How to Start a CDL Training Program

Jason Boudreau • March 7, 2025

Launching a CDL training program allows carriers, fleets, and logistics companies to hire new drivers while ensuring FMCSA and ELDT compliance is met. This approach helps reduce driver shortages, lower hiring costs, and provide hands-on training tailored to company-specific equipment, safety protocols, and job requirements.

To operate legally and efficiently, programs must follow FMCSA guidelines, state regulations, and ELDT training standards. Below is a step-by-step guide to starting your own CDL training program.

How to start an in house CDL training program

Setting Up a Company CDL Training Program


Launching a CDL training program allows carriers, fleets, and logistics companies to hire new drivers while ensuring FMCSA and ELDT compliance is met. This approach helps reduce driver shortages, lower hiring costs, and provide hands-on training tailored to company-specific equipment, safety protocols, and job requirements.

To operate legally and efficiently, programs must follow FMCSA guidelines, state regulations, and ELDT training standards. Below is a step-by-step guide to starting your own CDL training program.

Register With The FMCSA Training Provider Registry (TPR)


Before offering CDL training, companies must register with FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry (TPR) to ensure compliance with Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) standards.

​To become a registered training provider on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) Training Provider Registry (TPR), it's essential to understand and comply with the Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) standards.


The following article is a step-by-step guide on how to get registered on the FMCSA's Training Provider Registry:

How to Register on the FMCSA's TPR

Meet State Requirements to Become a CDL Training Provider


Each state has different requirements for becoming a CDL training provider. Contact your local Department of Transportation (DOT) or state licensing agency to:

  • Verify state-specific licensing and certification requirements.

  • Ensure you meet facility, instructor, and vehicle qualifications.

  • Understand any additional state-mandated training regulations.
State-by-state CDL Training Requirements

Secure a Qualified Training Yard & Vehicles


To conduct Behind-The-Wheel (BTW) training, companies must have access to FMCSA compliant training yards and vehicles that meet CDL testing standards.

  • Training Yard: Must be large enough for maneuverability training, parking, and pre-trip inspections.

  • Trucks: Must meet CDL testing specifications, including proper weight, transmission type, and safety equipment.

Meeting ELDT Requirements for In-House CDL Training set forth by the FMCSA 49 CFR Part 380


The Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) FMCSA 49 CFR Part 380 requires companies to provide both theory training and behind-the-wheel training before a driver can take the CDL skills test.

ELDT Theory Curriculum


Companies must provide ELDT-compliant theory training that covers all curriculum set forth by the FMCSA.

The CDL PowerSuite ELDT Solution

  • Pre-built ELDT-compliant theory curriculum available online.
  • Students must pass with an 80% or higher score to advance.
  • Seamless FMCSA Training Provider Registry (TPR) submissions.
Learn More About Our Integrated ELDT Theory

ELDT Behind-The-Wheel (BTW) Training


Companies must provide hands-on behind-the-wheel training (BTW) that includes both range and road training to meet FMCSA Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements. This ensures trainees develop the necessary skills to operate a commercial vehicle safely and efficiently.

Range Training – Mastering Vehicle Control in a Controlled Environment


Range training takes place in a closed-course training yard where students learn to control and maneuver a commercial vehicle in a safe, structured environment before entering public roadways.

Range Training Skills:

  • Pre-Trip Inspection: Students learn to inspect vehicle components, ensuring the truck is safe for operation.

  • Straight-Line Backing: Practice backing the vehicle in a straight line within a designated lane.

  • Offset Backing (Left & Right): Trainees maneuver the truck into a parking spot from an angled position.

  • Parallel Parking (Driver & Passenger Side): Ensures drivers can park safely in tight spaces.

  • Alley Docking: Backing the vehicle into a dock or tight space at a 90-degree angle.

  • Vehicle Control & Slow Maneuvers: Developing skills for low-speed operations in confined spaces.

  • Clutch & Gear Control (Manual Transmission): Ensuring smooth shifting and power control for manual CDL training.

Road Training – Real-World Driving Experience in Traffic Conditions


Road training exposes trainees to various driving conditions on public roads, helping them gain experience handling a commercial vehicle in real-world scenarios.

Road Training Skills:

  • Urban & Highway Driving: Navigating city streets, highways, and interstates while adhering to speed limits and regulations.

  • Lane Changes & Merging: Practicing safe merging techniques and lane changes in high-traffic areas.

  • Turns & Intersections: Making controlled left and right turns while managing space and clearance.

  • Railroad Crossings & Hazard Awareness: Understanding procedures for safely crossing railroad tracks and identifying road hazards.

  • Emergency Procedures & Braking Techniques: Learning how to respond to emergencies, including sudden stops and hazard avoidance.

  • Shifting & Speed Control: Maintaining appropriate speeds, especially on hills and curves, while shifting smoothly.

  • Nighttime & Adverse Weather Training (if applicable): Preparing students for low-visibility and hazardous driving conditions.

The CDL PowerSuite Behind-The-Wheel Solution

CDL PowerSuite provides a comprehensive digital solution for range and road training, ensuring FMCSA compliance while streamlining instructor oversight and student progress tracking.

  • Digital Instructor Portal & Live Progress Tracking: Track student proficiency in real-time with pre-loaded training categories for both range and road training.

  • Automated Training Logs & Compliance Records: Log training hours instantly and store driving assessments to simplify audits.

  • Real-Time Performance Feedback & Scorecards:  Provide structured feedback as students complete each maneuver, ensuring they meet FMCSA proficiency standards.

With CDL PowerSuite, training providers can maximize efficiency, reduce paperwork, and deliver a structured, compliance-ready training experience.

Learn More About Our Behind-The-Wheel Tools
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Thoughts from Tim McLain National Academy Director, CDL PowerSuite Everyone Under One Roof For the first time in my career, we had FMCSA, AAMVA, state licensing agencies, publicly funded truck-driving schools, private CDL schools, and CVTA all under one roof. In more than 30 years in this industry, I've never seen every entity involved in training a driver gathered in the same room, talking openly, correcting misinformation, and aligning on the same mission. We Must Communicate Better You would think that more than four years after Entry-Level Driver Training came out, it would be one of the most clearly communicated parts of our industry. But last week proved otherwise. The biggest takeaway, beyond our shared commitment to safer drivers, was simple: we must communicate better. State licensing agencies were unaware of or unaligned with FMCSA requirements. FMCSA wasn't always responsive to those agencies. Auditors were inconsistent, and in some cases, simply wrong. Correcting Misinformation in Real Time Seeing these issues addressed directly, and watching misinformation get corrected in real time, was invaluable. One example: schools were told they were out of compliance because instructors didn't have a self-certification form in their files. Patrick Nemons clarified that this is not required for instructors, only for students. That's how much confusion still exists, and why every provider must be an expert in Part 380. If It's on Your TPR, You Must Be Able to Teach It Another major point: anything you list on your TPR must be something you can teach immediately. That means equipment, lesson plans, facilities, and instructor qualifications must all be in place. If not, you will be found out of compliance. And there is no gray area. You're either compliant or you're not. Even if you fix it on the spot, you will still be marked out of compliance and required to submit a Corrective Action Plan. And the consequences are real: schools must notify current and prospective students that their organization is under review. For some programs, that can be devastating. Why Real-Time Records Matter This is exactly why I sought out CDL PowerSuite while I was still running multiple campuses. You cannot rely on paper. Paper is a lagging measure. By the time you discover an issue, the student may already be gone. You need real-time information: equipment, instructor qualification files, student records, curriculum, evaluations, all accurate, all accessible, all the time. That's why I've been grateful to work with CDL PowerSuite and help schools achieve full transparency and compliance. A Gathering This Industry Needed Seeing FMCSA, PTDI, CVTA, NAPFTDS, and the SDLAs together was something this industry has needed for a long time. I'm grateful to PTDI for sponsoring the event, FMCSA for the grant that made it possible, and the leadership of CVTA and NAPFTDS for bringing their schools into the conversation. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime gathering, but one I hope becomes a regular occurrence. Take Your TPR Certification Seriously On Thursday at the CVTA conference, we also received a legal briefing on federal activities related to the Training Provider Registry. One important takeaway: pay close attention when certifying your information in the TPR. Many in our industry move through that process too casually, without fully understanding the legal obligations they place on their organizations or how critical it is that every detail is correct. I won't dive deeper here, but it deserves your attention. Clearer Roles. Safer Roads. I could write a book about everything that was shared, corrected, and clarified. Everyone walked away with a clearer understanding of their role and, more importantly, how to communicate with one another. That clarity will benefit future drivers and make our roads safer. Have a Voice in Where This Industry Goes If you weren't there, you missed something special. If you're a school, you need to be part of CVTA or NAPFTDS, not just for the education, but to have a voice in how this industry moves forward. The value of sharing experiences, learning from peers, and gaining months' worth of insight in just a few days is immeasurable.