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How to become a truck driver in Massachusetts
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: the learner's permit needs a Class D license and an age of 18 for driving within Massachusetts (21 for interstate), drivers of commercial vehicles over 10,000 lbs must carry a DOT medical certificate (state and municipal employees driving a state or municipal vehicle are the one exception), and a first-time Class A or B applicant completes federal Entry-Level Driver Training before the road test. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Massachusetts earned a median $63,030 a year in May 2025 ($30.30 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in Massachusetts
The licensing authority is Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV). 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 for a Massachusetts-only permit (21 for interstate), with a Class D license valid for the whole permit, proof of lawful presence, Massachusetts residency and the CDL medical standards; pass the general knowledge exam, plus the combination vehicle exam for Class A. Learner's permit application fee $30. The permit is valid 180 days and can be renewed once. | — | CLP general knowledge exam (and the combination vehicle exam for Class A) | $30 |
| 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, pass the road test (the State Police conduct commercial road tests), then have the license issued at an RMV Service Center. Road test fee $35; the Class A license, for 5 years, costs $75. | — | CDL road test (skills test) | $110 |
Renewal. Every five years ($75 for Class A).
Licensing sources: Mass.gov RMV: Apply for a Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP) (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Mass.gov RMV: Schedule your road test (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Mass.gov: Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles fees (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Mass.gov RMV: Renew your Commercial Driver's License (CDL) (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 Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) 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 Massachusetts?
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: the learner's permit needs a Class D license and an age of 18 for driving within Massachusetts (21 for interstate), drivers of commercial vehicles over 10,000 lbs must carry a DOT medical certificate (state and municipal employees driving a state or municipal vehicle are the one exception), and a first-time Class A or B applicant completes federal Entry-Level Driver Training before the road test.
What does it cost to get licensed as a truck driver in Massachusetts?
The published fees in the table above run from $30 to $110 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 Massachusetts?
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 Massachusetts?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Massachusetts earned a median $63,030 a year in May 2025, $30.30 an hour. That median is 7% above the national figure of $58,640, and Massachusetts ranks 5 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice truck drivers make in Massachusetts?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Massachusetts under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 55 apprentices started, at a median $15.75 an hour across the 55 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 11 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 Massachusetts
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Massachusetts earned a median $63,030 a year in May 2025, $30.30 an hour. 30,890 people held the job, 8.5 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 7% above the national figure of $58,640, and Massachusetts ranks 5 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Massachusetts
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.64 | $47,080 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $27.08 | $56,320 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $30.30 | $63,030 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $34.69 | $72,150 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $37.73 | $78,480 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $30.56 | $63,570 | 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 Massachusetts
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH employs the most truck drivers of the 6 metro areas based in Massachusetts that BLS publishes, 20,090, at a median $64,010 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 20,090 | $64,010 | $47,950 | $78,770 |
| Worcester, MA | 4,470 | $61,610 | $45,900 | $77,940 |
| Springfield, MA | 2,400 | $61,420 | $44,980 | $82,520 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 840 | $62,740 | $47,510 | $76,250 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | 470 | $61,260 | $46,060 | $73,700 |
| Pittsfield, MA | 400 | $59,330 | $44,340 | $72,330 |
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 Massachusetts: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
Massachusetts against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Washington | $64,760 | 40,530 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $64,170 | 830 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $63,570 | 47,980 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $63,030 | 30,890 |
| 6 | Nevada | $62,290 | 15,010 |
| 7 | New York | $62,050 | 63,700 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $61,990 | 38,770 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $63,030 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $30.30 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $47,080 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $78,480 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 30,890 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in Massachusetts
U.S. Department of Labor records list 23 registered apprentices active in Massachusetts 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, 55 apprentices started, at a median $15.75 an hour across the 55 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 11 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 Massachusetts
Electricians ($79,420) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($93,880) · HVAC technicians ($77,300) · Welders ($62,570) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($110,210) · Elevator installers ($138,420) · Ironworkers ($120,840) · Sheet metal workers ($82,100) · Carpenters ($75,200) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($94,950) · Auto service technicians ($60,760) · Diesel mechanics ($73,270) · Heavy equipment operators ($76,820) · Machinists ($67,270)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Massachusetts.
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.