

200$ that was for the drug test/screening , Amazon is paying for my cdl so just the outa pocket is 200$ , but if i went full solo of pocket cost is 5,500 here in TX if i went solo . Thanks Amazon

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Lopsided-Walk-7743@reddit

I paid like 300 bucks for the road exam, and pretrip test at a rundown place that hands out CDLs like candy.

That place had me nervous as fuck lol. They had a tier system. Its like 300 to take the pretrip, parking and road test. If you fail the pretrip you have to pay 300 bucks to take it again, if you fail at the parking test you have to pay 150 bucks and get to start there next time and if you failed the road test it was the same deal but like 100 dollars or something.

I was told by a lot of people that people get three tries usually before they have to cough up more dough, but it was whatever. Glad I got out of there in 1 payment lol.

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Ok-Goat8795@reddit

$4800 for the manual(Auto was like $1k cheaper)and included all the testing paid for, they even booked your appointment at the DPS. This was August 2023 and took 3 weeks. Passes everything first try

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kerncountycowboy@reddit

I got my cdl through Halliburton. They paid for everything only thing I paid was the permit but I was reimbursed. Most people left after they got it but I stayed for a year just to get experience

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A-A-Ron----Here@reddit

My company reimbursed me for everything once I got it since it was part of their requirements when I moved into management.

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Sin_Prodder81@reddit

My out-of-pocket was around $1,000 about 10 years ago here in South Central LA, but we had practiced on old equipment that broke down a lot.

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Maelifa@reddit

Signed a 2 year contract to get it through Yellow for free. They paid me 1400 a week while studying. A week after I passed my driving test they went bankrupt. Great Success

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jshkohler@reddit

You became one lucky SOB 🤣🤣🤣

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ForwardRanger3317@reddit

We had a contract with them for there tires and as soon as they went bankrupt we kept everything 🤣

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Playful-Excuse-272@reddit

That’s a blessing

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ReceptionMuch3790@reddit

They're a bunch of scammers at that school.

I played them and stayed over a year got a ton of practise and my money's worth and I'm better off for it than others who just did the course in the time they gave. 👍🏽

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americandoom@reddit

$8700 and got my license jan 2024. Grossed $92k my first year. Money well spent

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Initial-Relation-696@reddit

4500 in 2006. Idaho falls tech school

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BLVNK22@reddit

Worked for Amazon warehouse, they paid to send me to 160 driving academy and I left probably 3 weeks after acquiring my CDL and didn’t have to pay them back or anything

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CanuckInATruck@reddit

10 years ago, was paid for through an employment assistance program.

For the 8 week, 400 hour course, with skid school, it was 10 000 beaver bucks.

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MarionberryNervous19@reddit

Worked for Coca-Cola. They paid everything, and trained me so I was paid while learning. Left 2 months after I got my cdl. No contract.

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mrtrollingtin@reddit

I got mine through ups, I am coverage so driving when I can. I hear it’s a black stain on my record to leave the place that trained me, is this true or was it easy to find work after?

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Visual-Ad-6396@reddit

Leaving ups would be about the dumbest thing possible to do

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Oramoslopez@reddit

I was terminated by Prime Inc. because they assigned me 2 trainers that were complete as*holes and thought they could talk to me any old way, and I'm not that guy. By the way, Prime lied and said I quit to unemployment, so if you are fired, make sure you get it in writing . Anyway, I was hired by the first place I applied for as a solo driver, but their truck kept breaking down and I wasn't getting the work I needed $. The first place I applied to after that (thru craigslist) has been my current job for almost 3 years now, Local, 3 days on, 4 off and I still make more $ a week than either Prime or the other job and I'm home everyday. Look up and see if there's an Amazon AFP in your area, the money isn't stupendous, but pays the bills and you can get some experience and a life. I am currently planning on partnering with a friend of mine to haul loads for a brokerage that pays load percentages in the Pacific Northwest, private truck, paid for, no cameras or bs, and a 100k guarantee. None of this would be possible today without kissing a few frogs and getting a few years of experience. So don't be afraid to jump when things aren't what you think they should be

IMHO, my 2 pennies...

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balancedchaos@reddit

I mean...you're gonna leave UPS? Probably worth sticking it out if you can.

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DW_TheTruckDriver843@reddit

Facts, that was 1st job when I got my CDL in 2020! (Box Truck so no CDL was required) but I wish I stayed and worked my way up the seniority list to get the CDL A position 😣😣 one of my biggest regrets.

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balancedchaos@reddit

Brother, the money I'm making between them and the stock market is absolutely life-changing.

Not to brag, just to tell the original poster to hang in there if he can.

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BubblySmell4079@reddit

I've been at UPS 30 years. They paid for my CDL 8 years ago.

All you owed UPS was 3 years or you would have to pay them back for the school. Generally, no one leaves UPS after getting the CDL because UPS is the top company to work for. We have had one feeder driver fired and he was able to use his CDL for another company, Companies care about experience behind the wheel and your driving record. They couldn't care less who trained you.

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tonythebutcher13@reddit

How did he get fired? I figured it was pretty hard for you guys to get canned. I'd love to be a feeder I'm linehaul ltl now and the money's good but I could always use more.

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BubblySmell4079@reddit

Fascinating story

Tore top of tractor off in car wash when he hit wrong button then tried reversing out of it.
Ripped front quarter panel of new tractor when he drove into a chassis in the rail yard. Lied about it saying he was avoiding a deer. Railyard gave UPS video.
While on suspension, he was fueling package cars and t-boned a shifter going to the fuel pumps.

Easy termination after all that happened in 4 months

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tonythebutcher13@reddit

Holy shit I'm actually impressed 👏

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_FearMose_@reddit

I thought UPS was one of the best trucking companies because union & pension ? Why would you leave

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MarionberryNervous19@reddit

No one cared, or even knew they were who trained me.

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West_Masterpiece9423@reddit

Same for me at Pepsi in the early 2000s. Had to merch for about a year first though.

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chris_gnarley@reddit

How long ago was that?

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MarionberryNervous19@reddit

2021

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Genericsoda4@reddit

Haha, I did the same through their arch rival Pepsi

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robbdogg87@reddit

Did the same with 7up but they had a 1 year contract. Was super easy though and wish I never left

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Passion-Interesting@reddit

I went to school with a guy that Cola Cola paid for his license. A few weeks after he got his license he bounced and went and found a better paying gig.

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tdfitz89@reddit

That’s amazing.

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bigmac22077@reddit

I worked for a school discrete driving busses. They paid me to train and paid for my cdl. I think I paid $50 for my permit.

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Not_TbagJimmy@reddit

Same here, except I stayed another 18 years after I received it. 2 week crash course in the parking lot.

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Sw33tcheeks427@reddit

Holy shit that’s nice! Is that company wide? An old coworker of mine got his CDL thru the company we worked for, he was supposed to sign a 2 year contract. They pushed him thru CDL schooling and forgot to get him to sign the contract. After he completed he refused to sign so they fired him. We all had a good laugh about it.

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MarionberryNervous19@reddit

Lol that's halarious. Yeah it was and is company wide. Swire coca cola in wilsonville OR. Not a bag local gig honestly, just found something better.

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Visual-Ad-6396@reddit

Indian money or US dolluuur?

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WestCoastRadiation@reddit

Free, the Canadian government covered all my costs.

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Chad_Tachanka@reddit

If it makes anyone feel better I paid like 6K for mine the day I turned 21. Was absolutely taken advantage of but I've been doing very well since

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skeletons_asshole@reddit

$5900 from a school in central TX a year ago. More if you finance, I didn’t. They were the cheapest locally by far

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Moist_Position_9462@reddit

A lot of companies are “paying” it for people that go under a contract of sorts. However many people I went to school with were saying 7k with interest.

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WillBilly_Thehic@reddit

State paid for mine due to covid/me being unemployed because of an injury

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IllAssumption9484@reddit

Went to the DMV in 1994 and took the written test, came back the next day done the pre trip and driving test ( Texas ) cost was like 30 dollars I think. No driving school taken.

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Fox_Tango_@reddit

$4,750 at my local community college. 8 week course, night classes.

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chris_gnarley@reddit

Why did it take 8 weeks for you? Were you doing less than 40 hours of instruction per week?

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jserpette95@reddit

It's 8 weeks because it's 4 hours a night instead of the usual 8/day. It gives students more flexibility to work during the day or on 3rds and still have an income while in school.

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Fox_Tango_@reddit

This is exactly correct. I switched to 3rd shift at my current employer so that I could attend trucking school while still being able to have an income.

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chris_gnarley@reddit

Nice. Thanks for the info. I have a buddy I’m trying to help get his CDL

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jserpette95@reddit

I'd recommend he looks at local programs if he doesn't want to go to a mega and sign a contract. Make sure he picks one with a good reputation, our program has a great rep which gets us some perks at the DMV and some companies know we put out great drivers so they are more likely to get hired.

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jserpette95@reddit

How's it been going?

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bill_cactus@reddit

Matc? Sounds very similar to my schooling lmao

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Fox_Tango_@reddit

ICC, Illinois Central College.

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bill_cactus@reddit

Close lol very similar situation over in Milwaukee

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MysteriousManager446@reddit

Damn i feel like i got ripped. Mine was like 5k plus i had to pay for the testing and everything, so all in it was probably 5,500

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KingNebyula@reddit

I paid 7k for mine if that makes you feel any better

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romeoo_must_lie@reddit

I paid 12k for mine if that makes you feel any better.

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joelhagraphy@reddit

I paid 4500 if it makes you feel any worse..

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Imightbeacop@reddit

Army paid for mine and wrote me a 1k check for attending "school" to one up you all.

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joelhagraphy@reddit

Dayum that's what's up

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robs104@reddit

How is that even possible? Did you stay an entire year? Was the course done in the Swiss Alps or something?

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romeoo_must_lie@reddit

Lolz no man, I went to Humber (Canada) they are the most expensive one in Ontario. And as former student I highly recommended them.

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CoilOfDuty@reddit

Eh, there's always a big reporting bias on these threads. The majority of drivers paid for their own. People just love telling everyone how theirs was free with no strings attached. 5500 all-in isn't that bad from what I've seen. A lot of european drivers pay more than that (7k eur isn't unheard of) for their equivilant of class A and make less then you guys. The cost is worth it in the long run imo. Having a job you enjoy (some days even love) is invaluable.

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Specific_Previous@reddit

I just did the written portion and the company I worked for rented a new tractor for me to test in and covered the all the cost. I failed the first one as it was my first time ever in a tractor trailer but then the company rented it again the following week and I passed. The tester told me I needed to practice some more so I have been driving for nearly 20 years and I still learn new stuff all the time. If that makes you feel worse I am sorry and I have mixed feelings about the new requirements to get a CDL. I would agree that the way I got my license was certainly not ideal but it really came down to skill which I think should be the focus more than anything. When I worked in the oil field it was weekly that I was bailing out no skill having drivers even as far as driving a couple of guys equipment because they simply could not. Sorry my advanced age just made me ramble on about nothing. Be safe out there and find a great job that turns that heavy expense you made into an incredible investment. I am so grateful for all my license has provided my family and I would pay top dollar for the license especially if it came with great training as I have had to learn alot on my own.

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Grand-Error-8500@reddit

1200 last year at local community college

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SuspiciousLaw1503@reddit

I payed 3200ish $... if it makes you feel any worser...

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Particular-Sky-3427@reddit

Nothing. Was grandfathered in, in 1992. Had a chauffeurs endorsement, before that

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Charlie_Hustler@reddit

Got mine for free through insurance, lol

Some guy was playing on his phone and rear-ended me hard. Insurance totaled my car and paid out $8k. I used $2k to repair the car myself and get the rebuilt title, and I spent $4k on CDL school and pocketed the rest of the money. My CDL came free basically 😅

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oic38122@reddit

I paid $40 for a book and the state pay for everything else

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Thaddeus34@reddit

How

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oic38122@reddit

In Tennessee, you can go to a local community college in between the lottery scholarship and state grants. It’s free.

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j0e_kinney@reddit

I paid zero. Just learned from some old heads with a permit, took the tests and was on my way... 2014

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Tmac-845@reddit

Whatever the dmv cost. No school. Dad and uncles taught me when I was young. 2005

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mothfukle@reddit

I got mine for free, except for DMV cost. They used to have programs back in the early 2000s. I just signed up and went after work for a few weeks. I just did it because my buddy at the time convinced me too.

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CakewalkNOLA@reddit

Originally, in 1996, Builders Transport paid for mine. This past year, after taking 4 years off, LA made me go back through driving school. $7000

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Expensive_Middle8271@reddit

Free, 252 hour program at a community College.

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Thaddeus34@reddit

How was it free

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BedAdministrative619@reddit

$0 for school, full price for the dmv to issue the license. My state paid the rest. This was in 2022.

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RKK-Crimsonjade@reddit

I think it was $750 in 1993 but I know I paid it off when I got a new job in 1995

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Ricemunchr@reddit

just passed my cdl yesterday paid 2300 not including the dmv stuff. i’m based in socal and 2300 is cheap compared to other nearby schools who charge 4000+ took me awhile but license guaranteed only went mostly once a week.

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geraldlaflare@reddit

Sounds like mine ahahah. I passed on the 3rd attempt couldn’t off set back up still can’t lol. Paid 2500

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Buttered_bASS_playa@reddit

3200$ 4 week school plus the exam week

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avm95@reddit

1,800

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PhotonVideo@reddit

$125CAD worked on the dock at Canadian Freightways at the time. Was looking to transfer to a terminal where the drivers did the dock work (small city). I practiced driving in the yard, but had to pay for the airbrake course myself.

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VezhXV@reddit

Nothing. Went through a community college and they have grants for it.

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BigSchmitty@reddit

I used the GI bill. Costed $9800. November 2023. This was 2 weeks online and 2 weeks in person. It included 2 weeks in a hotel. The school was pretty old with really old equipment, it was backed by Transforce. There wasn’t much instruction, just direction on “turn the wheel this way until the tire reaches this point. Then turn it the other way” kind of stuff. Most of it was trial and error for the students. We learned from each other. 4 trucks and 21 students. We had to wait in line to get behind the wheel. The online portion had a nice testing simulator though. As with most of us, the school was geared towards passing the exam, not towards practical driving. Passed everything first time. Also, passed HAZMAT, Tanker, and dbl/trpl on the first try. No restrictions.

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pnutbutta4me@reddit

Company trained for Class B with 3 endorsements. $146 total for the permit, skills/road/vsi test, and then license in 2004. Pretty cheap considering what truck school cost these days!

Watched a coworker go thru truck school training for Class B. He was lumped in the the As for a large portion of training and the cost was like most are saying, $2k and up. Pretty sure this school charges the same with the exception for endorsements.

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glassboxghost@reddit

$3600 2024

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Prune-These@reddit

You pay with your soul. :)

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_Butch3r-@reddit

Free. Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) that the Biden administration put in place. If you were laid off (I was during the pandemic), there's a grant that covers the entire cost of school. It has programs for things like nursing and aviation mechanic apprentice, too.

Had I paid for it, it would have cost $5,600 out-of-pocket (other than medical exam and travel to + from school costs).

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ursisterstoy@reddit

Girlfriend paid like $5k or some crap for the training but then I had no restrictions and I was One and Done on the test. One of the teachers hated my driving and the other said I was one of the best drivers they had. Wound up going to Roehl as my starting company and because I already had my CDL I skipped phase 1 of their GYCDL program but since I had zero actual experience I was with a trainer for about a month and I had to drive 40,000 miles or they’d charge $3000 for the finishing training. They require 120,000 miles or $7000 if you do the full GYCDL program. This was at the end of 2023 (October-November) right after MN switched up the pretrip and skills parts of the DMV tests to basically dumb down the pretrip into obscurity and standardized the control maneuvers. When I started phase 2 training I obviously did have to start doing actual full pretrip inspections because I was actually putting on miles driving but with supervision. In terms of the 40,000 mile requirement I’m over 107,000 miles now so that part I got at no cost. In a bit over 1 more week I’ll have the 12 months driving without supervision experience to start opening up my opportunities to work elsewhere and in maybe 1-1.5 months I’ll even have the 120,000 mile mark hit I don’t actually owe this company due to getting my CDL elsewhere.

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BuriedAbove@reddit

Paid $0. Got mine in December of 2020. They had grants going around to pay for schooling during Covid.

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amazingmaple@reddit

80 dollars for the license.

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Scurvy_Pete@reddit

Like $25 for the permit and maybe $150 for my actual license? Plus $75 for a physical. YouTube was free

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Atari_man_one@reddit

My fiancée got her CDL thru a program at a local community college, all together it was about $5000. Ended up being a total waste of money though we live the greater Cincinnati area and no legitimate company’s will hire her without having at least 1-2 years of experience 😑

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Ill_Release9987@reddit

She has got to go to a mega and get experience before she is able to get the local sweet jobs.

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Ill_Release9987@reddit

My company paid for it . I had to have a permit before getting hired. Touch freight third shift.4 days a week for a month. Then they pushed me to cdl school and paid me $18 an hour for 40 hrs a week and if you wanted you could pick up weekend shifts helping unload freight for overtime pay. Was supposed to have me on the hook for 2 years but they dont pursue charges if you leave reasonably. I left in a month and owe nothing.

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National-Idea-4776@reddit

You can say shit about yellow freight, but they had the best free school. Taught by senior city and line haul drivers. Then you were paired up with a driver and they rode with you for several trips.

I useD to tell people, why waste money on a school? Yellow will do it for free .

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Mistresshell@reddit

$3400 all included but the company paid for it after working for them for 6 months

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brgr94@reddit

I’m going to my local technical college i just accepted a couple days ago. The course is only $2200 and I’m pretty sure the lady said that covers testing as well. Course is 2 months long M- Thurs 8a- 330p. Kinda nervous cuz I’m gonna have to leave my current job and either find some kinda night gig or just pay my bills up for a couple months and hope i can find a decent job before i get foreclosed on and car repossessed 😓 no pressure right? 😮‍💨

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cCueBasE@reddit

Got paid for my B from a school bus company then Pepsi trained me to get my A while getting paid. And can’t fathom paying for cdl school. Especially those janky schools teaching with 28’ trailers and automatic trucks.

Now I’m an instructor at a cdl school that is free to the public.

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MountainRambler395@reddit

Free. Nothing out of pocket. I was young, had minimal experience,stuck working a seasonal county job doing vector control, wasn’t getting interviews for anything full time, so I qualified for an educational grant that covered trucking school.

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jdhunt_24@reddit

i went to school but company i went to work for paid for it. cant remember exactly but seems like it was 6k or so.

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Emergency_Ad1152@reddit

My workforce center paid for everything 🫡. Took less than 2 weeks for the application process.

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SoupyGoopy@reddit

Company paid for mine in return for a 1 year contract (completed 6 months ago, still working there). Would have been $6000 to pay for the program myself.

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diorangel@reddit

2.2k

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Wasatchbl@reddit

I didn't pay anything. Started out in construction as a laborer, asked if I could come in and learn how to drive a dump truck. Then learned belly dumps and flatbeds to haul equipment. Made the jump to LTL doing local delivery and started doing line haul on the weekends.

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Sir_Uncle_Bill@reddit

I offered my life, limbs, and sanity for a gi Bill

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NJPokerJ@reddit

I paid nothing. I got a grant.

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Ill_Court_7467@reddit

1 yr contract with old job

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B-buckleboots@reddit

I paid $2800 for sage cdl school in 2019. Took about 3 weeks start to finish. I learned much more after i got my first job, but it did get me my license and no manual restriction.

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JJJY97@reddit

I paid close to 4k, first school i went to was no good, lessons were only 45 minutes but really 30 minutes, spent another $1800 on another school & got sufficient training enough to pass my test.

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Kasheem21@reddit

A year of my time

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InvadurZim00@reddit

Took you a year?!?

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Kasheem21@reddit

Contract was work a year and the CDL training was free, break it and pay in full. Needed a change fast so I didn’t look around a ton and just went with it

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InvadurZim00@reddit

Ohh ok thank goodness lol

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Nero-Danteson@reddit

'Company paid' CDL training.

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-Mikey2Toes@reddit

$1200 all in including dmv. Johnson County Community College (NC) 355hr, 8 week course. Best trucking school in the State. Been there since 1949

[-]

Lentezdelvalley@reddit

$8,500. Paid 5k for first school & it didn’t work out. Found another school & paid $3,500

[-]

joelhagraphy@reddit

Why did the first school not work out? You failed your test or?

[-]

wavy_moltisanti@reddit

Asking the real questions

[-]

wavy_moltisanti@reddit

2,500 for 30 hrs here in SoCal 2023

[-]

gamergabe85@reddit

$1,500 for me. It was a local company that a friend's dad did. I had some good instructors. Some of the stuff they taught me I still use today.

[-]

ParkerJ1105@reddit

I’m trying to get into trucking and actually need some advice if someone doesn’t mind. Drove box trucks and flatbed as a noncdl for three years and frankly tired of getting underpaid, started the process with PAM but last week was told they couldn’t hire me, nothing on my record so I think they just overcommitted for classes, I got far enough to take a practice cdl and scored 92, 95, and 95 on the three sections, my question is where I already have my dot physical and did well on the practice, should I go take the test to get a permit and try to get picked up by a company after? Any advice would be helpful please

[-]

Accomplished_Toe4892@reddit

0$ I applied for grants and financial aid.

[-]

chocoholic24@reddit

Same. Was $5k but I paid 0, workforce center paid it all cuz I was unemployed

[-]

TomRiddle_ReadSlow@reddit

They said i made to much plus i have no kids

[-]

DarkFather24601@reddit

This is the way..

[-]

Sw33tcheeks427@reddit

What grants if I may ask? I’m currently on unemployment and I want to get my CDL thru a CDL driving school.

[-]

LonleyWolf420@reddit

Go to your states "workforce sevices" they'll be the ones to help you find the pathways you'll need to do that

[-]

Accurate-Click-6367@reddit

This

[-]

Accurate-Click-6367@reddit

I got mine through unemployment, I’m in New Jersey though. The state paid for the whole thing. My county had a kind of career guidance thing, and I had to take a placement test, and then I had to find the school, but they placed me and all I had to do was go and pass the class.

[-]

gaseousogre@reddit

look at technical colleges that offer a cdl program, often times they will off pell grants and other promgrams that the "4 weeks schools" dont. I went to Bates Technical College in Tacoma Wa and got my CDL, its a 6 month course but the extra time made me a more confident and safe driver.

[-]

Mountainear99@reddit

If this helps any, the community college I went to showed me all the grants and what not I could apply for.

[-]

psyk0pengwin@reddit

WIOA Grant is a good one....check out your local workforce center....at be called something different but basically the state run employment help centers. I'm out state you have to register with them if you're on unemployment so you might know they exist but not what they can do.

[-]

NikoRavage@reddit

Same.

One of the (very) few perks of being broke!

[-]

RedimidoSoy1611@reddit (OP)

Nice!

[-]

GoosieRS@reddit

from Quebec Canada. and we have a school thats pushed by the government i guess. You only pay for the school supplies which is 132 dollars. ( small with all the laws and everything to know about the trucks ) Its a 5 month course with like 500h of on the road driving and stuff. Really cool and forms the drivers very well! I didnt even pay the 132 since i was getting paid by my company to do the course.

[-]

JustAGuyTrynaSurvive@reddit

$4500 in 1997

[-]

hunttete00@reddit

exactly free. no schooling required. first time i hopped in a semi was 4 days before my road test.

passed it first try and i still don’t know how to double clutch lmao.

this was 5 months after they changed the law to require schooling. i was grandfathered in since i held my permit before the law went into effect.

[-]

aJaxtheProtector@reddit

The class was 4500 out of pocket, but since it was company paid, it magically became 8000 🤣. One year contract to pay it off . If I stay two years, they pay me back the 8000 the second year. I figured it was a good deal since you have to start with the megas anyways to be insurable.

[-]

aastinaa@reddit

C category in 2017.

I didn't pay.

I only paid the theory test and driving test and it was all about 50 euro.

[-]

mcmain4@reddit

Nothing under CFI. Just had to be with them for a year, then your taken off the hook.

[-]

muxman@reddit

I got my CDL in 1996 and it was free, for me.

I got laid off from my job and the union got a school benefit for us. I went to TDDS school to get my CDL. All it cost me was gas to get to school.

[-]

BiceRidingWorldChamp@reddit

$75 at the license office in 2012. $0 for training.

[-]

DW_TheTruckDriver843@reddit

$5500 in 2020 at the school I went to in Charleston, SC but I got in free through a program we have down here that pays the cost for multiple trades.

[-]

Shootmeemtoohs@reddit

1000$ an old man taught me for about 6 months, I would go Saturdays for like 2-3 hours, he had a 6 speed freightliner hooked up to a flat bed.

[-]

eitsew@reddit

I was broke after when I started cdl school in 2018, I made a low enough amount per year that I qualified for a grant from one of those careersource places. I didn't pay a dime, just had to spend gas money to get to school every day. If I had paid out of pocket it would've been $6500 for a month long course

[-]

yankee_chef@reddit

6k cash Arkansas, if someone financed 6.5k

[-]

ZombieMurker95@reddit

Mine was free thru Amazon Career choice

[-]

denonemc@reddit

Ontario Canada right now 126hour course AZ license (full transport CDL) $10,300CND

[-]

Zealousideal_Wave760@reddit

6500

[-]

Pedizzal@reddit

I know a handful of people who had the unemployment office send them to school for free.

[-]

Kevinbrujo@reddit

$1800 Los Angeles 2019 8 week course

[-]

Pedizzal@reddit

$50 for the written test. $75 to take the driving test in a borrowed truck. Just under $50 to get the hard copy of my CDL. About $275 total in 2010 for class A with tank and doubles/triples endorsements. I spent another couple hundred a few years ago adding hazmat to it.

[-]

Crushed_95@reddit

Free.30 thanks to my Father in 1992. He paid the $16 for the written exam and road test and his best friends(Uncles) purchased my first cans of beer as a congratulations gift.

[-]

TroublingDick8663@reddit

Nothing, army GI bill paid for school and all tests, and im in the apprenticeship program, so they're actually paying me while i'm working..

[-]

Clong92@reddit

I got my CDL through my company I am working for. They reimbursed but it was pretty much a contract. They wouldn’t start the reimbursement till after I got my CDL and endorsement. I had to get my Hazmat and tanker to start driving with them. But they reimbursed me for everything. School, MVD fees, TSA background. They did a payment every 3 months for about 9 months. If I left the company within that time frame, I wouldn’t be reimbursed anymore.

Unfortunately our company was struggling a bit financially around time I got my CDL and I was one of the last people that they offered reimbursement to get your CDL and was approved weeks before they ended it. Luckily they still gave me my reimbursement.

Still work for the company. This was back in 2023. Probably paid around $6,600 after adding everything up.

[-]

Robots_Never_Die@reddit

$0. The state paid for it.

[-]

One_thin_wallet@reddit

Free through community collage program with grant. Plus received 1,000.00 bonus afterwards from corporate sponsors rewarding workforce training. (Virginia/ccwa)

https://ccwatraining.org/our-programs?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAACdNbnSNa6mR74lC02pDdEKzWlz3y&gclid=CjwKCAiAnKi8BhB0EiwA58DA4YueCTP7UhGms1_i—dAUpHC9c7zj4uvzZw9h9GTU1r5zcPDY7H5khoCPMYQAvD_BwE

[-]

croutonmemes@reddit

$5600

[-]

Blackhawk8797@reddit

1979 no school bought a truck and started hauling eggs and hay from our farm. I was 18 at the time. Nothing makes you drive safely knowing that you are hauling a truck full of your families product.

[-]

Mykidsdad35@reddit

25 years ago. 80 dollars plus all endorsements.

[-]

No-Flight5639@reddit

$90, but then I might be dating myself

[-]

kc_stunna@reddit

I paid $4900.00 back in 2021. The school I went to had a finance program. $1000 down & $250 biweekly payments. I finished school before it was paid off, got a job within a month, & paid the remaining balance off asap lol

[-]

clarobert@reddit

About $8 to get what, at the time was called a 'chauffer's license' in my state which was grandfathered into a CDL when they came into existence. I've paid about $30 for all of my endorsements since then ( doubles/triples, tanker, HAZMAT) and pay about $100 every 4 years to renew the background check for TWIC / HAZMAT and renew HAZMAT..

[-]

Squints_a_lot@reddit

I’m old and may not remember correctly… I THINK my two week course was around $6000. I got my CDL in 2000. Damn. I am old. 😞

[-]

blahpblahpblaph@reddit

Less than $300, but I run straight trucks in Ontario, Canada. Wondering if $10k is worth the upgrade at this point.

[-]

Schnots@reddit

$50 (or something like that)for the learners permit from the dmv.

$300 for the testing company. They provided the truck and trailer, and administered the test. It was a six wheel air brake dump truck with an automatic, and a 28’ electric brake trailer. Walked away with an unrestricted class A. Easy peasy. lol

This was 2014 I think.

[-]

Kaethor@reddit

Mine cost me 1 year of my life. $0 though.

[-]

SnipingMirz@reddit

I got paid roughly $6,500 to get mine. Paid $80 for the learners permit and the endorsement test, and then got paid $28 an hour over 6 weeks for training and doing for actual test. FxF reimbursed any other cost past the permit/endorsements.

[-]

CommunicationUpper99@reddit

Amazon paid me to goto cdl school and paid for it.. so I paid negative 3000ish at 28 dollars an hour?

[-]

SOTF777@reddit

50 bucks in 2014 straight out of high school pops had his own trucks so i passed it with our trucks

[-]

loverd84@reddit

I think it was $ 65.00. How ever much they charged for the written and driving tests.

[-]

VikingLander7@reddit

Same here!

[-]

thethumblesswonder@reddit

My total our of pocket was 5200. If I had stayed with CR England for a full year they would have paid for the whole thing but I left after 5 months. School cost was like 11000 total

[-]

RedlineM5@reddit

Worked for the carrier a year to pay it back.

[-]

Vortr8@reddit

800$ on my own

[-]

Dakota_Decker@reddit

Nothing because I did it through the WIOA program. But damn! I've definitely paid for it in the lost wages of all the fucking waiting. I finished my learner's permit in August and they drug their feet so I had to wait until the October class to start the "4 week program" And then our teacher quit so that was delayed. We didn't get full class time when we got the sub either. I also lost a lot of my scholarship money from the teacher quitting. And most of my class failed at the dps and I can't retake the test until February. So 6 months to get this thing and counting.

[-]

SuspiciousLaw1503@reddit

CDL for less in Maryland... Charged 3500+ but I was able to come in with some knowledge [SUV w/ 6x10 utility trailer]... ended up paying 3000 For a class A Manual... Fast learner 🤷‍♂️

[-]

Jondiesel78@reddit

I didn't pay anything. I learned to drive as a teenager on a farm. I took the CDL test the day I turned 18.

[-]

butchengland@reddit

Paid I believe was $3500 withe big company that had there own school in Dallas. Back in 2009 and my instructor was 100 years old he reminded me of Tim Conway in the Carol Burnett show play the old man.

[-]

Sergeant_Metalhead@reddit

I got it for "free" through the Army

[-]

d1duck2020@reddit

In 1993 I think they charged me $60 to take the tests and get the license. I had already bought an old Mack to haul equipment so I just had to get a licensed driver to ride with me to the road test. Those were simple times.

[-]

milliedough@reddit

$6,000 because I went to roadmaster. 🤢 My husband only paid $3,000ish.

[-]

Passion-Interesting@reddit

The state paid for mine. I had a job but was making just below the threshold. I went to school on Sat and Sun for 2 1/2 months until I got my license. This was back in 2021, cost was ~$5,900.

[-]

chanwichalachichona@reddit

$0 through America job center in California, didn’t have to pay it back ($6.000) including all endorsements and also got me a job in the oil industry and even paid for my gear needed for the job. Forever grateful

[-]

Salt_Bus2528@reddit

I worked for a farm with one truck and one driver. The one driver gave my boss the finger and didn't report having a serious injury (broken arm, the important one)

My boss told me, "more money and more free time," and it was the biggest lie I'd ever fallen for. More money was right on but all my free time was stuck in a no idle truck during live loads, packing 16 pallets from field to truck, and waiting for a dock on the other end.

I paid zero dollars for the license though. Zero dollars and all the free vegetables I could ever want or need. It doesn't take long to figure out which restaurants will trade you free food for free produce.

[-]

lord_nuker@reddit

15k$ was for both truck and buses, and all the required courses for driving in Europe

[-]

sbcountydweller@reddit

$5500 driving school. 160 hour course

[-]

Princess_Wensicia@reddit

Just the dmv fees, many moons ago. Learned to drive on the farm. As soon as I turned 18, went to test. That was it.

[-]

CuriosTiger@reddit

$1280 plus DMV fees, in 1998.

I already had a class B that I got for free through a bus company, and I had passed the written tests on my own before contacting the school. So I was able to obtain a reduced rate since I needed very little classroom time. (The community college did have some safety and first aid classes they insisted that everyone take.)

[-]

ValuableShoulder5059@reddit

I paid $60 for my permit. Company provided free training and use of truck to test. Started me at $20 per hour after I passed driving local. This was in 2014 when $20 was worth something.

[-]

justhereforthefunnyZ@reddit

5000 Florida 2016.

[-]

lestsgoritenoww@reddit

1200

[-]

vegasvinny@reddit

2020 DTR Trucking Las Vegas $5,000 Plus whatever each cert cost. Tanker , hazmat , triple/ double, T.W.I.C. .. school was 140 hrs took like a month or so .

[-]

bluespot27@reddit

What school? That's amazing!

[-]

SkinnyG80@reddit

I paid $0

[-]

diragono@reddit

$6000, that included the cost of the program, dot drug test, permit test, and CDL test. CDL testing was done on site by one of the instructors. Only thing I had to pay for outside of that price was a hair follicle test as the company I chose to go to required one

[-]

Enlightend-1@reddit

Technically I paid 2,000 for 2 1/2 weeks of school in Florida. Nice school though we had a private little driving track to get used to trucks including railroad stops 4-ways the whole package.

Equipment was nice, teacher was also a cool older generation trucker from the west who had experience working for a company and owner operations.

I say I Technically paid only because CR England picked up the bill and I drove with them OTR for a year good experience was a nightmare at times though, fuck dollar general

[-]

mike-2129@reddit

2009 paid 1500. On a 9 speed pup trailer. Had 3 instructors. 1 for pretrip. 1 for backing. And 1 for driving

[-]

DDL_Equestrian@reddit

$500 through a grant from a community college

[-]

Competitive-Move-303@reddit

So check this out. Back when the pandemic hit I was searching for a new career, found trucking. Started hitting up local schools and one of the guys said “check with the state, they may pay for you to go to school” so I did that. Came to discover that since I was on unemployment due to losing my job at a local furniture retailer, I was now eligible for adult workforce training. So I did their little song and dance of tests and tasks, but at the end of it the state paid for my CDL fully and now I repay that with my taxes. Pretty cool.

[-]

jaireworld@reddit

Paid $1600 out of pocket in 2023. Training was one week long and then I took my CDL exam. Passed all categories on the first attempt. I know one week is stupid short for CDL training but I now have over a year experience with 0 accidents or major fuck-ups.

[-]

Idiotwithaphone79@reddit

I got mine in 2003 in rural Ohio. The job and family center had a program to send people to CDL school. It was a 1.5 hour drive one way, but they even offered to give vouchers for tires and a battery if you needed it along with fuel vouchers. All redeemable in the local town. I was too embarrassed to take any more help than I absolutely had to have, but it was still a great program. There were two of us from there and we carpooled for the whole three weeks. Thank you job and family!

[-]

mrsclausemenopause@reddit

7K

[-]

EddieTreetrunk@reddit

I did a trucking school in Maine nti 6 week course 4 days per week , just before Covid/inflation hit. Was close to 5k. Well worth it to be done and not drag out. Probably around 8k now for same program.

[-]

Fun_Tough_7216@reddit

got mine through the state of maryland for free, getting 2k+ a week now. blessed

[-]

Justwanttosellmynips@reddit

Nothing at all. Thanks Mondelez!

[-]

Healthier6908@reddit

1989 I paid whatever the DMV charges for the actual drivers license I used a 3rd party tester that only charged me $150 to come out and give me the driving test.

[-]

Truckin_Dave@reddit

Free 99. Just worked for a ltl for 1 year after. 2 weeks of school, then 4 weeks in the city after. Took my test, then another 4 weeks in the city. After that I was let loose to run every terminal east of the Mississippi

[-]

AnimatorSD68@reddit

Almost $5k for me

[-]

Chocolateapologycake@reddit

WOIA paid for mine. Google it if you are on unemployment and want to get your CDL.

[-]

ahowls@reddit

$5200. Finished in less than 4 weeks. I could have gone through the state and gotten it for free like everyone else in my class, but I was too impatient

[-]

FossMan21@reddit

0 during Covid. Got hired on by Pepsi all I needed was my permit. If you really wanna be technical $20 at the state dmv for the road test.

[-]

ExpedientDemise@reddit

$3500 in 2020, before inflation and before state required a driving course to get a CDL.

[-]

InternationalAd5640@reddit

I paid I think around 4k almost, and I hardly even use the thing anymore.

[-]

CreativeReplacement6@reddit

Zero. County job I had.

[-]

nosamwilliam@reddit

I paid 4600 or so and went to a school in orergon.

I moved out to New England a few years back and guys out here were paying 11,000 for school out here. Or you can put in a year or two at a food service company and get it through them.

I recommend going to a school that will get you all your endorsements and pass your test on a manual transmission so you don’t have any restrictions.

[-]

Leaf-Stars@reddit

Cost me a week of vacation time.

[-]

Ok_Bug_6470@reddit

5k and my dignity

[-]

MutedArcher7221@reddit

6$ because The school messed up a check to the DMV other than that I went through Pennsylvania's career link program basically it was free had a waste a bunch of time doing webinars it classes through their program

[-]

unftp-0@reddit

$3,000 in Houston TX 2021

[-]

r1ght0n@reddit

Paid $5500 in Feb 2023, my job reimbursed 5250.

CDL Class A

[-]

Hot_Entrepreneur_294@reddit

$2000 was out of pocket the other $4k was a grant. $6k in total for me I got mine September 2023.

[-]

manrobert@reddit

Mine was free, and anything I spent for it like med card and license office was reimbursed.

[-]

papisilla@reddit

If you plan on paying out of pocket it varies greatly. In my home state the going rate at the time was about 6-7k at any of the schools.8 hours away in another state and it was about 3500

[-]

Crafty_Edge_4472@reddit

Amazon paid for my thru their Career choice program. They give 5,250* a year I believe. The school took all that money and got my CDL 2023. No contract signed, but still with them while I acquire some experience.

[-]

chillary_shank@reddit

Free 99, WIOA program

[-]

Major_Failure2@reddit

My local community college wanted over 5,000$ for cdl training. My company paid for it, but if I leave before September of 2025 I have to pay them around 4,800$. The government pays that after one year I believe.

[-]

Gonzotrucker1@reddit

Probably $20 it was back in 1997

[-]

Joeybowman@reddit

Roughly $1,000 in 2010

[-]

IndependentMistake13@reddit

I went through a career center during covid and the state of Ohio gave grants to all the CDL schools so I only paid $250 to get my A's

[-]

Camohunter0330@reddit

borrowed one, drove it a day or two on some back roads. Went and took the test. This was 2012.

[-]

ear_cheese@reddit

$0. It wasn’t free, but I asked the government to pay for it and they did!

[-]

bsibley1993@reddit

0$ troops into transportation

[-]

Particular_Minute_67@reddit

I’m in the process of going into the Air Force and took note of the process of the cdl waiver. How do you go about starting it?

[-]

bsibley1993@reddit

I couldn't tell you, but I do know the waver only gets you a restricted license, I'm currently a crane operator and in the crane world, they want unrestricted. Money wise i would recommend you yet your NCCCOs before your cdl, went from 60k a year driving trucks to 160k a year running cranes

[-]

Particular_Minute_67@reddit

Ah ok

[-]

nastyzoot@reddit

I think it was like $1600 in NC 15 years ago. Private school.

[-]

AE_Racer@reddit

$0. But a lot of time to uncle sam.

[-]

GovThug@reddit

$0, thank you Halliburton

[-]

gearslammer386@reddit

SLB paid for mine.

[-]

Water_ParkNazi@reddit

3800$ local cdl school 2021. Part time night school feb 1-28

[-]

LongHaulinTruckwit@reddit

$4000 for 4 weeks of schooling in 2012

[-]

Saaaaaaaammmmmmmm@reddit

I paid like $150 in 2020

[-]

ZipTieTechnicianOne@reddit

10k over 10 years on a federal student loan. I did 18 weekends of 10 hour days, 15 weeks of all types of backing and one hour daily drives. I know I overpaid but I learned to drive and back in the winter with shit equipment. I can honestly say I was the most prepared out of anyone else in my orientation class at my first gig.

[-]

TwoToadsKick@reddit

Nothing. Job paid for it, no school, just training while working

[-]

GroundbreakingSir386@reddit

$5700

[-]

jcarney231@reddit

Somewhere around $1000 back in 2014. It was a summer class at the community college to fill some elective slots.

[-]

probablyonshrooms@reddit

Nothing. The state usually has programs that pay for it. Idk why people still use megas.

[-]

OneFlyMan@reddit

I got mine before they required schooling. So whatever the cost of the tests were

[-]

Fuzzy1598@reddit

0 work force development through my state

[-]

robexib@reddit

The high school I attended was actually required to pay for it because of a lawsuit that I won against them when I was still a student there.

For those of you with special education students in public schools right now, take a microscope to your kid's transcripts. You might be surprised.

[-]

bobbiew74@reddit

$0 trained by another driver and took the test after a week passed had my cdl for 30years now

[-]

Row30@reddit

$0.00 in 1980

[-]

just_me1969@reddit

Didn't go to a school. I was a mechanic at a small 5 truck company. The owner said we gotta get you your class1 (pre CDL). and the rest is history.

[-]

Sea-Investigator-650@reddit

Zero. I got mine back in 2013 and the company covered the cost for the detail testing officer.

[-]

AreaLeftBlank@reddit

Free99

State grant paid for mine. Only "downside" is they only paid for automatic and no manual so there is the restriction on my license but that's not a huge deal.

Original out of pocket cost though would have been like 6,999 I think for manual and 5,999 for auto.

[-]

Niko120@reddit

I gave a guy with a truck $400 to let me use it for the test at the dmv in 2012. He trained me for a couple hours the weekend before I took the test

[-]

peenman611@reddit

Free.99

[-]

FlappyJ1979@reddit

If I remember correctly I think mine was free in ‘95. Just the cost of adding it to my license somewhere around $25. Now it cost me close to $300 to renew my license every 4 years.

[-]

Supertrucker82@reddit

Free. Went to job training place in my county. Lied and told them I had no money or job. They gave me free school. I think it was about a 4k value in 2009.

[-]

ns2103@reddit

In 2008 it cost me $85, It was $20 for the written test and $65 for the road test.

[-]

Mobius1995@reddit

$0 and contract free. Thanks amazon

[-]

HeywoodJaBlowMe123@reddit

$1000

Long story short: My CDL school went bankrupt before my payments kicked in. That 1k was my deposit and that’s it.

I was suppose to pay 5gs

[-]

Conscious_Grass_853@reddit

Little more with fees from my Amex. Put the whole thing on my Amex when I was at Rock bottom ready to give up. Something told me to go get my cdl one night. So I looked up information and the next morning first thing I called the school and went through the application process and everything else. 3-4 years later I’m still driving. I’m making decent money working LTL and home every single night. I hear most CDL carriers quit after a year or something. Fuck that dude I didn’t pay all this money to not drive.

[-]

Forward-Low-4052@reddit

Search "WIOP" every State has it call in ask about transitioning into a CDL program

[-]

TemporaryOk9310@reddit

Free but 2 year contract with a 5k buyout

[-]

National-Primary-250@reddit

Greenville Tech here in lovely Upstate SC charges $5000 for.the Class A CDL course. Its 4 weeks if you go all day Mon-Thurs, or 8 weeks on Sat-Sun.

But the kick ass part is there's still 100% scholarships that pay 100% tuition, both thru the school itself, and there's also a.few.non-profit.orgs that will pay.for it 100% too, if you just take the time to apply. Classes start every 2 weeks and there job placement.assistance for after you get.your.cdl

g tech has.a.well-known and.respected.program, but not many folks.know about the scholarships.and.tuition assistamce.programs, so I just kinda stumbled.into it.

I seriously didn't believe it at first, and I was only a day away.from signing up for company-paid training. But yeah, im going for free starting next week.

[-]

DblDtchRddr@reddit

Class was $4500, federal grant covered $3000, state grant covered 90% of remaining, so $150 for the class, plus whatever it was at the DMV and my endorsements.

My step father agreed to pay for “classes” so I could get out of my dead end job. He meant like, college classes, but when it only cost him $150, he was happy, so technically it didn’t cost me anything. Out of pocket was $150 plus DMV costs.

[-]

AaronTuplin@reddit

2004 road master i think $4000

[-]

jcstudio@reddit

1500 paid in installments , had to pay all of it to do the dmv test, that was in los angeles about 8 years ago

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lleu81@reddit

The Taxpayers took care of it thanks to the WIOA grant.

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phunkarino@reddit

Currently, $1100, though the school only has one truck per range and avg about 10/15 students. I hate it, but they have students graduating every week so I guess they’re doing something right

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SuperTruckerTom@reddit

On the job training at Con-Way, now XPO.

Zero expense No contract. In 1994 Was a forklift driver for 2 years prior

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HauntedOath@reddit

$1500 around 10 years ago

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NectarineAny4897@reddit

Alaska, 2 years ago. Almost 8k for unrestricted class A with Air brakes. Passenger and hazmat were part of the package but I have zero interest in either of those fields, and knew what I was doing with my cdl already. That number includes all of my dmv fees, physicals, background checks, permit, real ID (did not have yet).. and it included a lot of hands on, behind the wheel training which I gladly paid for. It paid off, got a zero on my skills test first try. 1 hit on pre trip, total my fault. It was a lot, but I went with one of the top schools with high ratings. No ragerts.

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Itty_bitty696@reddit

Got mine starting end of 2011 through prime. No money out of pocket.

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trucker96961@reddit

I think mine was $2500. 3 weeks? Covered the classes, driving, and lunches. Went to DMV to take written tests. Driving/pretrip test was on site with our instructors.

Got out of school and made $45,000 pulling reefer my first year with a company called TransStar out of WI. They are no longer around.

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trailerparkMillonare@reddit

0.00, The Mechanic at my Roofing Company took me around the block every weekend and down the street for practice, took my test and passed it in a cab over, Hazmat/Tanker endorsements in 85

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bombdiggidy96@reddit

1 year contract. $38 a week

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bignarihoe@reddit

Go to Northlqnd CDL in Iowa

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rilloroc@reddit

Back in '96 I just paid the $70 something, or however much it was at the Texas DPS license office. I didn't take any kind of driver school or anything. Just went up and took the written tests for the permit and then came back a week later and took the driving part.

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Johnny_Rascal2@reddit

Not much. My employer at the time might've paid for it, but I got it before they made the class time mandatory back in 2020 on the cusp of the pandemic. I studied the hell out of the book and took one practice trip behind the wheel and passed all the tests first try.

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jmzstl@reddit

$5000 in 2018 for a 200 hour program at my local community college. Still only taught us how to pass the test, but I'm satisfied with the value.

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Electronic_Metal_750@reddit

1900 back in 2020

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n0funeral@reddit

about $7k in NYC in 2017/2018. took the test 6 times (tried to skimp on classes, got a 20-hour package but failed the test 3 times. got another 20-hour package) I had no experience or exposure to combination vehicles and learned how to drive a manual at the same time (they didn't teach double clutching either and I learned to float the gears with my first job). other than that, I had a great instructor who would tell me stories about growing up in Queens to take my mind off how terrifying it was to drive in Astoria. had I known anyone with a CDL besides the theatrical Teamsters I used to work with, I probably would have done things completely different

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balancedchaos@reddit

Zero, paid for by two years of labor at Schneider.

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Odd-Gear9622@reddit

Exactly $0.00, the Fire Department paid for everything including my time. I didn't do OTR until I retired.

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Livid-Abrocoma7694@reddit

I got paid about 8 grand from my company to get mine

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Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit

Damn I made almost $30k during my training

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Livid-Abrocoma7694@reddit

Damn. I did the math. I was yard dogging it for about 23.50 an hrs in 2017. Az sent me to school and paid my normal wage. So 8 weeks at 40 hrs for 23.50, is about 7.5k. We had a contract with the college, so the cost was discounted, but az paid for it with a 2 year? contract. Every month it'd go down a certain percent.

How'd you make 30k?!

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Mydogfartsconstantly@reddit

Fedex express. I was an internal hire so I got a pay raise, took 4+ months to train, company gave us a raise during that too. Im sure if i factored in insurance, 401k match and hsa match itd be higher.

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Livid-Abrocoma7694@reddit

I think the school cost 3.5k with the discount. So I guess I made 10k. Still wanna know how you made 30k?! Fucking crazy

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reapershadow_@reddit

$1500 2024 10spd flatbed class A passed everything first go

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CaliThunder559@reddit

2k. Put it on a credit card. I looked up approved schools on the fmca website and called the small ones in my area.

There were 3 that were 2kish and flexible schedules. The others were like an all-day thing or evening classes with set schedules. Those were in the 5k range.

Took 3 weeks for those and had to get my permit before. The 5k ones you got your permit with them.

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Cool_cudi@reddit

Currently in Amazon Tom team, so far 0 and they pay me while in school. Haven’t started my range date but I’m out in the yard with holster moving trailers around dock doors to slips. No contract either can leave as soon as I get my cdl.

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srob8241@reddit

$6000 in 2006

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eval200011@reddit

0$ and no commitment this year as a seasonal snowplow driver for the state of Oregon. I had no experience other than in forestry and they took me in.

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billybobjoe2017@reddit

$2500 (plus like $500 in fees) 2024 as well

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confused_shrew@reddit

Basically $0. Got license before school was a requirement. Learned from through experience at work. I mean, maybe $80(?) for the license, can't recall what the actual license application cost was in California in 2013.

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12InchPickle@reddit

My old employer paid for mine. But the school I went to had a few guys that paid out of pocket and one guy said $5500. another said 7500. Although he went on a payment plan so I assume they billed him interest.

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Radiant_Pick6870@reddit

2024.. Used my va post 9/11 gi bill. It was $5,995. That included the testing and the hazmat background check. 4 week long school.

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Wheres_Jay@reddit

I paid $0. Went to a state sponsored job displacement program after a layoff.

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MikeBinfinity@reddit

$0

Back during the 2008 financial crisis, the state of Georgia was covering the tuition of trade schools for people who lost their jobs.

The tuition of CDL school I went to was like $2000 if I'm not mistaken. Best decision I ever made.

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rollon34@reddit

1300 in 2013

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BigDikus69@reddit

Two eight five dollars Amazon paid for the rest which came to five thousand.

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Maleficent-Bowl-7982@reddit

Mine was 2400 right after the covid Lockdowns, it was a small school with some OLD trucks that didn’t have good powersteering. I think it helped tho because once I got into their newer trucks to actually drive on the road it was so easy

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iambrutal8@reddit

This is how I learned on Car. They gave me old golf and later any newer car would be top tier

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Baddy001@reddit

$0. Like others have said, a year of my time. I made pretty good money too, made 70k my first year.

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bigfrappe@reddit

My company credit card paid 5k at a private truck school. It was not worth the money, but I got seat time and passed the tests first go around.

I would have done it through the community college and applied for grants if I had to do it on my own.

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Moralrn0958@reddit

I got it through amazon for free but it was lusted as 5,250$ at the school they sent me at denver

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LonleyWolf420@reddit

$200- 2020 the day BEFORE the law changed requiring schooling..

Private tester.. old school trucker.. dude was awesome tipped him $50 because it was a favor that my boss called in and he delayed a vacation to Mexico just to do it for me..

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Alcoholictradesmen@reddit

5600 in Ohio but I used the wioa program and paid nothing out of pocket.

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ID_Poobaru@reddit

$0.

Amazon paid for mine

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RedimidoSoy1611@reddit (OP)

Dang! Not bad

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ScoobyD00BIEdoo@reddit

My local school is asking 3800..

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Level_305@reddit

$600 local community college