Professional Truck Driver

Our 160-hour Class A CDL training is ideal for individuals with no prior knowledge or experience in the truck driving industry. Students gain the necessary knowledge and practical skills needed to become truck drivers. This course prepares you to take the written permit and behind-the-wheel exam in order to receive a Class A CDL with endorsements. After getting your CDL, you will be eligible for employment as an entry-level driver.

Advanced Career Institute’s CDL training will step you through the entire process of getting your Class A CDL, all within 4-weeks of training at our school. In the beginning, you will receive classroom instruction to prepare for the DMV written CDL permit exam. The remaining part of the class will teach pre-trip inspection techniques, vehicle maintenance, emergency maneuvers, and all other behind-the-wheel skills required by the DMV.

Note: You must pass the written CDL Permit exam and the behind-the-wheel driving exam with the DMV in order to pass this course. Students will not be permitted to drive on public roads until a CDL permit has been obtained.

Experienced Instructors. Our instructors bring real-world commercial driving experience into the classroom and onto the practice yard. Learn from professionals who have been behind the wheel of the same rigs you’ll operate on the job.

Hands-On, Behind-the-Wheel Training. CDL training isn’t just reading and tests – it’s real practice in a real truck, so you graduate ready to handle pre-trip inspections, backing, coupling, and highway driving with confidence.

Get Job Assistance. After you earn your Class A CDL, our job placement team connects you with regional and national trucking carriers actively hiring ACI graduates.

Nationally accredited. Our CDL training programs are nationally accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (COE) and meet all federal requirements, so your training counts when it’s time to get your license.

Admission to the institution is open to all individuals who are past the age of compulsory attendance and provide a U.S. High School Diploma, GED, a recognized state equivalent or pass this institution’s Entrance Examination. For enrollment into the ACI transportation programs, applicants will be required to meet additional criteria (including eyesight, medical history, driving record, and criminal record) to obtain licensure and/or employment which will be evaluated prior to enrollment. All transportation program students are required to disclose their criminal background before enrollment to determine placement potential. Beginning February 7, 2022, students who obtain a Commercial Learners Permit on or after February 7, 2022, must complete Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) to be eligible to take the required skills or knowledge tests at DMV.

Program length. 160 clock hours, a 4 week program.

Class times at the Merced campus (2026 California School Catalog & Student Handbook, Vol. 26 v1.2 p.84, Program Hours). Daytime 7:00 AM–3:30 PM; evening not available.

Start dates. The 2026 academic calendar lists transportation class starts at all campuses on October 26, November 9, November 23, December 7 and December 21, 2026. Class starts & times are subject to change.

Cost of attendance. Tuition is $5,745 and the registration fee is $250, for total charges of $5,995 (2026 California School Catalog & Student Handbook, Vol. 26 v1.2 p.91, Current Fee Schedule). Tuition includes all books, supplies and materials needed for the program. The Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) fee is assessed upon enrollment and is included in the charges above.

Program costs for the transportation programs cover all classroom and behind the wheel instruction necessary to take the written & behind the wheel exams at the Department of Motor Vehicles as required for licensure. The Drug Screen, D.O.T. Physical, and Class A permit with endorsements (Airbrakes, Combination Vehicles, Doubles/Triples, Tankers, and Hazardous Materials) are non-refundable charges and are included in the tuition for the program. Any Retest fees are NOT included in the fee schedule; all Retest fees will be the student’s responsibility. Per FMCSA & TSA, fingerprint requirements & charges are mandatory for students seeking a Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) endorsement.

Registration fee. A $250 non-refundable registration fee applies to students who commence class; ACI retains only $100 of it if a student does not commence class.

Funding options. As a nationally accredited institution, ACI is authorized to offer various financial aid programs to those who qualify, though Financial Aid is not available for all of its programs. Funding options listed by the school include institutional payment plans (tuition split into equal monthly payments), private loans, company-sponsored funding programs, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds, Workers Compensation/Department of Rehabilitation funds, scholarships such as Women in Trucking, and Veterans Educational Benefits (GI Bill®). The 2026 catalog names Ag Transportation, Advanced Welding Technology and IT Professional as the programs for federal financial aid; the School Performance Fact Sheets report 0% of students in this program using federal student loans.

The Professional Truck Driver program meets the minimum requirements established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and is based on the FMCSA Model Curriculum. Successful completion qualifies graduates for work in entry-level truck driver positions with common carriers, private truck fleets, local, short and long-haul companies.

Trucking graduates can choose from several types of routes: local, regional, dedicated and over-the-road (OTR). Freight specialties like dry van, refrigerated, tanker, flatbed, and HazMat hauling are also available. Trucking companies send recruiters to ACI campuses throughout the year; hiring partners include Knight Transportation, Swift Transportation, Werner Enterprises, Covenant Transport, Northern Refrigerated, and Schneider.

School Performance Fact Sheet, calendar years 2023 & 2024 (published December 1, 2025). As filed with the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education for this program at the Merced campus:

On-time completion.

• 2023: 32 of 129 students available for graduation completed on time (25% on-time completion rate)
• 2024: 42 of 132 students available for graduation completed on time (32% on-time completion rate)

Job placement in the field.

• 2023: 72 of 102 graduates available for employment were employed in the field (71% placement rate)
• 2024: 82 of 115 graduates available for employment were employed in the field (71% placement rate)

License examination passage.

• 2023: 99 of 102 graduates passed the first available licensure exam (97% passage rate)
• 2024: 113 of 115 graduates passed the first available licensure exam (98% passage rate)

Hands-On Curriculum & Training. Advanced Career Institute has formulated its curriculum to meet the needs of students who are career-focused. Our hands-on curriculum and training are designed to help students adapt quickly. They experience a smooth transition from study to practical application in their new career.

Class Size. Classes generally range in size. However, ACI monitors enrollment for each class in order to keep class sizes as small as possible.

Short-Term, Accelerated Programs. Our on-going class starts throughout the year, and options for daytime or evening classes, give students flexibility.

Family Atmosphere. At ACI we pride ourselves in our commitment to provide a family atmosphere for people of all walks of life that fosters personal growth, empowerment through knowledge, and an everlasting sense of belonging to each of our campuses.