At Interstate Truck Driving School (ITDS), you can find your first truck driving job before you finish CDL training. Our job placement assistance starts before your first day of class and connects you with trucking companies that hire new CDL drivers. You can fill out pre-hire applications with these carriers and meet their recruiters in person at our St. Paul campus, which serves students across the Twin Cities.
1. Talk to admissions. Tell us what kind of driving job you want: long haul, regional, or local.
2. Fill out pre-hire applications. Apply with partner carriers before training or while you train. You don’t need a CDL yet.
3. Meet carrier recruiters. Come to a recruiter visit at our school to learn what each company offers. See the schedule below.
4. Finish training and pass your CDL test. You’ll learn in the classroom, on the range, and on the road in commercial trucks. Your instructors prepare you for each part of the CDL skills test: the vehicle inspection, basic control skills, and the road test.
5. Get your written job offer. Once you earn your CDL, carriers that approved your pre-hire application can send you a written job offer.
A pre-hire letter is a conditional job offer that a trucking company gives to a CDL student before the student finishes training. It shows which carrier plans to hire the student and what kind of job to expect.
The offer usually depends on two things. The student must earn a CDL. The student must also pass the carrier’s own hiring checks, which often include:
Each carrier sets its own hiring standards. A driver who does not meet one company’s rules may still qualify with another.
No. Job placement assistance is included with enrollment at ITDS.
Yes, with some carriers. DLI, for example, runs local dedicated routes that get drivers home daily, so ask each recruiter about home time before you accept an offer.
Yes. Many carriers hire new CDL graduates and start them with a paid orientation, though some ask for 6 months or more of experience, so check with each recruiter.
New CDL drivers often start in over-the-road, regional, or dedicated jobs. Depending on the carrier, they may haul dry van, refrigerated, or flatbed freight.
Not always. Each carrier sets its own rules, so tell our admissions team about your record early and we can point you toward carriers that may consider you.
Some do. Ask recruiters about tuition reimbursement, and see our Tuition Financing page for other ways to pay.
Your first trucking job could be lined up before your last day of training. Talk to our admissions team about pre-hire applications and which carriers are visiting our campus next. Call 651-735-9250 or start on our How to Enroll page.
Carrier recruiters visit our St. Paul campus throughout the year. Check the dates below. Call 651-735-9250 with questions about any visit.
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