How Emerge Career's CDL Training Program Works

Step 1: Application & Eligibility Check

Start by filling out our online application. We'll ask questions to see if you qualify for our government-funded program. Our application is continuously improving as we learn more about what helps students succeed in the CDL industry. After completing the application, you’ll hear back in a day (often within seconds) whether you can move forward. Our (non-exhaustive) eligibility requirements are listed here.

Note: While we try to make our application as comprehensive as possible, sometimes we miss stuff! We do a background check and driving record review later in the process to confirm your information.

Our eligibility requirements are constantly evolving as the world around us changes. We update our criteria based on:

• Funding changes – New government grants or shifts in program funding may affect who we can serve
• Employment and labor market data – As trucking industry hiring standards shift, we adjust our requirements to ensure you have real job prospects after training
• Compliance updates – DOT regulations and insurance requirements change regularly, which can impact eligibility

If something comes up during your enrollment process that affects your eligibility—whether it's new information from your background check or a change in our program requirements—we'll let you know as soon as possible and work with you to understand your options.

Step 2: Online Permit Prep Training

Once you're approved, you'll start our online training course. This includes 21 videos to prepare you for your commercial learner's permit (CLP) exam, plus over 100 practice quizzes to help you study and feel confident as you work towards getting your CLP.

Step 3: Get Your Commercial Learner's Permit

After finishing the online training, you'll need to get two things: your Class A Commercial Learner's Permit and your DOT Medical Examiner’s Certificate. You need both of these before you can legally drive a commercial truck, and we’ll coach you on how to get them!

Step 4: Enrollment Interview

Once you've uploaded a photo of your permit to your profile, we'll schedule you for a virtual Enrollment Interview. This is where we get to know you and figure out if our program is a good fit. On this call, we'll:

• Confirm your eligibility for the program (income, criminal background, driving record, justice-involvement)
• Ask about marijuana use—you'll be randomly drug tested throughout the program and will need to be testing negative at the time of enrollment
• Confirm that you can make trucking school work
• Learn about your financial situation
• Talk about how you'll get to and from training
• Discuss your current job and schedule flexibility
• Your commitment and reasons for wanting to become a truck driver

Treat this like any job interview. Be professional, come prepared, and be honest about your situation.

Note on employment barriers: During this process, we conduct a background check and driving record review (7-year lookback). If anything comes up that wasn't caught in the initial application—like certain criminal history or driving violations—we may ask you to secure a pre-hire offer letter before enrolling in trucking school. This ensures you have a job waiting for you after training, rather than investing time and money only to face barriers later.

We reserve the right to decline participation from individuals who don't meet our requirements or follow program guidelines—all of which are detailed in our Terms of Service. We evaluate candidates across these areas:

What we look for:

• Professionalism & Conduct – We're looking for students who are respectful, reliable, and serious about building a career. You'll need to demonstrate professional behavior and the ability to work well with instructors, peers, and future employers.
• Employability – We partner with industry employers, trucking associations, and compliance experts to assess whether you have the foundational soft skills and background needed to secure employment after training. This helps us match participants with realistic job prospects.
• Employment Commitment – Our program prioritizes immediate employment in your trained field. While we support continued learning, your primary goal should be securing work related to your credential. This is a one-time training opportunity, and we want to invest in participants genuinely committed to working.
• Training Readiness – You'll need to manage a demanding schedule and have reliable transportation to complete the program. We need to know you can commit to attendance and stay on track.
• Coachability – This is an accelerated program led by experienced professionals who've refined best practices working with hundreds of participants nationwide. We expect you to follow our program structure and be open to feedback. If you believe you're above the process or don't need to follow our guidelines, this program isn't the right fit. We're looking for participants who are genuinely committed to learning, not those who think they can opt out of key components because they work differently.

Step 5: Enrolling in Trucking School

Once you're approved, there are a few final steps:

Yard Readiness Assessment – A 30-minute call where you'll recall key parts of the pre-trip inspection process from memory. We'll send you study materials beforehand, including:

• Audio guides/podcasts you can listen to anytime
• Interactive flashcards
• Memorization games

You get 3 attempts to pass (no-shows count as attempts), and you need to pass before starting school. While most students pass on either the first or second attempt, failure to pass all 3 attempts will result in removal from the program.

Why this assessment matters: After working with hundreds of students across the country, we've learned that memorization is the #1 reason people struggle to get their CDL at trucking school. The pre-trip inspection requires you to recall specific details on the spot—there's no cheat sheet when you're testing. This assessment helps you build strong memorization habits early, sets you up to get the most out of your time at our partner school, and gives us confidence that you're ready for the demands of CDL training.

Don't worry – we'll give you everything you need to study and succeed.

Turning in documents – Because we're government-funded, we need copies of your Social Security card, driver's license, proof you can legally work in the US, and proof of your income. We may request additional documentation based on your specific situation.

Important: You have two weeks from getting your permit to complete these steps. If you don't complete them in time, we may put you on hold so we can work with students who are ready to go.

Step 6: Training at Our Partner Schools

This is the hands-on part. You'll complete your required driving hours at one of our partner trucking schools, working toward your Class A CDL. We've carefully vetted each of our partner schools to ensure they meet our quality standards and can provide the training you need to succeed.

Throughout your training, your assigned coach will check in with you 2-3 times to see how things are going and help troubleshoot any issues before they become bigger problems.

Showing up matters—a lot. "On time" means arriving 10-15 minutes early—the same standard employers will expect from you as a professional driver. 

Unexcused absences or repeated tardiness will result in removal from the program. If you miss training or show up late, you must communicate with your coach immediately and provide documentation for excused absences (medical appointments, family emergencies, etc.). One unexcused absence or repeated lateness is enough for removal.

This isn't about being strict for no reason. We have limited resources and need to focus on students who show up on time, communicate well, and act professionally—the same things employers will expect from you as a truck driver. Professional drivers are responsible for expensive equipment and tight delivery schedules. Building these habits now is essential to your success in the industry.

Step 7: Help Finding a Job

We'll support you in finding your first driving job. Here's what that looks like:

• Connecting you with companies we partner with and making personal introductions to hiring managers—you're not just applying online
• Helping you build a strong resume using our resume builder tool
• Creating and optimizing your job search profiles on job boards to increase your visibility to employers
• Providing you with talking points for discussing any employment barriers in interviews
• Sending your resume directly to hiring companies

Important to know: While we carefully screen everyone and prepare you well, we can't guarantee you'll get hired in a timely manner. Companies change their hiring rules often, and they make the final decision—not us. What we can promise is to not give up on you if getting hired proves to be more difficult than anticipated.

Step 8: After You Get Hired

We stay connected even after you land a job. Once you're hired, we'll ask you to tell us where you're working and share some official paperwork. This stays private and is never posted anywhere—we only use it to show that our program works, which helps us keep getting funding to help more students like you.

Your Journey at a Glance

1. Apply – Fill out our application and find out if you're eligible
2. Study – Complete 21 videos and 100+ practice quizzes online
3. Get Your Permit – Obtain your CLP and DOT Medical Certificate
4. Interview – Meet with us to confirm fit and readiness
5. Enroll – Pass the Yard Readiness Assessment and submit documents
6. Train – Complete hands-on driving hours at a partner school
7. Get Hired – Receive job placement support and connect with employers
8. Stay Connected – Share employment info to help us keep the program running

Ready to start? If you're serious about a trucking career and willing to put in the work, we're here to help you every step of the way. When you succeed, we succeed—and we're committed to being honest partners as you work toward becoming a professional CDL driver.

If you have any questions about our CDL program or other vocational program offerings, please email support@emergecareer.com.

Read about our eligibility guidelines here.