Home › Trades › Truck drivers (CDL) › Oklahoma
How to become a truck driver in Oklahoma
Service Oklahoma issues the CDL, a federally regulated license: a first CDL starts with the CDL vision and written tests at a Service Oklahoma Licensing Office and a temporary commercial learner permit, held 14 full days before the drive test, and federal Entry-Level Driver Training is completed before the skills test where it applies. A Class A driver must be 18 or older under Oklahoma law and 21 or older under the federal driver qualification rules for interstate commerce, each with listed exceptions; a driver who self-certifies as Non-Excepted Interstate needs a DOT medical card before the license is issued, and drivers in the other categories may still need one while operating a commercial motor vehicle. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Oklahoma earned a median $54,410 a year in May 2025 ($26.16 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in Oklahoma
The licensing authority is Service Oklahoma. 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 Permit (CLP) | Anyone 18 or older may apply. Bring proof of identity, proof of lawful presence, a valid Oklahoma Class D driver license, proof of residency and your Social Security number, and take the CDL vision and written tests in person at a Service Oklahoma Licensing Office. After passing, you receive a temporary commercial learner permit; hold it 14 full days before the drive test. The permit is issued for one year and cannot be renewed. | — | CDL vision and written (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 | Oklahoma law requires a Class A driver to be 18 or older (a restricted Class A license for harvest work can be issued at 17) and 21 or older to be licensed for a vehicle placarded for hazardous materials (18 for a placarded farm vehicle). Federal driver qualification rules, which apply in interstate commerce, require a driver to be at least 21, with exceptions the rules list. Complete Entry-Level Driver Training where the federal rule applies (first-time Class A or B applicants), then the CDL drive test: a pre-trip inspection, basic control skills tests and a road test. Service Oklahoma does not supply the vehicle; bring its registration and insurance verification. A third-party drive school or examiner can also give the test and sets its own rates. Self-certify one of four categories during the application; the category determines whether a DOT medical card is required for licensing, and a Non-Excepted Interstate driver obtains one from a Certified Medical Examiner before the license is issued; drivers in the other categories may still need one while operating a commercial motor vehicle. Class A, 4-year credential: $25 application fee and $56.50 credential fee ($81.50); the 8-year credential is $138. | — | CDL drive (skills) test | $81.50 |
Renewal. By the credential option chosen: a Class A renewal is $56.50 for the 4-year credential or $113 for the 8-year credential; a commercial learner permit cannot be renewed.
Licensing sources: Service Oklahoma: commercial driver license (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Service Oklahoma: CDL first-time applicants (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Service Oklahoma: CDL renewals and replacements (retrieved 2026-10-03) · FMCSA ELDT Applicability (retrieved 2026-10-03) · 49 CFR 383.23 (commercial driver's license required) (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Oklahoma State Courts Network (Oklahoma Supreme Court): 47 O.S. 6-101, class requirements for driver licenses (retrieved 2026-10-03) · 49 CFR 391.11 (general qualifications of drivers) (retrieved 2026-10-03) · 49 CFR 390.3 (general applicability) (retrieved 2026-10-03). Requirements change; confirm with Service Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma?
Service Oklahoma issues the CDL, a federally regulated license: a first CDL starts with the CDL vision and written tests at a Service Oklahoma Licensing Office and a temporary commercial learner permit, held 14 full days before the drive test, and federal Entry-Level Driver Training is completed before the skills test where it applies. A Class A driver must be 18 or older under Oklahoma law and 21 or older under the federal driver qualification rules for interstate commerce, each with listed exceptions; a driver who self-certifies as Non-Excepted Interstate needs a DOT medical card before the license is issued, and drivers in the other categories may still need one while operating a commercial motor vehicle.
What does it cost to get licensed as a truck driver in Oklahoma?
The published fee in the table above is $81.50. 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 Oklahoma?
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 Oklahoma?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Oklahoma earned a median $54,410 a year in May 2025, $26.16 an hour. That median is 7% below the national figure of $58,640, and Oklahoma ranks 42 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice truck drivers make in Oklahoma?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Oklahoma under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 1,818 apprentices started, at a median $12.25 an hour across the 1,818 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $25.50 an hour at completion (87 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What truck drivers earn in Oklahoma
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Oklahoma earned a median $54,410 a year in May 2025, $26.16 an hour. 27,840 people held the job, 16.3 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 7% below the national figure of $58,640, and Oklahoma ranks 42 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Oklahoma
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.99 | $37,420 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $21.98 | $45,710 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $26.16 | $54,410 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $34.11 | $70,950 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $38.62 | $80,330 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $27.73 | $57,670 | 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 Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, OK employs the most truck drivers of the 4 metro areas based in Oklahoma that BLS publishes, 10,170, at a median $54,720 a year. The best-paid is Tulsa, OK at $58,790.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City, OK | 10,170 | $54,720 | $37,790 | $95,900 |
| Tulsa, OK | 7,220 | $58,790 | $37,530 | $75,160 |
| Enid, OK | 430 | $49,780 | $37,440 | $73,650 |
| Lawton, OK | 380 | $47,280 | $35,480 | $77,260 |
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 Oklahoma: Fort Smith, AR-OK.
Oklahoma against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | Kentucky | $56,340 | 31,760 |
| 40 | Texas | $56,290 | 209,680 |
| 41 | Missouri | $54,550 | 47,760 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $54,410 | 27,840 |
| 43 | Alabama | $52,120 | 36,650 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $51,820 | 24,160 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $51,550 | 32,220 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Oklahoma | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $54,410 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $26.16 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $37,420 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $80,330 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 27,840 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in Oklahoma
U.S. Department of Labor records list 3,172 registered apprentices active in Oklahoma 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, 1,818 apprentices started, at a median $12.25 an hour across the 1,818 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $25.50 an hour at completion (87 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 Oklahoma
Electricians ($61,010) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($57,970) · HVAC technicians ($57,560) · Welders ($49,720) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($76,010) · Elevator installers ($105,430) · Ironworkers ($47,660) · Sheet metal workers ($65,640) · Carpenters ($46,910) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($50,620) · Auto service technicians ($46,560) · Diesel mechanics ($55,340) · Heavy equipment operators ($47,970) · Machinists ($51,120)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Oklahoma.
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.