This class prepares students for the written and practical portions of the State of Indiana's Class A Commercial Driver's License (CDL) exam. You will learn how to safely drive, operate, and back up a truck and trailer, complete a vehicle inspection, and gain a fundamental working knowledge of the trucking industry, including rules and regulations. The class prepares students for an entry-level position as a tractor-trailer driver with a trucking company.

In various locations throughout Indiana, DriveCo CDL Learning Center prides itself on it's hands-on Class A CDL Training. With it's convenient main CDL Training campus location in Gary, Indiana, and six additional campus locations throughout the state, DriveCo makes sure that achieving your trucking dream can become a reality. After opening their doors in 1990, DriveCo CDL Learning Center has been training newcomers in the transportation industry. Whether students choose their full-time training or their part-time instruction, DriveCo makes sure to accommodate everyone’s busy schedules with day, night and evening training options. DriveCo is proud to provide dedicated and professional instructors, ready to help their students become successful truck drivers.

Ivy Tech partners with DriveCo at the following locations:

Lake County (Gary Campus)

https://www.driveco.org/locations/gary-indiana/

La Porte

https://www.driveco.org/locations/laporte-indiana/

Dubois County

https://www.driveco.org/locations/dubois-county-indiana/

Evansville Campus

https://www.driveco.org/locations/evansville-indiana/

Tell City

https://www.driveco.org/locations/tell-city-indiana/

Hamilton County

https://www.driveco.org/locations/hamilton-county-indiana/

If you're looking for an in-demand and financially rewarding career, consider CDL training. The trucking industry needs more than 400,000 new drivers every year. The average salary for a truck driver in Indiana is $46,102, and the average experienced driver can earn an annual salary upwards of $77,000¹.

Other CDL training programs work with only a few carriers or require you to train for their company. Don't limit your choices. Ivy Tech and its licensed teaching partners have established a premier network of hiring companies, including national carriers, regional trucking companies, and local trucking jobs, so you will have a large selection of potential employers.

• You have to be at least 21 years old to drive cargo across a state border.
  • You must have the ability to pass the D.O.T. Physical and Drug Screen Test.
  • You need a valid driver’s license or permit which is not suspended or revoked and an acceptable driving record.
  • You must be able to read, speak and write English well enough to pass the Commercial Driver’s License test at the BMV, converse with the general public, understand highway signs and signals, respond to official questions, and make entries on reports and records.

There are multiple types of CDL licenses, including Class A, Class B, and Class C. Each type of CDL license allows drivers to operate vehicles of varying gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR). Within each class, depending on the type of vehicle a driver is operating, they may also be required to get certain endorsements. Ivy Tech's CDL training focuses primarily on the Class A license. 

Class A CDL License
The Class A license is the most advanced CDL you can obtain. It permits you to drive vehicles with a GCWR of 26,001 lbs. or more or to tow a vehicle that is more than 10,000 lbs. The standard 18-wheeler requires a Class A Commercial Drivers License. In general, the Class A license allows you to drive everything up to a full-size semi-truck, including everything Class A and Class B license holders can drive.

Class B CDL License
The Class B license allows you to drive vehicles with a GCWR of 26,001 lbs. or more, or to tow a vehicle up to 10,000 lbs. The Class B CDL allows you to drive all kinds of buses, box trucks, delivery trucks, dump trucks, passenger vans, and more. A Class B license is restricted to the state in which it was issued, meaning you can’t drive between states to work long-haul jobs. It can be a good fit for professionals who are seeking regional driving careers.

Class C CDL License
The Class C CDL permits you to drive vehicles with GVWRs of less than 26,001 pounds and vehicles carrying more than 16 passengers or transporting hazardous materials. In general, the Class C CDL allows you to operate any commercial vehicle that does not fall under Class A and Class B, such as drive tank trucks, small trucks towing a trailer, passenger vans, and HAZMAT vehicles.

This workforce certification is available for free to qualifying students through the Next Level Jobs program. You are eligible to earn this free certification from Ivy Tech if you fulfill all of the following requirements:

• You are an Indiana resident, and
• You have a high school diploma or GED/High School Equivalency, and
• You have not previously received an associate degree or higher (bachelor's, master's, etc.) and
• You have not previously used Next Level Jobs/Workforce Ready Grant funding. 

Learn more about Next Level Jobs at Ivy Tech

Ivy Tech skills training classes do not earn you college credit on their own, but they may crosswalk into Ivy Tech's academic degree programs should you decide to pursue that route in the future. Speak with an advisor to learn more about getting credit for prior learning.