Alabama Truck Driving Schools

If you’re looking for a reliable job for years to come that offers great benefits, a good wage, and flexible hours, then pursuing a career in trucking is an excellent career option for you. In order to become a licensed truck driver in Alabama, you’ll need to get a Class A CDL permit. Fortunately, there are many schools across Alabama that offer CDL training to help you prepare for and pass your CDL written and driving test.

CDL School vs Company Training

There are plenty of pros and cons when it comes to using a CDL school vs. using a company.

Company Training

A company may be able to offer free CDL training, which allows you to put no money down up-front. However, as the saying goes, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. You are expected to “pay back” the cost of training in some way – by entering into a contract, taking it out of your wages, or working for free for a certain period of time. The good news is that many companies offer some level of flexibility when it comes to paying back the cost of training. You also will already have a job lined up once you complete training, however that is not always a good thing.

CDL School

Using a CDL training program allows you to choose between multiple job offers and. Truck drivers are in demand, so most people finishing their CDL school training and passing the certification tests will not have trouble finding a new truck driving job in Alabama. If you are able to receive more than one offer, you can choose the one with the best terms and possibly negotiate terms of your contract.

Truck driving schools may also be able to provide tuition assistance to help cover the upfront costs of attending their program. They may also be able to help you find additional grants or scholarship options offered at their program or externally.

For these reasons, it’s often in your best interests to use a CDL training school instead of training through a trucking company. If you’re looking to just “test the waters” of truck driving, going through a truck driving company may also not make sense, as you may have to commit to working with the company for a year or two after you complete training. If you’re serious about truck driving as a long-term commitment, CDL schools provide additional opportunities that can pay out in the long-run.

Finding a Truck Driving School

It may sound obvious, but going with a CDL school that is closest to you may or may not be the best idea. Reach out to several different schools to get information on tuition, instructors, training program options, and their connections to potential employers. You’ll be spending plenty of future hours on the road, so you’ll want to attend the best CDL school possible.

We’ve listed out some of the top truck driving schools in Alabama below. You can also use our map to find a program that is near your location. Use the Search box to filter by city or zip code.

Financial Assistance

The cost of attending a trucking school doesn’t need to be as high as you think. There are many scholarships and grants available to Alabama residents that can be applied to a CDL school.

Check with the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to see what financial aid options may be available to you. If you use a technical college or community college, be sure to ask the financial aid department about any grant or scholarship opportunities that are available to students. Your truck driving school may also be able to provide recommendations or offer loans to help you pay the cost of tuition over a period of time.