CDL Schools in Tennessee (Top Programs Listed)

CDL Schools in Tennessee

If you live in Tennessee and want to start a career in the truck driving field, you first need some info regarding the job.

Check out the info below to find out more about schools you can train at and career prospects.

How to Choose a School

This state has some 30 schools, which gives you plenty of options to choose from.

School Name Address
CCS Professional Truck Driver Training Center 134 Joe R McCrary Rd, Fall Branch, TN 37656
Chattanooga State Community College - Commercial Truck Driving - Dayton 200 N. 4th Avenue, Dayton TN 37321
Chattanooga State Community College - Commercial Truck Driving - Hixson 4913 Adams Road, Hixson, TN 37343
Chattanooga State Community College - Commercial Truck Driving - Cleveland Cleveland State Community College 3535 Adkisson Dr Cleveland, TN 37312
Drive-Train 119 E.L. Morgan Dr., Jackson, TN 38305
Drive-Train 6711 Reese Road, Memphis, TN 38134
Fortis College 1025 Hwy 111 Cookeville, TN 38501
Lincoln Technical Institute 1524 Gallatin Ave, Nashville, TN 37206
Mesilla Valley Training Institute 3750 Stewarts Lane, Nashville, TN 37218, USA
Miller-Motte Technical College – Chattanooga 6397 Lee Highway, Suite 100, Chattanooga, TN 37421
Miller-Motte Technical College – Clarksville 1820 Business Park Dr., Clarksville, TN 37040
Miller-Motte Technical College – Madison 1515 Gallatin Pike North, Madison, TN 37115, USA
Oak Ridge Truck Driving School 1990 Oak Ridge Tpke, Ste E Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Peak Technical Institute 235 S. Old Glory Rd., Maryville, TN 37801
Roadmaster Drivers – Chattanooga, TN 3800 Cummings Highway, Chattanooga, TN 37419
RoadRunner Driving Academy 106 Industrial Pk Rd, Sharon, TN 38255
Smokey Mountain Trucking Institute 3173 Newport Hwy., Sevierville, TN 37876
Southwest Tennessee Community College 5983 Macon Cove, Memphis, TN 38134
Superior Drivers Institute 302 Rutherford Ln, Columbia, TN 38401
Swift Driving Academy 7965 Veterans Pkwy Ste 107, Millington, TN 38053
Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Crossville 910 Miller Avenue, Crossville, TN 38555
Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Crump 3070 Hwy 64 W, Crump, TN 38327
Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Huntsville 355 Scott High Dr., Huntsville, TN 37756
Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Jackson 2468 Technology Center Drive, Jackson, TN 38301, USA
Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Knoxville 1100 Liberty St., Knoxville, TN 37919
Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Nashville 100 White Bridge Road, Nashville, TN 37209
Tennessee Truck Driving School - TTDS 4401 Singleton Station Road, Louisville TN 37777
Transportation Training Centers 901 E. Baddour Parkway, Lebanon, TN 37087
Truck Driver Institute (TDI) 6201 Epps Mill Rd, Christiana, TN 37027
United Truck Driving School Inc. (UTDS) 819 Park Avenue, Murfreesboro, TN 37129
Vatterott College CDL Certificate 6991 Appling Farms Parkway, Memphis, TN 38133

Maybe you are interested in applying for a scholarship to cover your tuition costs.

If so, you can become a member of the Tennessee Trucking Association.

Joining them allows you to apply for one of the $10,000 worth scholarships which they fund on an annual basis.

You can choose a school based on the time you want to invest in training.

For example, a diesel technology program can last up to 2 years if you want to get an Associates’s degree.

However, some schools also offer diplomas for which the course only lasts one year.

If you opt for a truck driving program, you should know these are generally much shorter.

Such course only lasts for 8 weeks at most, and after finishing it you can apply for a Class A, B or C license.

Before getting the license, a written exam and a skill test are required.

United Trucking Driving School provides a Class A program that lasts for 4.5 weeks, a Class A basic training course that lasts 4 weeks and a Class B training course with a duration of 3 weeks.

Consider looking for a school that offers small class sizes, such as Smokey Mountain Truck Driving School and CCD Professional Driver Training.

Attending a small class gives you more time to interact with your instructor and deepen your knowledge, as well as increased driving hours.

Not all schools offer only traditional daytime courses, and if you are busy you can attend weekend and evening classes.

Job Outlook And Salaries In Tennessee

After finishing your program, the next step is getting hired to start your career.

If your training program provides job placement, this is a good way to get a job fast and without the additional search.

However, you can also find a job at a repair shop, leasing center ore trucking company.

In Tennessee, the biggest companies are C.R. England, MCT Transportation LLC, and Beacon Transport.

Below you can find a table with the median salaries for truck drivers in the state’s largest cities.

Annual Salary Range:
$35K
$40K
$46K
10%
50%
90%
Annual Salary by Location:
Location Avg. Annual Salary
Nashville $41,089
Memphis $41,060
Knoxville $40,963
Chattanooga $39,947
Clarksville $39,829
Murfreesboro $40,779
Franklin $40,944
Jackson $40,750
Johnson City $38,563
Hendersonville $41,027

Regional Salary in Tennessee

Region Employed Avg. Annual Salary Avg. Hourly Pay Top 10% Annual Salary Bottom 10% Annual Salary
Chattanooga, TN-GA5,610$53,720$25.83$73,230$38,000
Clarksville, TN-KY1,050$48,900$23.51$61,320$33,620
Cleveland, TN930$57,590$27.69$106,240$36,290
Jackson, TN1,520$53,420$25.68$69,440$37,560
Johnson City, TN790$48,040$23.1$64,130$31,820
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA1,740$49,490$23.79$65,840$36,880
Knoxville, TN7,180$53,680$25.81$72,750$36,140
Memphis, TN-MS-AR16,890$59,370$28.54$84,390$36,080
Morristown, TN1,400$59,350$28.53$73,050$39,090
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN17,880$56,900$27.35$77,540$40,660
* Salary information based on the May 2023 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, OCC Code 53-3032, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

O*Net estimates an 18% growth for truck driver jobs up to 2012, while diesel mechanics will see a 13% increase within the same time period.

Conclusion

The state’s trucking industry is on the rise, so you can be sure to secure a stable job after you get a license.

This career path can bring you many years of lucrative work on the road.

USA CDL Schools by State


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