The eight programs, side by side
Every row comes from the carrier's own page, read in October 2026. Where a page does not state a term, the cell says so.
Scroll horizontally to view every column.
| Carrier | Cost up front | Pay during training | Length and where | Commitment | What you need first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TMC (flatbed) | $0. Transportation and lodging paid | $500 a week at school and $500 a week during 4 weeks of over-the-road training | 3 weeks (19 consecutive days) in Des Moines, IA or Columbia, SC. DOL-registered apprenticeship | Drive for TMC for 1 year after the CDL. Leave early and you repay a prorated part of the training cost | CLP |
| Roehl | $0 tuition. Lodging and most meals provided; you pay to get to the site | Hired as an employee on day 1: $616 for a full week in the 3-week school, then $112 a day with a trainer | 3 weeks, multiple locations near Roehl terminals | 120,000 solo miles (about 15 months). The training is "in effect a loan" that is forgiven when you complete it | CLP, passed on your own |
| Prime | $0 to start. Bus, hotel and 3 meals a day during orientation | A $300 a week loan during CDL instruction; $250 bonus for passing the exam on the first try; then at least $900 a week away from home or $120 a day at home during the TNT phase | 2 to 4 weeks of instruction, then 30,000 to 50,000 training miles. Springfield, MO; Pittston, PA; Salt Lake City, UT | Drive for Prime for 1 year after the CDL and the training costs nothing | Class A learner's permit from your home state |
| C.R. England | $0 up-front tuition. Travel and hotel covered during on-site training | Not stated on the page | Not stated on the page | 70% of tuition forgiven after a 1-year employment commitment | Not stated on the page |
| CRST | $0 with the company-sponsored option; CRST pays the full tuition | Not stated in the packet | Not stated in the packet | A signed 10-month contract. Tuition is not deducted from paychecks. Prepay and GI Bill options also exist | Not stated in the packet |
| Schneider | $0 for the CDL Apprenticeship Training program; or tuition reimbursement of $200 a month up to $7,000 if you paid a school yourself | "Compensation for time spent in training"; amount not stated | 5 to 7.5 weeks at a Schneider facility, only where the program runs | Not stated on the page | CLP and a U.S. license held for the past 12 months |
| Knight | Not stated for school; tuition reimbursement listed for the Phoenix school | $650 a week with an over-the-road trainer in Atlanta, $850 a week in Columbus | 2 to 3 weeks of school in Phoenix, AZ or Indianapolis, IN, then 3 to 6 weeks on the road | Not stated on the page | Not stated on the page |
| Stevens Transport (refrigerated) | $0: "100% company sponsorship" covering tuition, lodging, meal assistance and transportation assistance | Finishing program is paid; amount not stated | 160-hour course at the Dallas, TX academy or a partner school, then a 240-hour paid finishing program | Not stated on the page | Age 22, license for 12 months, record limits listed on the application |
How sponsorship actually works
There are three models, and the agreement you sign tells you which one you have.
- Employee from day one. Roehl and TMC hire you before school starts and pay a weekly wage. The tuition sits as a loan that disappears when you finish the commitment. Roehl measures it in miles (120,000 solo), TMC in time (one year).
- Tuition paid, commitment signed. CRST pays the school and you sign a 10-month contract. Prime covers tuition if you drive one year after your CDL; during school it lends you $300 a week for living costs. C.R. England forgives 70% of tuition after one year, which means the other 30% is on you in some form; the page does not say how it is collected.
- Reimbursement after you pay. Schneider refunds up to $200 a month, capped at $7,000, to qualified drivers who went to school on their own. You carry the cost up front, often with a loan.
What to read in the agreement before you travel
- The repayment formula. TMC says a prorated part of the cost. Roehl, Prime, C.R. England and CRST do not publish the formula. Ask for the dollar amount at month 3, 6 and 9.
- What counts as leaving. Being let go for a preventable accident usually triggers the same repayment as quitting. The agreement will say.
- Miles versus months. A mileage commitment can take longer than it looks if freight is slow. Roehl's 120,000 solo miles is "about 15 months" at full dispatch.
- Deductions. CRST states tuition is not deducted from paychecks. If a program is silent, ask whether anything comes out of your check and from which week.
- The loan during school. Prime's $300 a week is a loan, not pay. Ask how it is repaid.
- Who pays to get there. TMC and C.R. England cover travel. Roehl's page asks why you pay to reach the training site, so budget for that trip.
What you need before day one
Most programs require a commercial learner's permit before you arrive: TMC, Roehl, Prime and Schneider all list it. That means passing the general knowledge, air brakes and combination vehicle tests at your state licensing office first. You also need a DOT physical, a valid license, and a driving record that clears the carrier's limits. Stevens Transport lists an age floor of 22; federal rules require 21 to drive across state lines. The full federal checklist: how to get a CDL. Since March 16, 2026, drivers without U.S. citizenship, permanent residence, or H-2A, H-2B or E-2 status cannot get a CDL at all; see the non-domiciled CDL rule and, for work on a regular license, driver jobs that do not need a CDL.
What drivers earn after the program
- Roehl reports that drivers with at least one year on the job average $1,435 a week, about $74,620 a year, and that the top half average $1,625 a week (roehl.jobs, October 2026).
- TMC says first-year drivers are earning up to $100,000 on percentage pay (tmctrans.com, October 2026). "Up to" is a ceiling, not an average.
- The national median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers was $28.19 an hour in May 2025, with the 10th to 90th percentile range at $19.30 to $38.17 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics).
How these numbers split by job type: local vs regional vs OTR trucking. Pay frequency and weekly-pay employers: jobs with weekly pay. Medians for every JobPin category: pay benchmarks.
Questions to ask a recruiter
- What is the total cost of training on paper, and what is the repayment at months 3, 6 and 9 if I leave?
- Am I an employee during school, and what is my weekly pay or stipend?
- Where will I be based after training, and what home time does that fleet run?
- How many graduates from the last class were hired, and into which fleet?
- What record, medical or age rules would stop me after I arrive?
Current openings
Carrier openings for new and experienced drivers: driver jobs, Dallas, Houston.
More driver openings
Current source-linked listings could not be confirmed in this sample. Check the category search and each original posting for availability.
How to verify a listing
Every opening on JobPin links to its source posting. Confirm training terms on the carrier's own site, not on a recruiter's message. No carrier charges a fee to apply for sponsored training. If a "recruiter" asks for payment, a gift card, or your Social Security number before you apply on the carrier's site, stop.
How JobPin dates and sources listings: How JobPin verifies listings and events. Report a listing.