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How to become a truck driver in Indiana
Indiana's Bureau of Motor Vehicles issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: a first CLP or CDL needs a current Medical Examiner's Certificate on file, first-time Class A applicants complete Entry-Level Driver Training, and first-time CDL applicants watch the state's human-trafficking training video. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Indiana earned a median $60,290 a year in May 2025 ($28.99 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in Indiana
The licensing authority is Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). 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) | Have a current Medical Examiner's Certificate from an examiner on the FMCSA National Registry on file with the BMV, then pass the knowledge exam for the vehicle type you will drive. The CLP is valid one year and lets you drive a commercial vehicle only when accompanied by a CDL holder with the class and endorsements that vehicle needs. The permit costs $17. | — | CDL knowledge exams | $17 |
| 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 holding the CLP at least 14 days and completing ELDT, watch the state's human-trafficking training video and pass the CDL skills exam (pre-trip inspection, basic control, road) at a BMV-authorized site in a vehicle of the class you want. The CDL costs $35. | — | CDL skills exam | $35 |
Licensing sources: Indiana BMV: obtaining a commercial learner's permit (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Indiana BMV: obtaining a commercial driver's license (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Indiana BMV: fee chart (retrieved 2026-09-23) · FMCSA ELDT Applicability (retrieved 2026-09-23) · 49 CFR 383.23 (commercial driver's license required) (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) 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 Indiana?
Indiana's Bureau of Motor Vehicles issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: a first CLP or CDL needs a current Medical Examiner's Certificate on file, first-time Class A applicants complete Entry-Level Driver Training, and first-time CDL applicants watch the state's human-trafficking training video.
What does it cost to get licensed as a truck driver in Indiana?
The published fees in the table above run from $17 to $35 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 Indiana?
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 Indiana?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Indiana earned a median $60,290 a year in May 2025, $28.99 an hour. That median is 3% above the national figure of $58,640, and Indiana ranks 17 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice truck drivers make in Indiana?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Indiana under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 135 apprentices started, at a median $15.00 an hour across the 135 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 20 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 Indiana
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Indiana earned a median $60,290 a year in May 2025, $28.99 an hour. 59,090 people held the job, 18.5 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 3% above the national figure of $58,640, and Indiana ranks 17 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Indiana
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $20.22 | $42,060 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $23.74 | $49,390 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $28.99 | $60,290 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $34.74 | $72,260 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $37.98 | $79,000 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $29.30 | $60,950 | 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 Indiana
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN employs the most truck drivers of the 12 metro areas based in Indiana that BLS publishes, 20,480, at a median $61,980 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 20,480 | $61,980 | $43,230 | $82,540 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 4,210 | $59,050 | $39,250 | $75,160 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | 1,840 | $56,820 | $39,720 | $74,410 |
| Evansville, IN | 1,750 | $55,570 | $37,670 | $75,820 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 1,690 | $58,100 | $43,340 | $75,670 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | 1,410 | $58,360 | $40,560 | $76,450 |
| Terre Haute, IN | 1,140 | $53,030 | $43,880 | $72,780 |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN | 620 | $58,240 | $35,960 | $73,370 |
| Muncie, IN | 560 | $58,810 | $36,230 | $70,390 |
| Bloomington, IN | 550 | $58,700 | $42,190 | $84,800 |
| Columbus, IN | 520 | $57,350 | $45,540 | $72,910 |
| Kokomo, IN | 390 | $58,370 | $40,120 | $74,990 |
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. Listed under another state but reaching into Indiana: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
Indiana against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Connecticut | $60,490 | 15,740 |
| 15 | Illinois | $60,320 | 84,200 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $60,310 | 6,050 |
| 17 | Indiana | $60,290 | 59,090 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $60,280 | 6,960 |
| 19 | California | $60,230 | 205,090 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $60,190 | 3,620 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Indiana | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $60,290 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $28.99 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $42,060 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $79,000 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 59,090 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in Indiana
U.S. Department of Labor records list 95 registered apprentices active in Indiana 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, 135 apprentices started, at a median $15.00 an hour across the 135 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 20 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 Indiana
Electricians ($68,490) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($76,320) · HVAC technicians ($60,430) · Welders ($49,730) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($102,040) · Elevator installers ($92,390) · Ironworkers ($70,130) · Sheet metal workers ($64,040) · Carpenters ($62,870) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($73,110) · Auto service technicians ($49,360) · Diesel mechanics ($60,610) · Heavy equipment operators ($79,580) · Machinists ($57,800)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Indiana.
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.