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How to become a truck driver in Connecticut
To drive a commercial motor vehicle in Connecticut, you first get a commercial learner's permit from the Department of Motor Vehicles and then the CDL. A first-time Class A applicant completes federal Entry-Level Driver Training before the CDL skills test. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Connecticut earned a median $60,490 a year in May 2025 ($29.08 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in Connecticut
The licensing authority is Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The pages each row was read from are listed under the table, with the date each was read.
| License | What it takes | Experience | Exam | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP) | At least 18 to drive within Connecticut only, and at least 21 to drive interstate or haul hazardous material. Bring your valid Connecticut driver's license and the REAL ID documents, including proof of Connecticut residence from two sources; self-certify with the DMV as to intrastate or interstate operation, have a valid medical examiner's certificate from a certified medical examiner on the National Registry, and register with the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. Pass the general knowledge test ($16) and, for Class A, the combination test ($5), plus the air brakes test ($5) if the vehicle is equipped with air brakes; the permit costs $20. The permit is valid for one year; without a CDL in that year, all the required tests are retaken for a new permit. | — | CDL general knowledge test and Class A combination test | $41 |
| Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT, federal) | Since February 7, 2022, first-time Class A or B CDL applicants (and Class B holders upgrading to Class A) must complete the training with a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry before taking the skills test. | — | — | not published |
| Class A CDL | Complete Entry-Level Driver Training first where the federal rule applies (a first-time Class A applicant), then pass the CDL skills test ($30, paid when the application is submitted). A new CDL costs $70; it is renewed every four years for $70. | — | CDL skills test | $100 |
Renewal. Every four years ($70).
Licensing sources: Connecticut DMV: get a commercial learner's permit (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Connecticut DMV: get a commercial driver's license (retrieved 2026-10-03) · FMCSA ELDT Applicability (retrieved 2026-10-03). Requirements change; confirm with Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) before you act.
The steps in order, with exams, fees and renewal → · Every fee here, itemised and totalled → · Compare time and cost across trades and states →
Common questions
Do you need a license to work as a truck driver in Connecticut?
To drive a commercial motor vehicle in Connecticut, you first get a commercial learner's permit from the Department of Motor Vehicles and then the CDL. A first-time Class A applicant completes federal Entry-Level Driver Training before the CDL skills test.
What does it cost to get licensed as a truck driver in Connecticut?
The published fees in the table above run from $41 to $100 depending on the tier. Read each tier's requirements for any exam or license-issue fee charged on top.
How long does it take to become a truck driver in Connecticut?
It depends on which credential you need and the training and testing each step takes; the full path is in the table above.
How much do truck drivers make in Connecticut?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Connecticut earned a median $60,490 a year in May 2025, $29.08 an hour. That median is 3% above the national figure of $58,640, and Connecticut ranks 14 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice truck drivers make in Connecticut?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Connecticut under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 111 apprentices started, at a median $16.66 an hour across the 111 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 5 have an exit wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs. Wages are in that year's dollars.
What truck drivers earn in Connecticut
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Connecticut earned a median $60,490 a year in May 2025, $29.08 an hour. 15,740 people held the job, 9.3 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 3% above the national figure of $58,640, and Connecticut ranks 14 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Connecticut
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.68 | $47,160 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $24.80 | $51,590 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $29.08 | $60,490 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $33.64 | $69,970 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $37.19 | $77,360 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $29.80 | $61,980 | The average. Pulled up by the top earners. |
Annual figures are the hourly rate times 2,080 hours, BLS's full-time year. Overtime is inside the survey's earnings but not separated out.
Pay by metro area in Connecticut
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT employs the most truck drivers of the 5 metro areas based in Connecticut that BLS publishes, 5,830, at a median $59,890 a year. The best-paid is Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT at $61,580.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 5,830 | $59,890 | $47,000 | $77,110 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 3,000 | $61,580 | $47,750 | $79,020 |
| New Haven, CT | 2,900 | $61,040 | $47,060 | $78,890 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | 1,700 | $59,750 | $47,010 | $76,330 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | 1,010 | $60,320 | $46,290 | $76,600 |
Metropolitan statistical areas as BLS publishes them in the same May 2025 estimates. A metro that crosses a state line is listed only under its primary state, so part of a neighboring state's metro can sit outside this table. Areas outside any metro are not shown.
Connecticut against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | North Dakota | $60,910 | 11,870 |
| 12 | Vermont | $60,830 | 3,560 |
| 13 | Utah | $60,620 | 25,060 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $60,490 | 15,740 |
| 15 | Illinois | $60,320 | 84,200 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $60,310 | 6,050 |
| 17 | Indiana | $60,290 | 59,090 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Connecticut | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $60,490 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $29.08 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $47,160 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $77,360 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 15,740 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in Connecticut
U.S. Department of Labor records list 48 registered apprentices active in Connecticut in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (SOC 53-3032). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. In fiscal 2023, the latest year the file holds in full, 111 apprentices started, at a median $16.66 an hour across the 111 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 5 have an exit wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs.
Find a registered program: DOL's Apprenticeship Finder → · What those wages come to at your hours a week → · Every state's count and wages for this trade →
Wages are DOL's own hourly figures in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Which wages DOL counts, which titles count and how the state is assigned are on the data page.
Other trades in Connecticut
Electricians ($77,540) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($77,280) · HVAC technicians ($76,610) · Welders ($64,880) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($126,850) · Ironworkers ($62,400) · Sheet metal workers ($78,750) · Carpenters ($64,060) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($67,960) · Auto service technicians ($60,220) · Diesel mechanics ($67,300) · Heavy equipment operators ($78,750) · Machinists ($62,130)
See all 14 ranked by pay in Connecticut.
The pay and employment figures on this page are the May 2025 BLS estimates, apart from the apprenticeship figures, which are DOL's; the licensing detail is read from the pages listed in the licensing section, each with the date it was read. See how the numbers are built.