The State of South Carolina requires its truck drivers to possess a Commercial Driver’s License or CDL. Before you can apply for a trucking license, you must be at least 18 years old to drive intrastate. If you wish to drive to another state, then you must be at least 21 years old. You will also need to pass a vision test and physical exam to get a medical certificate from a DOT certified physician. Aside from these, CDL applicants must also provide supporting documents such as a birth certificate, driver’s license or passport.

Once you file your application, you can then take the written General Knowledge test. Additional tests will be given for each endorsement you wish to be applied to your CDL. You can ensure that you pass your written exam by reading the South Carolina CDL Manual. If you pass the written exams, you’ll be given a temporary license. Use this license to gain practical experience in driving a truck while being supervised by a licensed driver. If you feel that you are ready for the skills test, go to your nearest DMV office and schedule for an exam. The skills test is divided into three parts: pre-trip inspection, basic skills exam, and actual on-road testing. You’ll need to pass all three to receive your license to be eligible to work as a truck driver in South Carolina.

List of Truck Driving Schools in SC

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Bishopville

Xtra Mile Driver Training
855 Highway 15 North,
Bishopville, SC 29010
Phone: (803) 484-6313

Cades

J & J Truck Driver Training
1557 Country Road S-45-292
Cades, SC 29518
(843) 389-5588

Charleston

NEI
1325 Proten Street,
Charleston, SC 29405
(May be closed)

Conway

Miller-Motte Tech
2451 Highway 501,
Conway, SC 29526
(843) 591-1100

Norry Georgetown Truck Driver Training
2050 Highway 501 E,
Conway, SC 29526

Clearwater

Carolina Driving Academy
P.O. Box 967
Clearwater, SC 29822
(843)332-6620

Florence

DC Training
2325 Prosperity Way, Suite 2
Florence, SC 29501
(843) 667-6990

TransTech – Florence
2616 Melon Street,
Florence, SC 29501

Greenville

Greenville Tech
111 Connecticut Court
Greenville, SC 29605
(864) 277-2845

Greenville Truck Driver Training
216 South Pleasantburg Drive
Greenville, SC
(864) 250-8183

Greenwood

Piedmont Technical College
620 N Emerald Road,
Greenwood, SC 29648
(800) 868-5528

Kingstree

Williamsburg Tech College
601 ML King Jr. Avenue,
Kingstree, SC 29556
(843) 354-2021

Lexington

Sage Truck Driving School
277 Dooley Road
Lexington, SC 29073
(866) 452-5157

Newberry

Transport Training
550 Wilson Road,
Newberry, SC 29108
(803) 276-7363

North Charleston

Miller-Motte Tech
8085 Rivers Ave
North Charleston, SC 29406
(888) 253-6045

Palmetto Training, Inc.
7293 Peppermill Pkwy
North Charleston, SC 29418
(843) 746-9387

Orangeburg

Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College
3250 St. Matthews Road
Orangeburg, SC 29118
(803) 535-1237

Pendleton

Tri-City Tech Driver Training
P.O. Box 587
Pendleton, SC 29670
(864) 646-8361

Richburg

Charlotte Truck Driver Training School
1555 Mountain Gap Road,
Richburg, SC 29729
(803) 789-3538

Truck Driver Institute
3425 Lancaster Highway
Richburg, SC 29729
(888) 263-7364 or (803) 789-5399

Rock Hills

York Technical College
452 South Anderson Road
Rock Hill, SC 29730
(803) 981-7338

Spartanburg

C.R. England
289 Access Road
Spartanburg, SC 29303
(864) 503-8850

Spartanburg Community College
800 Brisack Road
Spartanburg, SC 29303
(864) 592-4800

United States Truck Driving School
145 Dexter Road,
Spartanburg, SC 29303

Sumter

Central Carolina Tech
506 N Guignard Drive
Sumter, SC 29150
(803) 778-1961

West Columbia

Midlands Technical College
1260 Lexington Drive,
West Columbia, SC 29170
(803) 732-0432

To submit a CDL school to this page you can use our contact form found here. All submissions of training facilities must include the full name, address, and contact details in order to be considered.

If you think that truck driving is your best career option in South Carolina, then you must be able to secure a South Carolina (CDL) commercial driver’s license before you apply for a job. State and federal laws now require truck drivers to pass certain qualifications in order to maintain the safety and security of the roads. Today, you will not only have to pass a knowledge exam, you would also need to pass a vision and physical certification from the DOT itself and even a criminal background check if you want a hazardous materials endorsement.

To get a South Carolina CDL, you must first be at least 18 years old in order to be eligible for an intrastate license. This is the minimum age requirement for those who will engage in commercial truck driving within the state only, while those who will be doing interstate driving should be at least 21 years old. You must also possess a current driver’s license which the DMV will subject to a background check to see if it is revoked or suspended for any serious traffic violation. If this is the case, you will not be issued a license or even a learner’s permit.

If you are within the required age limits, what you need to do next is to pick up a copy of the South Carolina CDL Manual which contains almost all of the information that you need in order to pass the knowledge and skills exam which will be required at the end. It is important to study the manual as the questions and the skills test will all be derived from the manual. It will be better to be prepared for this exam as it can either make or break your chances of becoming a commercial truck driver.

After this, you will have to visit your local DMV office to schedule for a written test. Before you take the written test, you will have to submit several documents together with your application. These documents include: a valid ID, proof of residency, current driver’s license, proof of legal residence in the United States, your Social Security Number, a filled-out application form, a completed DOT medical form, a vision test, and self-certification with regards to the type of commercial driving that you would be doing.

The written or knowledge test will involve general information about driving but this does not include the tests for other types of endorsements. If you pass this test, you will be provided with a learner’s permit which shall be valid for a few months. During the tenure of your learner’s permit, you will be expected to learn actual driving together with a licensed individual in the type of commercial vehicle that you are applying for. Before your permit expires, you must be able to take the driving test where you will be assessed on pre-trip inspection, basic driving skills, and on-road driving. You will have to pass all of these tests at the same time in order to gain a South Carolina CDL.

There are a variety of trucking driving schools in SC one can find to help learn the requirements of the driving and knowledge exams. Schools can take as little as a few weeks to complete and often will provide job assistance for their graduates. You can learn more about the latest CDL requirements by clicking the driver’s license manual link below.

South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles
Mailing Address:
Post Office Box 1498
Blythewood, South Carolina 29016
Street Address:
10311 Wilson Boulevard – Building C
Blythewood, South Carolina 29016
Website: SC DMV
SC CDL Manual
DMV Call Center (803) 896-5000