View schools for:

COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE (CDL) TRAINING

Dickinson State University brings a three-week Commercial Driver's License (CDL) training course to Dickinson. The course guides students through learning safe operating practices in all phases of handling a truck/tractor semi-trailer combination vehicle. The class concludes with the State of ND CDL driving test.

Dickinson State University is partnering with TrainND Northwest at Williston State College to offer a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) training program in Dickinson. The CDL Training Program is designed to provide the highest quality of training for students to begin a career as a professional truck driver. In the classroom, students will be introduced to the operating rules and regulations that govern trucking operations. Hands-on training will guide students through learning safe operating practices in all phases of handling a truck/tractor semi-trailer combination vehicle. The class concludes with the State of ND CDL drive test. Class size is limited to four students per instructor to allow the full learning experience. A certificate is awarded upon successful completion of instruction.

Class meets five days a week, Monday through Friday. Classroom instruction days meet from 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. Mountain Time, and all other training days are from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Attendance is mandatory. Students who fail to attend or notify the leave instructor may incur an additional charge for make-up time.

Three-day Classroom Instruction: Driver qualifications, hours of service, logbooks, driver wellness, driver fatigue, air brakes, whistleblower protection, pre-trip inspections, and defensive driving. 

Hands-on Driving: Vehicle inspections, basic controls, shifting and clutching systems, backing (straight line, offset, alley dock), speed control and management, hazard perception, defensive driving skills, and on-road driving on city and rural roadways as well as highway routes. 

Upon class completion, students will take their North Dakota CDL Drive Test utilizing TrainND trucks. Students are limited to three (3) attempts. After three (3) unsuccessful attempts, the student will be required to pay the $300 truck rental fee if they wish to retest.

TrainND must follow FMCSR regulations, which include hours of service. Students cannot work more than 12 hours a day, including class time. Students must also have a 10-hour nightly reset and a 34-hour reset on weekends. Students who do not get their resets each day and/or weekend will not be allowed in class and will need to pay for additional make-up time.  

Small Classes. Big Impact.

At DSU, students enjoy an innovative and personalized education. DSU enjoys a low student-faculty ratio, which means our professors know their students by name. With access to new technology in laboratories and classrooms across campus, students gain the skills needed to ensure success in the corporate world. These aspects guarantee one thing for our students: an incredible experience.