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How to become a truck driver in Minnesota
Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: the commercial learner's permit needs a valid Minnesota driver's license, an age of 18 (21 to drive commercially outside Minnesota), proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency and of Minnesota residency, and a passed written test on the commercial driver's manual, and is held at least 14 calendar days; 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 Minnesota earned a median $61,990 a year in May 2025 ($29.80 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in Minnesota
The licensing authority is Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (Department of Public Safety). 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 (21 to drive commercially outside Minnesota), with a valid Minnesota driver's license, proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency and of Minnesota residency, and the medical self-certification (a driver whose driving category requires it also needs a DOT medical certificate from an FMCSA-approved medical examiner, who uploads it to the FMCSA National Registry (it is valid for up to two years)); pass the written test on the Minnesota commercial driver's manual. Permit fee $26.75. Hold it at least 14 calendar days; a permit holder cannot carry passengers or hazardous materials in a commercial vehicle. The classroom part of Entry-Level Driver Training can be taken at any time; the behind-the-wheel part only with the permit, within a year of the classroom part. | — | CDL written test | $26.75 |
| 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 | Hold at least a valid Class D license and the permit, complete Entry-Level Driver Training (it may be waived in certain situations for someone who had a CDL before), schedule and pass the CDL road test, then apply and pay for the CDL. Class A license fee $65 ($45 under age 21). | — | CDL road test | $65 |
Renewal. Every four years ($60 to renew a Class A, $40 under age 21).
Licensing sources: Minnesota DVS: commercial driver's license (CDL) (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Minnesota DVS: commercial learner's permit (CLP) (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Minnesota DVS: CDL Class A (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Minnesota DVS: driver's license and ID card fees (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Minnesota DVS: CDL medical certification (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 Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (Department of Public Safety) 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 Minnesota?
Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services issues the CDL under federal FMCSA rules: the commercial learner's permit needs a valid Minnesota driver's license, an age of 18 (21 to drive commercially outside Minnesota), proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency and of Minnesota residency, and a passed written test on the commercial driver's manual, and is held at least 14 calendar days; 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 Minnesota?
The published fees in the table above run from $26.75 to $65 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 Minnesota?
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 Minnesota?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Minnesota earned a median $61,990 a year in May 2025, $29.80 an hour. That median is 6% above the national figure of $58,640, and Minnesota ranks 8 of 51 by pay for this trade.
What truck drivers earn in Minnesota
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Minnesota earned a median $61,990 a year in May 2025, $29.80 an hour. 38,770 people held the job, 13.1 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 6% above the national figure of $58,640, and Minnesota ranks 8 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Minnesota
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.07 | $45,910 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $24.39 | $50,730 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $29.80 | $61,990 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $35.43 | $73,700 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $39.34 | $81,830 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $30.59 | $63,630 | 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 Minnesota
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI employs the most truck drivers of the 5 metro areas based in Minnesota that BLS publishes, 20,430, at a median $64,200 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 20,430 | $64,200 | $48,080 | $83,410 |
| St. Cloud, MN | 2,140 | $61,960 | $45,640 | $81,380 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | 2,050 | $60,970 | $46,510 | $81,430 |
| Rochester, MN | 1,260 | $62,180 | $45,340 | $93,490 |
| Mankato, MN | 740 | $60,070 | $45,640 | $93,650 |
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 Minnesota: Fargo, ND-MN, Sioux Falls, SD-MN, La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN and Grand Forks, ND-MN.
Minnesota against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 9 | Oregon | $61,980 | 23,970 |
| 10 | Colorado | $61,500 | 25,350 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $60,910 | 11,870 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Minnesota | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $61,990 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $29.80 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $45,910 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $81,830 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 38,770 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in Minnesota
U.S. Department of Labor records list 65 registered apprentices active in Minnesota 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, 39 apprentices started; 39 have a starting wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs here. Of those who completed that year, 10 have an exit wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs.
Find a registered program: DOL's Apprenticeship Finder → · Every state's count and wages for this trade →
Which wages DOL counts, which titles count and how the state is assigned are on the data page.
Other trades in Minnesota
Electricians ($78,160) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($94,410) · HVAC technicians ($76,350) · Welders ($60,280) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($104,180) · Elevator installers ($128,020) · Ironworkers ($95,320) · Sheet metal workers ($72,970) · Carpenters ($64,930) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($95,220) · Auto service technicians ($58,390) · Diesel mechanics ($66,840) · Heavy equipment operators ($79,130) · Machinists ($61,140)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Minnesota.
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.