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How to become a truck driver in Utah
The Utah Driver License Division issues the CDL: an applicant is at least 18 and has held a Class D license for one year, passes the written knowledge tests for a commercial learner permit, and holds the permit 14 days and completes federal Entry-Level Driver Training before the driving skills test. A driver under 21 is restricted to intrastate operation, and the CDL expires in five years. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Utah earned a median $60,620 a year in May 2025 ($29.15 an hour).
Truck driver licensing in Utah
The licensing authority is Utah Driver License Division (DLD). 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 Class D license held for one year. The Division's original CDL is for U.S. citizens; non-citizens apply for a Non-Domiciled CDL, and as of January 20, 2026, Utah has paused issuing non-domiciled CDLs until further notice. Bring proof of identity, Social Security number and Utah address and your current driver license; the medical examiner submits the Medical Examiner's Certificate electronically, and you submit a Self-Certification form. Pay the non-refundable $52.00 fee, plus $9.00 for each endorsement, and pass the written knowledge tests: the general test (50 questions) and, for Class A, the combination test (20 questions), closed-book, with 80% to pass; all CDL tests are given in English only. The air brakes test (25 questions) is required to drive a vehicle equipped with air brakes; if it is not taken and the skills test is not completed in an air brake-equipped vehicle, an "L" restriction is placed on the license. The $52.00 fee includes the three core tests, and each test may be taken up to two times before a second test fee of $26.00. The permit is issued for 180 days. | — | CDL written knowledge tests | $52 |
| 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 permit 14 days and complete Entry-Level Driver Training before the driving skills test: a pre-trip vehicle inspection, a basic control skills test and an on-road driving test. At the Division the test costs $78.00 for two attempts and $52.00 for retakes, and you bring your own registered, road-ready vehicle; an approved certified third-party tester charges its own fee and submits the results to the Division. Once all testing is passed, a temporary license is issued the same day, and the CDL expires in five years. A driver under 21 is restricted to intrastate operation and cannot apply for hazardous materials, passenger or school bus endorsements. | — | CDL driving skills test | $78 |
Renewal. Every five years, in person at a Driver License office by appointment (CDL holders cannot renew online), up to six months before expiration, with the $52.00 fee.
Licensing sources: Utah Driver License Division: CDL information (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Utah Driver License Division: original CDL (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Utah Driver License Division: CDL written knowledge test (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Utah Driver License Division: CDL driving skills test (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Utah Driver License Division: CDL renewal (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 Utah Driver License Division (DLD) 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 Utah?
The Utah Driver License Division issues the CDL: an applicant is at least 18 and has held a Class D license for one year, passes the written knowledge tests for a commercial learner permit, and holds the permit 14 days and completes federal Entry-Level Driver Training before the driving skills test. A driver under 21 is restricted to intrastate operation, and the CDL expires in five years.
What does it cost to get licensed as a truck driver in Utah?
The published fees in the table above run from $52 to $78 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 Utah?
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 Utah?
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Utah earned a median $60,620 a year in May 2025, $29.15 an hour. That median is 3% above the national figure of $58,640, and Utah ranks 13 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice truck drivers make in Utah?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Utah under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 63 apprentices started, at a median $8.50 an hour across the 63 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 5 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 Utah
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers in Utah earned a median $60,620 a year in May 2025, $29.15 an hour. 25,060 people held the job, 14.4 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 3% above the national figure of $58,640, and Utah ranks 13 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Utah
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $21.31 | $44,320 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $24.20 | $50,340 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $29.15 | $60,620 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $32.91 | $68,460 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $36.71 | $76,360 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $29.28 | $60,900 | 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 Utah
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT employs the most truck drivers of the 5 metro areas based in Utah that BLS publishes, 12,340, at a median $62,310 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 12,340 | $62,310 | $45,840 | $76,910 |
| Ogden, UT | 4,260 | $59,940 | $35,920 | $79,310 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | 2,300 | $59,820 | $45,120 | $72,540 |
| St. George, UT | 1,330 | $58,810 | $46,720 | $72,060 |
| Logan, UT-ID | 760 | $57,450 | $43,620 | $74,150 |
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.
Utah against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Colorado | $61,500 | 25,350 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $60,910 | 11,870 |
| 12 | Vermont | $60,830 | 3,560 |
| 13 | Utah | $60,620 | 25,060 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $60,490 | 15,740 |
| 15 | Illinois | $60,320 | 84,200 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $60,310 | 6,050 |
The complete ranking is on the Truck drivers (CDL) page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Utah | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $60,620 | $58,640 |
| Median hourly | $29.15 | $28.19 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $44,320 | $40,140 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $76,360 | $79,380 |
| Employed | 25,060 | 2,062,040 |
Apprenticeships in Utah
U.S. Department of Labor records list 37 registered apprentices active in Utah 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, 63 apprentices started, at a median $8.50 an hour across the 63 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 5 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 Utah
Electricians ($62,000) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($61,900) · HVAC technicians ($58,730) · Welders ($58,380) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($101,220) · Elevator installers ($81,060) · Ironworkers ($58,250) · Sheet metal workers ($63,140) · Carpenters ($52,360) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($60,450) · Auto service technicians ($46,570) · Diesel mechanics ($64,350) · Heavy equipment operators ($60,740) · Machinists ($61,280)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Utah.
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.