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CDL schools in South Carolina
40 schools in South Carolina are on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry for Class A training and take students from the public. Programs that post prices to South Carolina's approved training list charge a median $5,000, with the middle 80% between $4,630 and $6,500 (21 programs).
Heavy truck drivers in South Carolina earn a median $51,130 a year, and 34,170 hold those jobs. A commercial learner permit costs $18 and the Class A license $40 for 8 years (South Carolina DMV pages, checked Oct 5, 2026).
Registry file Oct 5, 2026 · BLS wages May 2025 · South Carolina training list (TrainingProviderResults.gov)
Class A schools open to the public in South Carolina; 39 teach theory, range and road.
Typical first-time cost: median posted tuition plus the South Carolina permit ($18) and CDL ($40). Medical exam extra.
South Carolina training locations FMCSA has removed from the registry, 121 of them involuntarily.
Median pay for heavy truck drivers in South Carolina; 34,170 work there.
Find a South Carolina school near you
Type a ZIP code to see the nearest registered Class A schools. The full lists are below.
Where 40 schools are
24 cities in South Carolina have a page with their schools, prices and removed providers. Biggest first.
| City | Class A schools | All registered schools |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 4 | 4 |
| Orangeburg | 4 | 4 |
| Greenville | 3 | 3 |
Smaller towns, with their schools
Duncan
Commercial Driving Academy- SC, Spartanburg Community College
Greenwood
Fast-Pass Trucking Training, Piedmont Technical College
Summerville
Miller-Motte Driving Institute, (Summerville) Valley Coach & Logistics Commercial Driver Training School
Sumter
#2 - Palmetto Training, Inc. (Sumter), Ancora for Central Carolina Technical College
Anderson
Tri-County Technical College
Cheraw
Northeastern Technical College
Conway
Ancora for Horry-Georgetown Technical College
Fairfax
Palmetto Training, Inc. (Allendale)
Florence
Ancora for Florence Darlington Technical College
Gaffney
Neely Shaw CDL's, LLC
Graniteville
Ancora for Aiken Technical College
Greer
ACE Driving Academy
Hardeeville
#4 - Palmetto Training, Inc. (Hardeeville)
Kingstree
Ancora for Williamsburg Technical College
Lancaster
Carolina Construction School
Lexington
SAGE Truck Driving School - Columbia SC
Mullins
Founder
North Charleston
Trident Technical College
Ridgeland
Accel Trucking University
Rock Hill
York Technical Community College
Saluda
Fast-Pass Trucking Training
Taylors
Carolina CDL School, LLC
Varnville
Technical College of The Lowcountry
Walterboro
Technical College of The Lowcountry
Winnsboro
Ancora for Midlands Technical College Winnsboro, SC
Source: FMCSA Training Provider Registry location file, Oct 5, 2026.
What we left out
We left out 344 active registrants in South Carolina: 320 are private (training the employees or students of one organization only); 9 are online-only or travel to the customer; 15 tick "open to the public" but are not schools that take students: 9 school districts and public school programs and 6 employers and carriers training their own drivers. 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 South Carolina
South Carolina programs post tuition to the Labor Department's list of approved training programs, the list workforce boards use to pay for training. Across 21 programs the median is $5,000, the lowest posted price is $3,820 and the highest is $7,995. Completion and job rates are on each school's page where it has them.
State fees
| Commercial learner permit | $18 |
|---|---|
| Class A license (8 years) | $40 |
South Carolina DMV pages, checked October 5, 2026 · fee page. The DOT medical exam is extra.
South Carolina's CDL manual (state DMV).
Source: TrainingProviderResults.gov program file (downloaded Oct 5, 2026); South Carolina DMV pages.
Free and company-paid training in South Carolina
Workforce boards. If you qualify for WIOA, a South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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 127 South Carolina training locations from the registry, 121 of them involuntarily. The registry lists 9 more South Carolina locations as under review. A school on the removed list cannot certify your training. Removals by state
57% of South Carolina's Class A schools updated their registry record in 2026; 11 have left their record untouched for over two years.
Questions people ask
How much is CDL school in South Carolina?
Programs on South Carolina's approved training list post a median of $5,000, with the middle 80% between $4,630 and $6,500. With the permit and license fees, plan on about $5,058 before the medical exam.
How many CDL schools are in South Carolina?
40 schools in South Carolina are registered for Class A training and open to the public, in 28 cities. FMCSA lists 127 South Carolina locations as removed.
How do I check that a South Carolina 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 South Carolina?
Two routes. A workforce board can pay tuition at a school on South Carolina'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.