Wisconsin Truck Driving Schools

Becoming a CDL licensed truck driver in the state of Wisconsin opens the door to many future career opportunities. The process can take as little as one month and plenty of financial aid options are available to reduce the total cost of training.

Many truck driving schools are located across the state of Wisconsin, although most Milwaukee Kenosah, Madison, Green Bay, and Racine.

Types of truck driving schools

There are three categories of programs that allow you to achieve a CDL license. All of them have their pros and cons, and it is up to you to decide which option makes the most sense for your financial, employment, and lifestyle situation.

Paid truck driving schools

These are “traditional” schools that offer CDL training – many of which have been in operation for over 50 years. These schools typically provide a wide range of CDL certification options with options for pursuing specific endorsements to your license. Generally, these schools offer the highest quality training and with great equipment provided.

These are also generally the most expensive upfront option. You are not required to pay the full cost of tuition on day 1, as most schools will allow you to create a payment plan to cover the balance over time. You may also be able to offset the total cost with scholarships or grants offered by the state of Wisconsin or at a federal level.

Employer sponsored training

Many large trucking companies provide CDL training and certification for their new employees. During the first few weeks, you are quickly trained to operate their tractor trailers and start earning money shortly after working for the trucking company. The training is often advertised as being “free”, because there is no upfront cost to receive training.

However it is important to understand that the tradeoff is that you will likely need to sign up for an employment contract in which you agree to work for the trucking company for a set period of time and/or with specific wages or working conditions. Quite often, you’ll be making a lower wage for a set period of time compared to your coworkers. If you terminate employment, you may be on the hook for paying for the cost of training provided for you.

Every company is different, so you’ll need to carefully read the fine print before signing any documents. This option may also not sound as appealing if you are able to find grants or scholarships that can be used towards paid schooling options, which can significantly reduce the total cost of training. These scholarships and grants cannot be applied towards these types of programs. If you wish to achieve a certain endorsement to your license, like the ability to haul hazardous material (which pays more), you may not be able to obtain that through the trucking company.

Community colleges and technical institutes

While scholarships can often be used towards paid truck driving schools, more can be applied towards a community college. This often results in community colleges offering a nice balance between low cost training and flexibility in your certification needs. Community colleges may also be one of the best options for people who live in rural areas.

Each college is different, but the quality of training will often vary from college to college. Many offer a limited number of classes at a fixed schedule, or only provide classes at certain times of the year. These classes may not be suitable for your current work schedule or lifestyle, so it is best to check to see what upcoming classes are available and try to get a sense of how quickly classes fill up in advance.