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CDL schools in Montana
21 schools in Montana are on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry for Class A training and take students from the public. Programs that post prices to Montana's approved training list charge a median $5,050, with the middle 80% between $2,040 and $11,400 (11 programs).
Heavy truck drivers in Montana earn a median $58,870 a year, and 7,830 hold those jobs. A commercial learner permit costs $42 and the Class A license $42 for 4 years (Montana DMV pages, checked Oct 5, 2026).
Registry file Oct 5, 2026 · BLS wages May 2025 · Montana training list (TrainingProviderResults.gov)
Class A schools open to the public in Montana; 19 teach theory, range and road.
Typical first-time cost: median posted tuition plus the Montana permit ($42) and CDL ($42). Medical exam extra.
Montana training locations FMCSA has removed from the registry, 100 of them involuntarily.
Median pay for heavy truck drivers in Montana; 7,830 work there.
Find a Montana school near you
Type a ZIP code to see the nearest registered Class A schools. The full lists are below.
Where 21 schools are
7 cities in Montana have a page with their schools, prices and removed providers. Biggest first.
Smaller towns, with their schools
Kalispell
Flathead Valley Community College, Route 93 Trucking, Inc.
Butte
Highlands College of Montana Tech
Columbia Falls
Integrated CDL
Gallatin Gateway
ELDT Solutions - Company Training MT
Glendive
Gibbs CDL Training
Great Falls
Gfc Msu
Hardin
GTA Truck Driving Institute
Helena
Helena College
Libby
Flathead Valley Community College
Miles City
Mcc
Missoula
university of Montana Missoula College
Pablo
Skc
Poplar
Fort Peck Community College
Sidney
Gibbs CDL Training
Havre
Woodwick CDL-ELDT Training
Lame Deer
Pick Em Up Bus Driver Training, LLC
Source: FMCSA Training Provider Registry location file, Oct 5, 2026.
What we left out
We left out 411 active registrants in Montana: 345 are private (training the employees or students of one organization only); 18 are online-only or travel to the customer; 48 tick "open to the public" but are not schools that take students: 9 school districts and public school programs, 11 employers and carriers training their own drivers, 9 bus or coach operators, 18 government agencies and 1 we could not classify from the registry record. Every count comes from the same registry file. Schools we kept pass a name, domain and class check that we describe on sources.
What CDL school costs in Montana
Montana programs post tuition to the Labor Department's list of approved training programs, the list workforce boards use to pay for training. Across 11 programs the median is $5,050, the lowest posted price is $1,972 and the highest is $14,335. Completion and job rates are on each school's page where it has them.
State fees
| Commercial learner permit | $42 |
|---|---|
| Class A license (4 years) | $42 |
Montana DMV pages, checked October 5, 2026 · fee page. The DOT medical exam is extra.
Montana's CDL manual (state DMV).
Source: TrainingProviderResults.gov program file (downloaded Oct 5, 2026); Montana DMV pages.
Free and company-paid training in Montana
Workforce boards. If you qualify for WIOA, a Montana workforce board can pay tuition at a school on the state's approved list. Ask at an American Job Center before you enrol, because boards pay only for programs on the list.
Carrier-paid programs that list Montana among their training sites. Training is free up front because you agree to drive for the carrier. What the carrier's own pages say:
| Carrier | Cost to you | Commitment | If you leave early |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Inc. | $0 upfront if you drive for Prime 1 year with CDL; Prime blog states $155 student cost ($100 admin fee + $55 permit/test costs) | 1 year driving for Prime with CDL | unverified on the carrier's page (tuition becomes payable if commitment not met) |
| Stevens Transport | no out-of-pocket costs | 'your commitment' - length not on page; third-party reports promissory-note model | unverified |
Carrier pages checked Oct 5, 2026. "Unverified" means the carrier does not publish it; ask for the signed agreement before you start. All carriers
How to check a Montana school before you pay
Since February 2022 you can only take the CDL skills test after finishing entry-level driver training with a provider on FMCSA's registry. Search the school's name at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov and confirm its status says Active. Or use our check-a-school page, which also searches the removed list.
FMCSA has removed 106 Montana training locations from the registry, 100 of them involuntarily. It lists no Montana locations as under review. A school on the removed list cannot certify your training. Removals by state
33% of Montana's Class A schools updated their registry record in 2026; 5 have left their record untouched for over two years.
Questions people ask
How much is CDL school in Montana?
Programs on Montana's approved training list post a median of $5,050, with the middle 80% between $2,040 and $11,400. With the permit and license fees, plan on about $5,133 before the medical exam.
How many CDL schools are in Montana?
21 schools in Montana are registered for Class A training and open to the public, in 16 cities. 2 more schools teach only Class B, passenger or school bus training. FMCSA lists 106 Montana locations as removed.
How do I check that a Montana school is on the FMCSA registry?
Search the school's name at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov and confirm its status says Active. Our check-a-school page searches active, removed and under-review records in one box.
Is there free CDL training in Montana?
Two routes. A workforce board can pay tuition at a school on Montana's approved training list if you qualify under WIOA, and some carriers train you for free in return for a work commitment. The terms differ, so read the signed agreement before you start.