Truck Driving Schools in North Carolina
If you want to start a new career in just a few weeks, truck driving programs in North Carolina may be just what you are looking for. Most of the 21 programs in the state take between four and eight weeks to complete, depending on if you want to earn a class A, B, or C license. The amount of money you have to spend on tuition is different from school to school, but the average cost of tuition in North Carolina is $6506. There are scholarship opportunities for truck driving students, and the average scholarship award is $500. Student loans can help fill the gap if you have exhausted a your grant and scholarship options.
Find CDL Training in North Carolina
You begin your truck driving program in a traditional classroom setting with other students. The goal in this part of your program is to prepare you for the state-required written exam. However, much of what you learn in this part of the program may also be helpful to you when actually driving a truck. Towards the end of your program, you start learning how to drive a truck. This involves working one-on-one with a driving instructor until you feel comfortable and ready to take your driving test.
- State Wide Locations
- Get your CDL in 21-days.
- Classes start every Monday.
- Limited seating available
- CDL Training in 4 weeks!
- CDL Refresher Course
- Lifetime Job Placement
- Tuition Reimbursement through select carriers.
- 80%+ Have Multiple Job Offers
- Job placement assistance after graduation
- 3-4 week, Quality truck driver training
- Automatics available
In order to start working as a truck driver, you have to earn your commercial driver's license from the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. The first step is passing a written exam, after which you get your learner's permit. Once you have enough driving practice to feel comfortable taking the road test, you can sign up for testing date. Once you successfully pass your road test, you can get your CDL from the Division of Motor Vehicles.
Get on the Road in North Carolina
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for truck drivers is expected to increase by 21% between 2010 and 2020. They expect this to result in a total of about 330,000 new truck driving jobs (BLS, 2010). In North Carolina, O*Net predicts about 1200 new truck driving jobs each year between 2010 and 2020.
The salary you earn as a truck driver depends on your experience, seniority, and location. In North Carolina, most truck drivers earn a salary between $24,800 per year and $55,500 per year (O*Net, 2012). The median salary for North Carolina truck drivers is $37,200 (O*Net, 2012). These numbers are in line with national averages.
As a truck driver, you should be good at working independently and feel comfortable spending the majority of your time working alone. As you begin your job search in North Carolina, there are two main types of driving jobs you may come across. Intrastate driving jobs are less common, because they only involve driving within North Carolina. The benefit of a intrastate driving job is that you can return home more frequently. Intrastate driving jobs may ask you to drive within your region of the country or throughout the entire country. Depending on how far you drive, with an interstate driving job you may return home weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Some of the largest truck driving jobs in North Carolina include C.R. England, Premier Transportation, and First Express.
Located along the scenic East Coast, North Carolina is a very popular state for truck drivers and their families. Warm, comfortable temperatures all year long give you the opportunity to enjoy North Carolina's many beaches. Many people choose to live in or near one of North Carolina's large cities, including Greensboro, Durham, Raleigh, and Charlotte. North Carolina is also known for its historical neighborhoods and suburbs. Despite all that North Carolina has to offer, the cost of living here is about 4% lower than the national average, according to Sperling's Best Places. With its beaches, historical sites, and beautiful weather, it's no surprise that North Carolina is such a great state to live in.