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CDL training in Illinois

94 CDL (commercial driver's license) training programs with results and funding that can make them free

54 schools offer these truck driving programs, and Illinois has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows how past students did; Illinois files no usable prices.

Truck drivers need a commercial driver's license, which generally takes a knowledge test and a driving test. Most drivers have a high school diploma and prepare at a professional truck driving school.1 Since February 7, 2022, federal rules require anyone getting a Class A or B license for the first time, or upgrading to one, to train with a provider on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry.2

In Illinois, 22 of the 94 programs take students without a high school diploma, 5 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 67 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 94 programs here are CDL (class not stated, 49 programs), Class A (29 programs), refresher (10 programs), Class B (3 programs), and 3 more of 2 other kinds.

See the 94 programs

How much does CDL training cost in Illinois?

Not reported

Illinois files no usable prices, so none can be shown.

In the typical program

Finished the program
Left out
Only a few programs report it, and those at a typical 11%
Working 6 months later
Not enough data
Only 18 of 94 programs report it
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
Only 18 of 94 programs report it
Length
4 to 8 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Illinois may also offer CDL training. How these figures are made

Is there free CDL training in Illinois?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: grants, company-paid training and the GI Bill

All 94 CDL training programs in Illinois approved for WIOA funding

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94 programs

How to pay for CDL training in Illinois

WIOA funding can pay for CDL training in Illinois

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for CDL training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.78

Company-paid CDL training

Some trucking companies run their own schools and may pay the tuition if you drive for them for a set time, such as a year.9

GI Bill for CDL training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.10

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

CDL training in Chicago, Rockford, Peoria and other Illinois cities

Areas with 10 or more programs have a page of their own. Choosing another area filters the program list above. 18 more programs are in 14 other areas, 5 in smaller cities and towns.

Other training in Illinois

How CDL training compares with the rest of transportation and logistics: Transportation and logistics training in Illinois

Where the Illinois truck driving program numbers come from

Which Illinois truck driving programs are on this list?

These are the truck driving programs Illinois approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).11 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Illinois offers.

How the prices and results of Illinois truck driving programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

How reliable are the Illinois figures?

The US Department of Labor's own results site lists Illinois among the states with "known data quality concerns".12 We leave out the share who finished for Illinois: only a few programs report it, and those at a typical 11%. We leave out prices for Illinois: the state files a code in place of each price, so no price can be shown.

Sources for the facts about CDL training in Illinois

Show the 12 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers
  2. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 49 CFR part 380, subpart F, Entry-level driver training requirements
  3. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  4. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  5. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  6. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  8. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  9. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee: Task 21-1 discussion notes (2021)
  10. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  11. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List
  12. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: search page, note on states with known data quality concerns