CDL Class A
Workforce Development | Truck Driving
Program Description
How to Get a CDL in Pa.
Northern Pennsylvania Regional College partners with local training providers to offer commercial truck driving training in Elk, Erie, Forest and Tioga Counties.
Elk, Erie, and Tioga Counties - The ranges NPRC holds classes in partnership with PA Pride, LLC. are located in Erie, Mansfield, and St. Marys, and includes a traditional four-week training program comprehensively designed to teach the necessary skills for safe operation of a commercial vehicle. CDL Class A and CDL Class A Tanker and Hazmat courses are offered through this partnership.
Forest County - The range used in Tionesta is used in partnership with CNB Wagner and offers an accelerated approach to CDL training. This CDL pathway offers opportunities for CDL Class A, CDL Class B, and CDL Class C licensing all at the same cost. Payment plans are available to help students finance their CDL training.
- Training with either provider for CDL Class A is eligible for CareerLink® funding through Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Workforce Development System. Self-pay is an acceptable form of payment, with payment plans available for each CDL pathway. students.
- All training courses meet the requirements set forth by the new federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulations. Department of Transportation (DOT) physicals are also required.
- Learn more about each of our CDL opportunities and which pathway is best for you by viewing the CDL Course Comparisons.
CDL Class A Training
What You'll Learn
The theory behind basic operation, safe operating procedures, advanced operating practices, vehicle systems and reporting malfunctions, and non-driving activities.
The behind-the-wheel training skills include identification of vehicle controls, shifting/transmission, communications/signaling, visual search, speed and space management, safe driver behavior, hours of service requirements, hazard perception, railroad-highway grade crossing, night operation, extreme driving conditions, and skid control/recover, jackknifing, and other emergencies.
Loading, unloading, driving/parking rules, and hazardous materials regulation.*
Safe loading, handling, and unloading of materials using tankers, pumps, connectors, hoses, blowers, gauges, and valves.*
* Based on a student’s selected Class A endorsement
CDL Class A Career Outlook
The demand for CDL drivers is growing with a projected growth of 11%.
The median pay for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers is $23.33/hour or $48,310.
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CDL Class A FAQs
See What Our Students Have to Say
Growing up in rural Potter County, Pennsylvania meant if I wanted good educational and employment opportunities, I would have to move. When NPRC started offering classes less than 30 minutes from my home (almost an hour closer than the next closest college), my future was no longer dependent on living in a more urban area. I received a quality education without spending the tens of thousands of dollars on room and board a traditional school would have required. And now, I feel incredibly blessed to be a part of the team making this story possible for so many other people in rural Pennsylvania. NPRC’s mission is a necessary one, helping serve a part of the population that has lacked affordable and quality higher education for decades. This school helped me avoid debt, find my path in life, and now, I have a job I love and opportunities I never expected.
- Brian, NPRC Graduate
While attending NPRC, I am enrolled in 16 credits and working toward a degree in business administration. This switch is already positively benefitting me as a student. I have been keeping up with classes and shifting out of bad habits that may hinder my success. As someone who is diagnosed with anxiety and ADHD, it sometimes gets hard to effectively communicate. However, NPRC continues to provide opportunities to not only challenge myself, but to help me grow as a student, and more importantly, as a person. NPRC was my second chance. My second chance to help me build myself better, and I feel like my future is already better than what it was before NPRC.
-Noah, Business Administration Student
My time at Northern Pennsylvania Regional College has been a great experience even through the COVID-19 pandemic. Never did I imagine doing a year of college in my own home and still be able to be on the Dean’s List and be extremely proud. I am 39 years of age, and it has taken me this long to attempt college. I have to say that starting college at this age was hard. However, everyone at NPRC has made it easy for me to understand what it means to be studious. You can feel the care that is given to you through the staff at NPRC. The instructors are always willing to help and they will always answer the questions that we have. This college is a great way to get started on your new path through life. There are so many options to pick from if you are undecided.
-Claudia, NPRC Graduate
I started with NPRC right after graduating high school in 2018. I was not sure what I wanted to do career-wise, but the criminal justice field had always piqued my interest. Before finishing my two-year degree with NPRC, I decided to transfer to a four-year university to further my education in both sociology and criminal justice. Without the affordability of NPRC and their knowledgeable staff, I would never have dreamed of being where I am today. I will be graduating from RIT in August of 2022 having majored in Sociology and Criminal Justice, as well as having minored in Criminal Justice. I am excited to start a career in the federal Criminal Justice system or within admissions/counseling in higher education. I plan to put myself through law school while working full time after graduating from RIT.
-Ally, Former NPRC Student
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