Virginia Archives - Truck Driving School HQ

To apply for a commercial driver’s license in Virginia, you must be at least 18 years old to meet the requirements for a regular driver’s license. If you wish to drive a commercial truck carrying hazardous materials, or haul interstate freight within the state, then you must be a 21 years or older. Obtaining a CDL in this state mainly involves passing physical and visual tests, written exams, and skills tests.

After submitting the required paperwork at the local DMV office, applicants will be required to undergo a visual test. Applicants who pass will be allowed to take the General Knowledge test. Additional exams will be given to applicants who wish to have endorsements on their CDL. An endorsement will allow a holder to perform additional tasks such as transporting hazardous materials, passengers, or drive a combination of commercial vehicles.

trucker-driving-fast Applicants who pass the written tests will be issued a temporary instructional permit. This permit is needed to take the skills exam. CDL applicants may only apply for the skills exam 30 days after receiving this permit. The skills exam consists of a pre-trip inspection, basic skills demonstration, and on-road testing. Applicants must pass all three parts to receive a truck driving license in Virginia.

List of Truck Driving Schools in VA

Alberta

Southside Virginia Community College
109 Campus Drive,
Alberta, VA 23821
Phone: (434) 949-1000

Big Stone Gap

Mountain Empire Community College
3441 Mountain Empire Road,
Big Stone Gap, VA 24219
(276) 523-2400

Blackstone

Southside Virginia Community College
1041 W. 10th Street
Blackstone, VA 23824
(434) 292-3101

Chester

John Tyler Community College
13101 Jefferson Davis Highway,
Chester, VA 23831
(804) 796-4000

Shippers’ Choice Tractor-Trailer Driver Training
1151 West Hundred Road
Chester, VA 23836
(804) 751-9090

Clifton Forge

Dabney S. Lancaster Community College
1000 Dabney Drive,
Clifton Forge, VA 24422
(540) 863-2800

Duffield

R & O Truck Driver Training
P.O. Box 31
Duffield, VA 24244
(276) 431-4271

Front Royal

Road Pro Commercial Truck Training
508 Kendrick Ln # J
Front Royal, VA 22630
(540) 636-9397

Hansonville

Tri-County Driving Academy
U.S. Route 19
Hansonville, VA 24266
(540) 794-7660

Lebanon

Tri-County Driving Academy
1714 US Highway 19
Lebanon, VA 24266
(276) 794-7660

Manassas

A Class Truck & Bus Driving
9041 Mike Garcia Drive
Manassas, VA 20109
(703) 367-7111

A-1 CDL School
11301 Coles Drive,
Manassas, VA 20112
(877) 543-2345

AAA CDL School
7223 Centreville Road (2nd floor)
Manassas, VA 20111
(571) 266-0077

Manassas Park

Shippers’ Choice Tractor-Trailer Driver Training
9202 Manassas Drive
Manassas Park, VA 20111
(703) 396-8822

Middletown

Lord Fairfax Community College
173 Skirmisher Lane,
Middletown, VA 22645
(800) 906-5322

Newport News

Shippers’ Choice Tractor-Trailer Driver Training
6163 Jefferson Avenue, Suite C
Newport News, VA 23605
(757) 896-1155

Portsmouth

Tidewater Community College Truck Driver Training
7000 College Drive,
Portsmouth, VA 23703
(757) 822-2124

Roanoke

Virginia Western Community College
3095 Colonial Avenue, SW
Roanoke, VA 24018
(540) 857-6476

South Boston

Southside Virginia Truck Driving School
1081 Industrial Park Road,
South Boston, VA 24592
(434) 575-8388

Suffolk

Tidewater Community College
7000 College Drive
Suffolk, VA 23435
(757) 822-2124

Virginia Beach

Advanced Technology Institute
5700 Southern Boulevard,
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
(804) 448-3282

Weber City

Diesel Truck Driving School
147 Yuma Road,
Weber City, VA 24290
(276) 386-7580

Weyers Cave

WSCE Commercial Driving School
1 College Lane
Weyers Cave, VA 24486
(888-750-2722

Woodford

CDS Tractor Trailer Training
6200 Jefferson Davis Hwy.
Woodford, VA 22580
(800) 646-2374

Wytheville

Alliance Tractor Trailer Training Center
100 Nye Road & Cove Road
Wytheville, VA 24382
(276) 228-6101

Wytheville Community College
1000 East Main Street,
Wytheville, VA 24382
(276) 223-4700

Know of a CDL training school that is not listed here? You can use our contact form to submit a program for us to include on this page. With your submission please provide the full name of the business, an address, and phone number.

A CDL in Virginia is one of the requirements that should be met before one can work as a commercial truck driver in the state. The United States government had issued newer standards which applicants would have to comply with before they can be issued with a commercial driver’s license in order to secure the safety of its citizens. These new regulations had been applied due to the recent threats in the country which posed security concerns for each and every state.

One of the things that an applicant for a CDL in Virginia must comply with is to be at least 18 years old. This age limit is only for those who will be applying for an intrastate CDL while those who will be doing interstate driving should be at least 21 years old. The applicant must also possess a clean driving record at least for the past few years. Being involved in some serious traffic violation can affect your chances of getting a license although you can appeal the DMVs decision if there are some valid reasons to do so. Hence, getting a truck driving license today can be quite more difficult than it had been years before.

vehicle-carrier-truck Another thing is that there is now a CDL Manual which you can refer to in order to gain a better chance at passing the written and the skills test which shall be administered by the DMV. The Virginia Commercial Driver’s License Manual is a good source of truck driving information including truck parts, maintenance, operation, and other significant legal aspects about this subject. If you read the Manual, you will see the areas with which you will be tested on during the skills test as well as in the written exam so never underestimate the value of this booklet. You can pick up a copy for free at your local driver licensing office.

To get to the written test, you will have to submit a filled out application form, your current driver’s license, your Social Security number, valid IDs, proof of residence in Virginia, proof of legal residence in the United States, your DOT Medical certification, and your vision test results. The state now requires applicants to be physically fit in order to issue commercial driving licenses without restrictions. Once you have submitted the said documents, you can then proceed to take the written exam which will give you your learner’s permit if you pass.

The learner’s permit is valid for six months and you will only be issued this once every two years with only one chance to renew. The permit will let you drive a commercial truck as long as you are with a licensed individual inside the truck. Learn all that you can about actual truck driving during this period in order to prepare for the skills test. The test will cover pre-trip inspection, basic driving skills, and a road test to determine your fitness for driving in different types of traffic situations. If you pass all of these tests, the DMV will then issue your CDL in Virginia.

For those who wish to learn how to drive a commercial vehicle, there are many truck driving schools in VA to help. Training will consist of behind the wheel instruction, as well as classroom time to learn the state requirements. Generally classes can be completed in several weeks and often schools will provide job assistance for those who receive their license. To learn more about the latest CDL requirements, check out the link to the driver’s manual linked below.

Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
P.O. Box 27412
Richmond, VA 23269
Website: Virginia DMV
VA CDL Manual
(804) 497-7100
1-888-337-4782