Class A allows you to drive any combination of vehicles exceeding a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,000 lbs, given that the GVWR of the vehicle(s) towed exceeds 10,000 lbs . This means that with a Class A CDL you can drive 18-wheelers as well as virtually all types of commercial vehicles, except buses.
Class B allows you to drive any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,000 lbs or more. This license allows you to drive straight trucks that are not combination vehicles such as garbage trucks, dump trucks, cement trucks, among others. This license is also good for driving passenger and/or school buses, as long as you get the required passenger or school bus endorsements.
It takes about 2 months to complete the course. Your commitment to study hard and practice counts a lot.
Depending on the availability of road tests at the DPS, it can take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks to schedule a road test. There is also a 14-day waiting period after getting your CLP in which you cannot take a road test.
All Road Tests will be scheduled by AAA CDL School at any of the following 3 Houston-area DPS offices: Rosenberg, South Gessner, or North Houston (Veterans Memorial). You need to pass 4 Knowledge Tests at DPS (or 3 for a class B) and get the Applicant Registration Form before we can schedule your Road Test. Please allow up to 7 days for AAA CDL School to schedule your Road Test.
The CDL Road Test consists of 3 parts: Pre-trip Inspection, Backing Maneuvers, and Driving. To be able to get a CDL, you need to pass the 3 parts.
Every time you use our Truck-Trailer at DPS for a test, it counts as 1 Road Test. Failing Pre-Trip Inspection or Backing Maneuvers count as 1 Road Test.
Generally 2 hours. Pre-Trip Inspection takes 45 minutes, maneuvering takes 30 minutes, and driving takes 30 min. The remaining 15 minutes are for the examiner to tell you the rules, explain what you are going to do, and rearrange the cones.
We recommend that you have a 60% minimum, enough to be able to communicate with the DPS examiners. The day of your road test you must be able to perform a full pre-trip inspection of and explain to the examiner how to inspect the different parts of the truck as well as the air brakes system.
For a class-A CDL, you need to take the following 4 computer tests:
For a class-B CDL, you only have to take 3 tests: Special Requirements, General Knowledge, and Air Brakes.
No, you don’t. You can take the Road Test at any Texas DPS office that offers CDL testing.
The more endorsements you have, the more valuable you will be to a potential employer. For example, if you want to work for a company hauling chemicals and hazardous materials, you need to have a HazMat endorsement, otherwise they won't hire you. To haul gas, oil products, or any other type of liquids, you would need a Tanker endorsement. To pull 2 or more trailers you would need the Double/Triple Trailer endorsement. Many oil companies in the area are only hiring drivers that have the Hazardous Materials endorsement.
To become a bus driver you need to get a class-B CDL with the Passenger Endorsement or with the School Bus Endorsement (or both).
If you look to be a driver with Metro, you'll need the Passenger endorsement. If you look to be a driver in a school district, you would need to get both a Passenger and a School Bus endorsements.
If you want to get a Passenger or School Bus endorsement, you need to pass a road test at the DPS with a bus. Unfortunately, AAA CDL School focuses on truck and trailer training so we don’t have buses for you to take the road test in. However, we can help you out with passing the computer tests for these endorsements.
We have 57 strategic partners that have shown a strong interest in hiring our students, and many have. Many of these companies offer tuition reimbursement programs and they will pay you up to $7,000 dollars of your schooling at a rate of $200 per month until paid in full. There are local companies that ask for 1 year experience or there is the option to drive OTR (Over The Road), which doesn’t require experience. Check the jobs section on this website constantly as it keeps being updated with companies looking for drivers.
We recommend you take our Pro, Elite, or Premium courses which encompass all possible endorsements (Hazardous Materials, Tankers, Double/Triple Trailers) as well as more hours of training. The more endorsements you have and the more hours of experience you have, the more valuable you will be to potential employers.
You can email us at info@CDLinHouston.com with your requirements and/or more information about the position. You can also post your offering in the Jobs section of this website. Make sure you only post jobs for drivers.
We are open from Monday to Thursday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, Friday & Sunday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, and Saturdays we are closed.
Our address is 14803 Camino Rancho Dr. Houston, TX 77083. We are located in Southwest Houston, close to Sugarland. We are located in a residential neighborhood very close to the intersection of Highway 6 and Bellaire Blvd. We have a home business. The school is in a detached building behind the 2-story yellow house.
We have a total of 5 experienced instructors.
We have two automatic-transmission trucks and one standard-transmission truck:
For Class-A CDL students, we use flatbeds as trailers in combination with the above tractors. These are the flatbeds we own: 1963 - Fruehauf - 30 Foot Flatbed Trailer 1981 - SWTR - 30 Foot Flatbed Trailer
Yes, they do.
Behind-the-wheel training takes place in a location about a mile away from the school. Once you start training with us, we will provide you with the address for training.
This is a list of companies that have either sent us a fax, or letter, or called us for student verifications, and/or have sent us an employee to get a CDL.
Absolutely! Just contact us and we will give you 10 names of prior students with telephone numbers, enough so that you get a feel on how we do things here.
We are a private school and as such we don’t offer scholarships. To attend our school, you have to pay for our service out of pocket. However, we offer a payment plan so that you don’t have to pay for our courses upfront. Give us a call at 713-858-0044 so we can explain more about the payment plan.
We don’t offer any financial aid here at the school but we have alliances with YMCA, Baker Ripley, Salvation Army, TWC, TWS and DARS. Contact those alliances directly to check what their requirements are to become members. Keep in mind that the government gives a limited budget to all of these institutions.
AAA CDL School doesn’t have any set times for classes because most of our training is one-on-one, which means we are pretty flexible and accommodate training based on students' work schedules. Our students make their own schedule and take the course at their own pace.
The first part of the course, the Knowledge Test, is computer-based training, which prepares for the written exams needed to obtain a Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP) When it is time for the simulators, the second part of the course, we explain to you how to use the simulators and then you can practice on your own, with an instructor helping you out, until it is time to train on the truck. Behind-the-wheel training is one-on-one and it’s the last part of the course along with Pre-Trip Inspection group sessions. These sessions are held every Sunday from 8AM until 11AM and, even though these are group sessions, groups rarely go over 10-15 students.
Thousands
We accept cash, cheks (Houston Banks) cashier's checks, money orders. Debit and Credit cards incur a 2% convenience fee. This fee is not refundable. $75 extra if we cannot cash your check at the bank or if the check bounces.
CDLinHouston.com
Just a CDL School.
AAA CDL School does not provide any type of housing. If you are coming from outside of the Houston area to attend our school, it is up to you to find living arrangements for the duration of the course.
Yes. AAA CDL School is certified by the Better Business Bureau.
As a matter of fact yes, we do. We have been interviewed by KHOU 11 news on the topic of self-driving trucks and our opinion is that always, the human factor is something that is required, even if the trucks are driving themselves. Also, automatizing trucks is a long process to develop and implement. There’s always something we’re going to be doing to help our students here at AAA CDL School. The demand for CDL holders is so high, regardless of whether or not you're actually controlling the wheel.
Not at the moment. We are looking forward to getting approval.
No, we only provide training and help our students getting a CDL but we don´t provide any type of accommodation. If you are coming from outside of the Houston area to attend our school, it is up to you to find living arrangements for the duration of the course.
For class A CDL, we offer 4 courses in either a 10-speed manual truck or automatic truck (Basic+, Pro, Elite and Premium). For class B CDL, we offer 1 course in either a 10-speed manual truck or automatic truck. Call or text us at 713-858-0044 or send us an email at info@cdlinhouston.com so we can provide you our brochure with the specifications and the rates.
$60 to $100 for your DOT Medical Card (depending on the doctor). $25 for the application for a CDL at the DPS, so you can take the Knowledge Tests. Your CDL payment can be anywhere from $37 to $121 which allows you to take a CDL road test for 3 tries within 90 days. If you’d like to add endorsements, there will be an extra fee ($11 for tanker, $11 for double-triple trailers, $90 for hazmat).
For the latest information, please go to: www.dps.texas.gov or go to your nearest Texas DPS office.
If you don't pass the Road Test the first time, we will give you a second road test as well as 2 extra hours of training for Class A courses and 1 hour of training for Class B courses. Keep in mind that this warranty only applies to whole training courses and not to one-time truck rentals.
Yes, we have a special rate for 1-time Rentals, which include one hour of training for free. We also offer hourly one-on-one training in our Truck-Trailer, and you can take as many hours as you need (depending on truck availability). Call or text us at 713-858-0044 or send us an email at info@cdlinhouston.com so we can provide you our brochure with the specifications and the rates.
Yes, we do. We offer hourly training in our truck in which you can train Pre-Trip Inspection, Backing Maneuvers and Driving, one-on-one with an instructor. Call or text us at 713-858-0044 or send us an email at info@cdlinhouston.com so we can provide you our brochure with the specifications and the rates.
No, all our truck training is one-on-one. We believe that professional drivers learn by actually driving, backing up, and parallel parking a Truck-Trailer, not by sitting in the back seat watching someone else do it.
Yes, we do. Rather than paying somebody to extract them out of the DPS computers, we did the work ourselves. We haven’t had any issues with students not being able to pass their computer exams. For you to have an idea of what our materials look like, the first knowledge test (Texas Commercial Rules) is offered for free on our website.
Yes, we do. You first read all the questions with the correct answers and then you will take several multiple choice practice tests just like the ones you'll get at the DPS. You are ready to take a test at the DPS once you pass all of the practice tests with the required percentage. For you to have an idea of what our materials look like, the first knowledge test (Texas Commercial Rules) is offered for free on our website.
We offer a 10-hour refresher course in a 10-speed standard transmission truck. We also have the option of taking hourly training in any of our trucks, and you can take as many hours as you need.
They are mainly just rental services and not CDL schools. They give you 30 minutes to 1 hour training in a group and let you use their truck for a road test.We offer complete courses of training and one-on-one training
Rosenberg Commercial Driver License Center Houston Metro Area 28000 SW Freeway Rosenberg, TX 77471
Houston Gessner Commercial Driver License Center (CDL Annex) 12220 S Gessner Rd Houston, TX 77071
Houston North-Vet Memorial Commercial Driver License Center 8418 Veterans Memorial Blvd Houston, TX 77088
Yes, you can. We can take our trucks to any DPS in Texas. However, there will be an extra charge for DPS offices that are not in the Houston area and this charge increases the farther we go with the truck.
For more information on what documents you can use to satisfy the above requirements, go to https://www.dps.texas.gov/internetforms/Forms/DL-57.pdf What additional documents will I need if I am not a Permanent Resident of the US but have a work permit? Foreigners who do not have a Resident Alien Card need a passport with at least 12 months of validity. You also need either a valid form I-94 Arrival/Departure record or an employment authorization document (EAD). A nonresident CDL may be renewed and expires when the period of lawful presence expires and is not eligible for a HazMat Endorsement.
Citizens of Mexico and Canada cannot get the CDL if they have a Work Permit, they must have a Resident Alien Card or US Citizenship.
During your appointment for a DOT physical, the examiner assesses your physical and mental health to ensure no medical conditions will interfere with your ability to drive and operate a vehicle safely. The doctor performs a series of tests to check your blood pressure, vision, hearing, digestive, and mental health.
There are numerous clinics that offer DOT physical exams and can help you renew or obtain a DOT medical card. However, the FMCSA requires that DOT physicals are performed by a certified medical examiner. If you don’t know where to get your DOT Medical Card we can provide you the contact of various clinics that offer that service.
You need to have a valid Texas Driver’s License before you can apply for a CDL in the state. For this, you have to prove that you live or are moving to Texas / or fill an Affidavit form at DPS DL-5. For Texas Residency requirements, go to: www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/domicileReq.htm
You initially get a paper permit that expires in 45 days. Within those 45 days, you should get your actual Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP)in the mail (it looks just like a Class C automobile's driver license except that it says "Class A" and it comes with an "R" restriction) that will expire 6 months from the day of expedition. You can renew your permit for another 6 months. After this time, you will have to apply again if yOur permit expires and you don’t get your CDL. Some people confuse a CLP with a CDL but remember that a CLP only allows you to drive a commercial vehicle with a CDL holder 21 years or older in the passenger seat. You get your CDL when you pass a DPS road test.
If you are an American Citizen or Permanent Resident, your CDL will be issued from anywhere from 6 to 7 years. If you have a work permit, your CDL will normally expire when your work permit expires.
For the latest information, please go to: www.dps.texas.gov or go to your nearest Texas DPS office.
Even though you might have a DUI on your record, there is still a chance that you can get your Commercial Drivers License (CDL).
That is a question you should ask directly to the DPS as they are the ones that have the last word on the matter. If you want to give them a call, their phone number is (512) 424-2600. You could also stop by a DPS office and ask them directly.
If you have a not so perfect past and are thinking about becoming a truck driver, you don’t have to worry about immediately getting turned away. Not all felonies will disqualify you from being able to get your CDL and become a truck driver.
That is a question you should ask directly to the DPS as they are the ones that have the last word on the matter. If you want to give them a call, their phone number is (512) 424-2600. You could also stop by a DPS office and ask them directly.
For the Hazardous Materials endorsement, you will need to pass an FBI, TSA & DPS background check. For more information, please go to: www.dps.texas.gov or go to your nearest Texas DPS office.
If you have taken the decision to enroll in any of our courses, let us know so we can send you the paperwork via email for you to fill out and return to us. The first part of the course is given online at no extra charge to new students. If, for some reason you’d rather come to the school to sign up, let us know in advance to 713-858-0044 so we can ensure that there is somebody there to help you out. For hourly training or any other service, give us a call so we can try to do as much as possible over the phone.
Yes, you are. The doctor we recommend, Dr. Rakesh Bhattacharya at Crown Wellness Center, is still doing DOT physical exams. However, everything is by appointment now. Call him at 713-974-7300 to set up your appointment. His current hours of operation are Monday to Friday 8AM-3PM, and Saturday 9AM-1PM.
We take all types of payments but, for the time being, we are encouraging all our students to make payments over the phone via credit/debit card to avoid coming into the school. If you wish to pay cash, check, or any other type of payment, let us know at 713-858-0044 so we can arrange such payment.
We are. However, we have limited all training to be one-on-one and are taking measures so that our AAA CDL Force and students are safe. Most of our employees are working from home, so give us a call at 713-858-0044 for any questions you might have or to schedule training.
For safety and health reasons, we have shortened our hours of service until further notice. We are open Sunday to Friday from 9AM until 4PM. We are more than happy to help you out over the phone during those hours of operation. You can always call/ text us at 713-858-0044 or email us at info@CDLinHouston.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
All DPS offices are closed until further notice. However, they are still taking CDL applicants as well as giving CDL road tests, by appointment only. If you already had an scheduled appointment for a road test, the DPS is still honoring that appointment. For new applicants wanting to take CDL computer or road tests, contact the DPS directly via email. Follow this link for more information and new updates on DPS regulations https://www.dps.texas.gov/DriverLicense/covid-19.htm
