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CDL schools in Tennessee
45 schools in Tennessee are on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry for Class A training and take students from the public. Programs that post prices to Tennessee's approved training list charge a median $4,400, with the middle 80% between $1,536 and $5,880 (42 programs).
Heavy truck drivers in Tennessee earn a median $58,620 a year, and 64,890 hold those jobs. A commercial learner permit costs $14 and the Class A license $70 for 8 years (Tennessee DMV pages, checked Oct 5, 2026).
Registry file Oct 5, 2026 · BLS wages May 2025 · Tennessee training list (TrainingProviderResults.gov)
Class A schools open to the public in Tennessee; 42 teach theory, range and road.
Typical first-time cost: median posted tuition plus the Tennessee permit ($14) and CDL ($70). Medical exam extra.
Tennessee training locations FMCSA has removed from the registry, 218 of them involuntarily.
Median pay for heavy truck drivers in Tennessee; 64,890 work there.
Find a Tennessee school near you
Type a ZIP code to see the nearest registered Class A schools. The full lists are below.
Where 45 schools are
29 cities in Tennessee have a page with their schools, prices and removed providers. Biggest first.
| City | Class A schools | All registered schools |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis | 8 | 8 |
Smaller towns, with their schools
Nashville
160 Driving Academy, Premier Truck Driver TRaining, Professional Driving Academy Nashville LLC
Chattanooga
Driving Academy, Miller-Motte College Chattanooga
Clarksville
Armored Trucking Academy, LLC, Tennessee College of Applied Technology
Jackson
Drive-Train 1, Tennessee College of Applied Technology
Johnson City
Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Tri-Cities Truck Driving School, LLC
Murfreesboro
5star C.D.L. Training Corp, United Truck Driving School
Knoxville
OCC- CDL Academy, Tennessee College of Applied Technology Knoxville
Christiana
Truck Driver Institute, Inc.
Columbia
Superior Drivers Institute, LLC
Crossville
TCAT Upper Cumberland
Crump
TCAT Crump
Eads
901 CDL School
Fort Campbell
Troops into Transportation
Hampshire
Capital Truck Driving Institute Inc.
Harriman
Tennessee College of Applied Technology of Harriman
Hohenwald
TCAT Hohenwald
La Vergne
ELDT Solutions - Nashville
Livingston
TCAT Upper Cumberland @ Livingston
Madison
Tennessee CDL School inc.
Manchester
Tennessee College of Applied Technology - McMinnville
McMinnville
Tennessee College of Applied Technology
Millington
Roadmaster Drivers School (MIL)
Mt. Juliet
Ark Driving Acadamy LLC
Newbern
Tennessee College of Applied Technology Newbern
Oneida
Tennessee College of Applied Technology Oneida
Parsons
Tennessee College of Applied Technology Crump
Powell
Tennessee Truck Driving School
Sharon
Roadrunner Driving School, LLC
Shelbyville
Tennessee College of Applied Technology
Soddy-Daisy
Chattanooga State Community College/ Tcat
Source: FMCSA Training Provider Registry location file, Oct 5, 2026.
What we left out
We left out 539 active registrants in Tennessee: 463 are private (training the employees or students of one organization only); 36 are online-only or travel to the customer; 40 tick "open to the public" but are not schools that take students: 5 school districts and public school programs, 8 employers and carriers training their own drivers, 19 bus or coach operators, 2 government agencies and 6 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 Tennessee
Tennessee programs post tuition to the Labor Department's list of approved training programs, the list workforce boards use to pay for training. Across 42 programs the median is $4,400, the lowest posted price is $1,203 and the highest is $7,495. Completion and job rates are on each school's page where it has them.
State fees
| Commercial learner permit | $14 |
|---|---|
| Class A license (8 years) | $70 |
Tennessee DMV pages, checked October 5, 2026 · fee page. The DOT medical exam is extra.
Tennessee's CDL manual (state DMV).
Source: TrainingProviderResults.gov program file (downloaded Oct 5, 2026); Tennessee DMV pages.
Free and company-paid training in Tennessee
Workforce boards. If you qualify for WIOA, a Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 243 Tennessee training locations from the registry, 218 of them involuntarily. The registry lists 5 more Tennessee locations as under review. A school on the removed list cannot certify your training. Removals by state
44% of Tennessee's Class A schools updated their registry record in 2026; 14 have left their record untouched for over two years.
Questions people ask
How much is CDL school in Tennessee?
Programs on Tennessee's approved training list post a median of $4,400, with the middle 80% between $1,536 and $5,880. With the permit and license fees, plan on about $4,484 before the medical exam.
How many CDL schools are in Tennessee?
45 schools in Tennessee are registered for Class A training and open to the public, in 31 cities. 1 more school teaches only Class B, passenger or school bus training. FMCSA lists 243 Tennessee locations as removed.
How do I check that a Tennessee 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 Tennessee?
Two routes. A workforce board can pay tuition at a school on Tennessee'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.