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California CDL License Requirements
To start a career in truck driving in California, you may first require a commercial driver's license (CDL). The State of California uses the following criteria to determine whether or not a CDL is required to drive a commercial vehicle.
- Class A: Vehicle with combined weight over 26,001 pounds, towing a vehicle weighing more than 10,000 pounds
- Class B: Vehicle weighing more than 26,001 pounds, towing a vehicle weighing less than 10,000 pounds
- Class C: Vehicle used for transporting 16 or more passengers (including driver) or to transport hazardous materials
According to California CDL requirements, applicants must be at least 18 years old, have a valid California driver's license, pass a vision exam and obtain a medical certificate. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) regulates interstate transportation of cargo. If you wish to transport materials across state lines, you must be at least 21 years old. All CDL applicants then need to pass a general knowledge exam and a skills test, which includes a pre-trip vehicle inspection, a basic control test and an on-road driving exam. The State of California requires that you test in a vehicle that matches the class of CDL you are trying to obtain--for example, you must test in a Class A vehicle if you wish to obtain a Class A CDL. Ref. http://www.dmv-department-of-motor-vehicles.com/CA_California_dmv_department_of_motor_vehicles.htm
Additional knowledge and skills tests may be required depending on the endorsements you need. Endorsements may be needed to drive a truck with air brakes, a tanker or a school bus. They may also be needed to transport passengers or to haul hazardous materials. To transport hazardous materials (also referred to as a Hazmat endorsement), a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) background check may be required. A truck driving school may provide the education and on-road training needed to pass the CDL requirements in California.
Resources for California CDL Requirements
Visit the California Department of Motor Vehicles website for more information.
Directory of California Truck Driving Schools
29 Palms: California Career School
Address: 3693 Bullion Mt Rd 29 Palms, California 92277
Phone: 800-499-6585
Anaheim: California Career School
Address: 1100 Technology Cir Anaheim, California 92805
Phone: 714-635-6585
Antioch: American Truck School
Address: 202 G St Antioch, California 94509
Phone: 925-753-0220
Arcadia: Dootson School of Trucking
Address: 11625 Clark St Arcadia, California 91006
Phone: 626-303-1900
Bakersfield: Central Storage Trucking School
Address: 8520 E Panama Ln Bakersfield, California 93307
Phone: 661-322-8601
Bakersfield: Western Truck School
Address: 5800 State Rd 7 Bakersfield, California 93308
Phone: 661-588-4429
Banta: C & H Truck Driving School
Address: 5262 West G St Banta, California 95304
Phone: 209-321-9959
Barstow: California Career School
Address: 37750 Fort Irwin Rd Barstow, California 92311
Phone: 800-499-6585
Bell: Dolphin Trucking School
Address: 5600 Rickenbacker Rd, #2A-B Bell, California 90201
Phone: 626-938-0313
Bellflower: College Of Instrument Technology
Address: 17156 Bellflower Blvd Bellflower, California 90706
Phone: 562-925-1785
Bellflower: Toro School of Truck Driving
Address: 9631 Alondra Blvd Bellflower, California 90706
Phone: 562-920-7788
Buena Park: Las Americas Trucking School
Address: 6283 Manchester Blvd Buena Park, California 90621
Phone: 714-523-7781
Corona: America Truck Driving School
Address: 107 N Joy Corona, California 92879
Phone: 951-277-9013
Covina: Dolphin Trucking School
Address: 1453 Hollenbeck Ave Covina, California 91722
Phone: 626-938-0313
Delano: Proteus Inc
Address: 1540 S Lexington St Delano, California 93215
Phone: 559-733-5423
El Centro: Center for Employment Training
Address: 294 S 3rd St El Centro, California 92243
Phone: 760-337-6565
El Centro: Imperial Valley ROP
Address: 687 State St El Centro, California 92243
Phone: 760-482-2600
El Sobrante: American Truck School
Address: 5333 Valley View Rd El Sobrante, California 94803
Phone: 510-758-2700
Eureka: College of the Redwoods
Address: 7351 Tompkins Hill Rd Eureka, California 95501
Phone: 707-269-4000
Fontana: Advance School of Truck Driving
Address: 13946 Jurupa Ave Fontana, California 91786
Phone: 909-349-2585
Fontana: American Institute of Technology
Address: 14235 Slover Ave Fontana, California 92337
Phone: 909-202-4200
Fontana: Pilot Trucking School
Address: 14387 Slover Ave Fontana, California 92337
Phone: 909-429-8970
Fontana: Roadmaster
Address: 10251 Calabash Ave Fontana, California 92335
Phone: 909-202-4270
Fremont: Bay Area Truck Driving School
Address: 37555 Dusterberry Way, #19 Fremont, California 94536
Phone: 510-739-1633
Fresno: Advanced Truck Driving School
Address: 2953 S East Ave Fresno, California 93725
Phone: 559-441-4345
Fresno: Five Rivers Truck School
Address: 2224 S Maple Fresno, California 93725
Phone: 559-486-0740
Fresno: Major Express Truck School
Address: 3342 N Weber Ave Fresno, California 93722
Phone: 559-485-5949
Fullerton: Toro School of Truck Driving
Address: 2209 E Chapman Ave Fullerton, California 92831
Phone: 866-822-2106
Gardena: American Institute of Technology
Address: 18010 S Figueroa St Gardena, California 90248
Phone: 310-719-2222
Gilroy: Center for Employment Training
Address: 7800 Arroyo Cr Gilroy, California 95020
Phone: 408-534-5360
Hayward: A-1 Truck Driving School Inc
Address: 2977 Baumberg Ave Hayward, California 94545
Phone: 510-783-6030
Hayward: National Truck Driving School
Address: 4125-A Breakwater Ave Hayward, California 94545
Phone: 510-487-7425
Hesperia: Skyway Trucking School
Address: 17216 Lilac St, #2 Hesperia, California 92345
Phone: 760-947-2779
Huntington Park: Professional Trucking School
Address: 2863 E Slauson Ave Huntington Park, California 90255
Phone: 323-582-0274
La Puente: Camino Real Truck & Bus Driving School
Address: 13674 E Valley Blvd La Puente, California 91746
Phone: 626-968-9135
Lake Balboa: Exclusive Trucking School
Address: 6805 Louise Ave, Ste 101 Lake Balboa, California 91406
Phone: 818-654-0130
Lakeside: California Career School
Address: 12570 Slaughterhouse Cyn Dr Lakeside, California 92040
Phone: 800-499-6585
Los Angeles: Aztlan Truck Driving School
Address: 5722 S Duarte St Los Angeles, California 90058
Phone: 323-588-7444
Los Angeles: GSF Truck Driving & Traffic School
Address: 123 E 32nd St Los Angeles, California 90011
Phone: 213-745-6022
Los Angeles: Toro School of Truck Driving
Address: 321 W 135th St Los Angeles, California 90061
Phone: 866-822-2106
Los Angeles: Universal Truck Driving School Inc
Address: 1600 S Hill St, #A Los Angeles, California 90015
Phone: 213-745-6244
Marysville: CHD Anthony Soto Employment Training Centers (ASET)
Address: 1468 G Sky Harbor Dr Marysville, California 95901
Phone: 530-741-2924
Mira Loma: C.R. England
Address: 10405 San Sevaine, Ste 1 Mira Loma, California 91752
Phone: 951-332-3939
Modesto: Green Valley Truck School
Address: 400 12th St, Ste 28 Modesto, California 95354
Phone: 209-521-3995
Modesto: Mid-California Truck School
Address: 671 B Mariposa Rd Modesto, California 95354
Phone: 209-579-2224
Modesto : Mission Hill Truck School Inc
Address: 521 Bystrum Rd Modesto , California 95351
Phone: 209-491-2380
Modesto: TDA Drivers Inc
Address: 509 Winmoore Wy, Ste I Modesto, California 95385
Phone: 209-531-9740
Modesto: Western Pacific Truck School
Address: 2316 Nickerson Dr Modesto, California 95358
Phone: 209-472-1500
National City: Momax Truck Driving School
Address: 302 W 19th St, Ste C National City, California 91950
Phone: 619-477-0006
North Highlands: Twin Rivers Adult School
Address: 3222 Winona Wy North Highlands, California 95660
Phone: 916-286-3801
Oceanside: California Career School
Address: 502 Rancho Del Oro Oceanside, California 92057
Phone: 800-499-6585
Orange : Central County ROP
Address: 250 S Yorba St Orange , California 92869
Phone: 714-966-3528
Oxnard: Center for Employment Training
Address: 761 C St Oxnard, California 93030
Phone: 805-487-9821
Oxnard: Gold Coast International School of Trucking
Address: 841 Gaviota Wy Oxnard, California 93033
Phone: 805-415-5545
Pomona: Dynasty Truck & Bus Driving School
Address: 1810 S Reservoir St Pomona, California 91766
Phone: 909-629-8388
Porterville: Advanced Truck Driving School
Address: 1018 W Tea Pot Dome Ave, #E Porterville, California 93257
Phone: 559-783-2242
Rancho Murieta: Northern California Teamsters Apprentice Training
Address: 14738 Cantova Wy Rancho Murieta, California 95683
Phone: 916-354-2122 x207
Redding: American Truck School LLC
Address: 8530 Commercial Wy, Ste 3 Redding, California 96002
Phone: 530-223-5693
Riverside: United Truck Driving School
Address: 1737 Atlanta Ave H-7 Riverside, California 92507
Phone: 888-402-1924
Sacramento: Center for Employment Training
Address: 6853 - 65th St Sacramento, California 95828
Phone: 916-393-7401
Sacramento: Commercial Drivers Learning Center
Address: 1787 Tribute Rd, Ste L Sacramento, California 95815
Phone: 916-550-9650
Sacramento: TDA Drivers Inc
Address: 5711 Florin Perkins Rd, Ste A Sacramento, California 95828
Phone: 916-381-2285
Sacramento: Western Pacific Truck School
Address: 8720 Fruitridge Rd Sacramento, California 95826
Phone: 209-472-1500
Salida: San Jose Trucking School
Address: 4800 Elm St Salida, California 95368
Phone: 209-575-3696
Salinas: Coastal Trucking Institute LLC
Address: 112 Boronda Rd Salinas, California 93907
Phone: 831-751-9533
San Diego: United Truck Driving School
Address: 2425 Camino Del Rio San Diego, California 92108
Phone: 619-491-0777
San Francisco: Glide Foundation/TAES
Address: 330 Ellis St San Francisco, California 94102
Phone: 415-674-6150
San Francisco: Goodwill Industries of San Francisco
Address: 1500 Mission St San Francisco, California 94103
Phone: 415-575-2100
San Jose: AB Truck & Bus Driving School
Address: 1346 E Taylor St San Jose, California 95133
Phone: 408-298-1072
San Jose: San Jose Trucking School
Address: 880 S Bascom Ave San Jose, California 95112
Phone: 408-298-3755
Santa Ana: California Truck Driving Academy
Address: 921 N Poinsettia St, Unit A Santa Ana, California 92701
Phone: 800-581-2048
Santa Ana: United Truck Driving School
Address: 1665 E 4th St, Ste 106 Santa Ana, California 92701
Phone: 877-391-3030
Santa Clara: Area Truck Driving School
Address: 1061 Martin Ave Santa Clara, California 95050
Phone: 408-283-9028
Santa Maria: Center for Employment Training
Address: 509 W Morrison Ave Santa Maria, California 93458
Phone: 805-928-1737
Santa Rosa: CHD Anthony Soto Employment Training Centers (ASET)
Address: 100 Sebastopol Rd Santa Rosa, California 95407
Phone: 707-521-4764
Santa Rosa: Jose G Campos Truck Driving School
Address: 2360 Corby Ave Santa Rosa, California 95407
Phone: 707-579-8577
Selma: Bulldog Truck Driving School
Address: 3706 McCall Ave, Ste 109 Selma, California 93662
Phone: 559-891-8909
South El Monte: Edison Truck & Bus Driving School Inc
Address: 2024 Durfee Ave South El Monte, California 91733
Phone: 626-582-8540
South El Monte: TGA Truck Driving School
Address: 2845 Durfee Ave South El Monte, California 91732
Phone: 626-443-7112
Spring Valley: Western Truck School
Address: 11902 Campo Rd Spring Valley, California 91978
Phone: 619-582-4547
Stockton: CHD Anthony Soto Employment Training Centers (ASET)
Address: 2895 Teepee Dr Stockton, California 95205
Phone: 209-235-2070
Stockton: Western Pacific Truck School
Address: 1002 N Broadway Stockton, California 95205
Phone: 209-472-1500
Temecula : United Truck Driving School
Address: 28000 Del Rio Rd Temecula , California 92590
Phone: 866-424-4744
Turlock: Western Truck School
Address: 400 3rd St Turlock, California 95380
Phone: 916-372-5556
Vallejo: Falcon Truck School LLC
Address: 100 Corporate Pl, Ste B Vallejo, California 94590
Phone: 707-643-1700
Vallejo: MTS Training Academy
Address: 140 Yolano Dr Vallejo, California 94589
Phone: 707-643-2099
Ventura: Dootson School of Trucking
Address: 4475 Dupont Ct, Ste 4 Ventura, California 93003
Phone: 805-658-1111
Visalia: Advanced Truck Driving School
Address: 1728 N Kelsey St Visalia, California 93291
Phone: 559-651-1978
Visalia: Proteus Inc
Address: 1100 E Miller Park Ct Visalia, California 93291
Phone: 888-776-9998
Watsonville: Truck Driver Institute Watsonville
Address: 1150 Main St, Ste 8 Watsonville, California 95076
Phone: 800-700-8782
West Sacramento: Western Truck School
Address: 4519 W Capitol Ave West Sacramento, California 95691
Phone: 916-372-9984
Winton: Central Valley Opportunity Center
Address: PO Box 1389 Winton, California 95388
Phone: 209-357-0062
Yuba City: TDA Drivers Inc
Address: 1250 Market St, Ste A Yuba City, California 95991
Phone: 877-878-6536
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