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How to become a truck driver in Florida
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: drivers under 21 are limited to within Florida, you must hold a DOT medical certificate, and you must complete federal Entry-Level Driver Training before the skills test. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Florida earned a median $50,640 a year in May 2025 ($24.34 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in Florida
The licensing authority is Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). 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) | Hold a regular Florida operator's license, establish Florida residency, pass the vision requirements, and pass the CDL knowledge test(s). Complete a DOT medical examination. | — | CDL knowledge test | not published |
| 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 | After the CLP, pass the CDL skills test (pre-trip vehicle inspection, basic vehicle control, on-road), conducted in English. Class A covers trucks or combinations 26,001 lbs or more towing a unit over 10,000 lbs. | — | CDL skills test | $75 |
Licensing sources: FLHSMV Commercial Driver License (retrieved 2026-09-16) · FMCSA ELDT Applicability (retrieved 2026-09-16) · Florida HSMV: fees (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) 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 Florida?
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: drivers under 21 are limited to within Florida, you must hold a DOT medical certificate, and you must complete federal Entry-Level Driver Training before the skills test.
What does it cost to get licensed as a truck driver in Florida?
The published fee in the table above is $75. 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 Florida?
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 Florida?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Florida earned a median $50,640 a year in May 2025, $24.34 an hour. That median is 14% below the national figure of $58,640, and Florida ranks 48 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice truck drivers make in Florida?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Florida under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 526 apprentices started, at a median $15.75 an hour across the 526 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $20.08 an hour at completion (111 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What truck drivers earn in Florida
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Florida earned a median $50,640 a year in May 2025, $24.34 an hour. 112,920 people held the job, 11.4 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 14% below the national figure of $58,640, and Florida ranks 48 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Florida
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.12 | $37,700 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $21.88 | $45,500 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $24.34 | $50,640 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $29.99 | $62,380 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $35.74 | $74,330 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $26.37 | $54,850 | 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 Florida
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL employs the most truck drivers of the 22 metro areas based in Florida that BLS publishes, 29,060, at a median $51,580 a year. The best-paid is Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL at $57,090.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 29,060 | $51,580 | $38,270 | $75,140 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 15,840 | $50,560 | $38,850 | $72,770 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 15,420 | $50,250 | $37,910 | $74,940 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 13,100 | $55,630 | $38,620 | $78,160 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 7,820 | $57,090 | $39,560 | $80,990 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 3,050 | $48,950 | $38,120 | $64,600 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | 2,930 | $50,890 | $38,750 | $70,360 |
| Ocala, FL | 2,230 | $51,490 | $36,700 | $81,460 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | 2,060 | $48,590 | $38,410 | $66,500 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 1,910 | $47,660 | $34,890 | $64,580 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 1,710 | $47,950 | $35,380 | $62,900 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 1,690 | $48,460 | $28,000 | $69,060 |
| Gainesville, FL | 1,370 | $48,930 | $35,960 | $65,930 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | 1,340 | $49,520 | $37,510 | $66,170 |
| Tallahassee, FL | 1,260 | $46,470 | $36,920 | $65,810 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | 890 | $47,610 | $35,620 | $63,930 |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | 840 | $47,180 | $34,900 | $63,350 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | 640 | $47,940 | $35,520 | $62,160 |
| Punta Gorda, FL | 570 | $46,780 | $35,020 | $62,620 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL | 350 | $48,410 | $34,710 | $61,960 |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | 240 | $45,750 | $34,220 | $56,690 |
| Sebring, FL | 230 | $44,930 | $33,810 | $60,320 |
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.
Florida against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | Arkansas | $51,550 | 32,220 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $51,530 | 62,400 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $51,130 | 34,170 |
| 48 | Florida | $50,640 | 112,920 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $50,500 | 11,820 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $49,480 | 12,190 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $49,320 | 28,540 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $50,640 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $24.34 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $37,700 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $74,330 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 112,920 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in Florida
U.S. Department of Labor records list 260 registered apprentices active in Florida 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, 526 apprentices started, at a median $15.75 an hour across the 526 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $20.08 an hour at completion (111 completers with an exit wage DOL counts).
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 Florida
Electricians ($57,250) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($52,910) · HVAC technicians ($56,670) · Welders ($50,640) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($86,870) · Elevator installers ($104,730) · Ironworkers ($55,700) · Sheet metal workers ($49,640) · Carpenters ($49,870) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($52,760) · Auto service technicians ($48,260) · Diesel mechanics ($60,490) · Heavy equipment operators ($49,400) · Machinists ($57,140)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Florida.
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.