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How to become a truck driver in Oregon
Oregon DMV issues the CDL: a first CDL starts with a commercial learner permit, which takes an Oregon driver license, the commercial knowledge tests, a vision screening and a DOT medical examination; the skills test, taken with a third-party CDL tester, needs a permit held at least 14 days, and federal Entry-Level Driver Training comes first for first-time Class A or B applicants. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Oregon earned a median $61,980 a year in May 2025 ($29.80 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in Oregon
The licensing authority is Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV). 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) | Have an Oregon driver license (commercial or non-commercial Class C) and be at least 21 (18 for intrastate driving); present proof of full legal name, U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residence, identity, date of birth and residence address, and give your Social Security number on the application. Pass the CDL general knowledge test, the combination vehicle knowledge test for a Class A permit and the air brake knowledge test for air-brake vehicles (offered in English only), a vision screening and a DOT medical examination with an examiner listed in the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners, and certify the type of commercial driving you intend to do. By statute the permit fee is $40 and the commercial knowledge test fee is $10. Knowledge test results are valid for six months. The permit is valid for one year from issue and is not renewable; the holder drives a commercial vehicle only with the permit in immediate possession and accompanied, in the seat beside, by a CDL holder at least 21 with the class and endorsements the vehicle requires. A person with a prohibited status in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse may not be issued a permit or CDL. | — | CDL knowledge tests | $50 |
| 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 the commercial learner permit at least 14 days and complete Entry-Level Driver Training where the federal rule applies (first-time Class A or B applicants), then schedule and pass the skills test (pre-trip vehicle inspection, basic control skills and an on-road driving test) with a third-party CDL tester. Indicate at least one year of driving experience in at least a non-commercial Class C vehicle, be at least 21 (18 for intrastate driving), pass a vision screening and a DOT medical examination, and surrender any other driver license or permit. Skills test results are valid for six months. By statute the commercial driver license fee is $160, plus $40 when DMV accepts skills test results from a certified tester. The third-party examiner charges its own fee for the skills test, set by the examiner and separate from these DMV fees; issuance and other fees are paid to DMV when you get the CDL. A person with a prohibited status in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse may not be issued a permit or CDL. | — | CDL skills test (third-party tester) | $200 |
Renewal. Oregon driver licenses for U.S. citizens and permanent residents are valid for 8 years.
Licensing sources: Oregon DMV: getting a commercial driver license or commercial learner permit (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Oregon DMV: commercial driver license fees (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Oregon DMV: third party CDL testing (retrieved 2026-10-03) · ORS chapter 807 (driving privileges), Oregon Legislature (retrieved 2026-10-03) · FMCSA ELDT Applicability (retrieved 2026-10-03) · 49 CFR 383.23 (commercial driver's license required) (retrieved 2026-10-03). Requirements change; confirm with Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV) 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 Oregon?
Oregon DMV issues the CDL: a first CDL starts with a commercial learner permit, which takes an Oregon driver license, the commercial knowledge tests, a vision screening and a DOT medical examination; the skills test, taken with a third-party CDL tester, needs a permit held at least 14 days, and federal Entry-Level Driver Training comes first for first-time Class A or B applicants.
What does it cost to get licensed as a truck driver in Oregon?
The published fees in the table above run from $50 to $200 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 Oregon?
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 Oregon?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Oregon earned a median $61,980 a year in May 2025, $29.80 an hour. That median is 6% above the national figure of $58,640, and Oregon ranks 9 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice truck drivers make in Oregon?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Oregon under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 66 apprentices started, at a median $15.00 an hour across the 66 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 15 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 Oregon
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Oregon earned a median $61,980 a year in May 2025, $29.80 an hour. 23,970 people held the job, 12.2 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 6% above the national figure of $58,640, and Oregon ranks 9 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Oregon
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.93 | $47,700 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $26.38 | $54,870 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $29.80 | $61,980 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $35.04 | $72,870 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $39.05 | $81,220 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $30.81 | $64,080 | 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 Oregon
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA employs the most truck drivers of the 8 metro areas based in Oregon that BLS publishes, 14,370, at a median $63,800 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 14,370 | $63,800 | $49,090 | $85,590 |
| Salem, OR | 2,170 | $60,580 | $47,700 | $77,630 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | 1,810 | $58,480 | $47,230 | $73,520 |
| Medford, OR | 1,440 | $58,220 | $43,850 | $76,810 |
| Bend, OR | 1,120 | $61,220 | $49,680 | $75,940 |
| Albany, OR | 830 | $60,180 | $47,420 | $78,540 |
| Corvallis, OR | 190 | $59,610 | $44,590 | $74,470 |
| Grants Pass, OR | 170 | $58,980 | $44,730 | $73,810 |
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.
Oregon against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 12 | Vermont | $60,830 | 3,560 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Oregon | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $61,980 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $29.80 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $47,700 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $81,220 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 23,970 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in Oregon
U.S. Department of Labor records list 77 registered apprentices active in Oregon 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, 66 apprentices started, at a median $15.00 an hour across the 66 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 15 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 Oregon
Electricians ($101,310) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($97,050) · HVAC technicians ($62,940) · Welders ($59,450) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($131,090) · Elevator installers ($138,600) · Ironworkers ($96,050) · Sheet metal workers ($73,750) · Carpenters ($62,870) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($79,450) · Auto service technicians ($58,520) · Diesel mechanics ($63,970) · Heavy equipment operators ($73,430) · Machinists ($63,820)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Oregon.
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.