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How to become a truck driver in Louisiana
The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: the commercial learner's permit, for behind-the-wheel training, needs an age of 18, a valid license issued by the jurisdiction that issues the permit, medical certification, the CDL Supplemental Form, the applicable tests and proof of Louisiana residency, and no skills test is taken in its first 14 days; the skills test is taken with a third-party tester, after federal Entry-Level Driver Training where it applies. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Louisiana earned a median $49,320 a year in May 2025 ($23.71 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in Louisiana
The licensing authority is Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV). 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, with a valid Class A, B, C, D or E license from the same jurisdiction; be medically certified, complete the CDL Supplemental Form (DPSMV2211), pass all applicable tests and prove Louisiana residency. The permit is for behind-the-wheel training: issued for up to 180 days, extendable by 180 more, up to 360 days in all; the holder drives only with a valid CDL holder of the proper class and endorsement in the front seat, and cannot take the skills test in the first 14 days. | — | CDL knowledge tests | 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 | Complete Entry-Level Driver Training where it applies, take the skills test with a third-party tester (the state charges no skills test fee once that test is passed), and return to the Office of Motor Vehicles to be issued the CDL. By statute the basic license fee is sixty-one dollars and fifty cents (seventy-six dollars and fifty cents for bona fide residents of New Orleans), with a nonrefundable application fee of fifteen dollars, and a Class A CDL expires on the birthday nearest six years after issue, unless revoked, canceled or suspended before then (the department may issue it for less than six years for a medical limitation, a limit on lawful presence or another special restriction). | — | CDL skills test (third-party tester) | set by statute (see what it takes) |
Renewal. About every six years (a Class A CDL expires on the birthday nearest six years after issue).
Licensing sources: Louisiana OMV: new CDL (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Louisiana R.S. 32:412 (driver's license fees and duration) (retrieved 2026-09-24) · FMCSA ELDT Applicability (retrieved 2026-09-24) · 49 CFR 383.23 (commercial driver's license required) (retrieved 2026-09-24). Requirements change; confirm with Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) 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 Louisiana?
The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: the commercial learner's permit, for behind-the-wheel training, needs an age of 18, a valid license issued by the jurisdiction that issues the permit, medical certification, the CDL Supplemental Form, the applicable tests and proof of Louisiana residency, and no skills test is taken in its first 14 days; the skills test is taken with a third-party tester, after federal Entry-Level Driver Training where it applies.
What does it cost to get licensed as a truck driver in Louisiana?
Fees are set by the issuing authority; each tier's fee, where published, is in the table above.
How long does it take to become a truck driver in Louisiana?
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 Louisiana?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Louisiana earned a median $49,320 a year in May 2025, $23.71 an hour. That median is 16% below the national figure of $58,640, and Louisiana ranks 51 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice truck drivers make in Louisiana?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Louisiana under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 328 apprentices started, at a median $12.87 an hour across the 328 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $21.23 an hour at completion (58 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What truck drivers earn in Louisiana
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Louisiana earned a median $49,320 a year in May 2025, $23.71 an hour. 28,540 people held the job, 14.8 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 16% below the national figure of $58,640, and Louisiana ranks 51 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Louisiana
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.65 | $36,710 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $21.31 | $44,330 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $23.71 | $49,320 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $28.26 | $58,780 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $33.05 | $68,740 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $24.96 | $51,930 | 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 Louisiana
Baton Rouge, LA employs the most truck drivers of the 10 metro areas based in Louisiana that BLS publishes, 5,830, at a median $54,840 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | 5,830 | $54,840 | $39,400 | $74,180 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 5,500 | $51,540 | $37,960 | $73,880 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 3,060 | $49,360 | $36,930 | $64,600 |
| Lafayette, LA | 2,920 | $49,450 | $36,730 | $70,570 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | 1,460 | $49,300 | $36,740 | $72,700 |
| Lake Charles, LA | 1,340 | $49,960 | $37,210 | $67,780 |
| Monroe, LA | 1,240 | $47,300 | $35,090 | $59,180 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | 1,040 | $49,410 | $36,060 | $71,900 |
| Hammond, LA | 830 | $48,650 | $36,490 | $63,850 |
| Alexandria, LA | 780 | $47,370 | $35,640 | $65,580 |
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.
Louisiana against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $49,320 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $23.71 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $36,710 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $68,740 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 28,540 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in Louisiana
U.S. Department of Labor records list 179 registered apprentices active in Louisiana 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, 328 apprentices started, at a median $12.87 an hour across the 328 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $21.23 an hour at completion (58 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 Louisiana
Electricians ($61,540) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($63,680) · HVAC technicians ($58,650) · Welders ($62,250) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($76,410) · Ironworkers ($68,830) · Sheet metal workers ($50,320) · Carpenters ($49,920) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($57,440) · Auto service technicians ($46,400) · Diesel mechanics ($58,680) · Heavy equipment operators ($51,700) · Machinists ($61,110)
See all 14 ranked by pay in Louisiana.
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.