Get behind the wheel. Get licensed. Get going.

This is your pathway to a great career in transportation as a CDL driver (Class A).

There are more great careers in transportation as a CDL driver than there are trained people to fill them. In response to this demand, Georgia Piedmont Technical College has partnered with DeKalb, Newton, and Rockdale transportation companies to develop the 160-hour TRANSPORTATION READY program to prepare you for a career in transportation as a CDL driver. Upon successful completion participants will be eligible to sit for the CDL License exam and gain skill sets needed to lead to employment as a Class A CDL driver:

There is no cost to qualified participants. WIOA ELIGIBLE

Taught through the Economic Development Division at Georgia Piedmont Technical College, the TRANSPORTATION READY program is funded through your local WIOA office.  The program is geared towards unemployed and underemployed individuals who have little or no experience, but who wish to reenter the workforce with new and in-demand skills. The program fee and all required materials are covered for those who meet eligibility requirements.

160-hour program location:

Regional Transportation Training Center
6720 Marbut Rd., Lithonia, GA 30058

or
GPTC Newton Campus (D Bldg)
8100 Bob Williams Pkwy, Covington, GA 30014

160-hour program cost: $4500.00 (if you do not qualify for WIOA funding)

Upcoming training dates:

10/05/2024 – 12/15/2024 Weekend Class Saturday, Sunday 7:30am to 4:30pm

09/30/2024 – 11/21/2024 Evening Class Monday thru Thursday 5:00pm to 10:00pm

01/06/2025 –  02/27/2025   Evening Class Monday thru Thursday 5:00pm to 10:00pm (8 weeks)

01/11/2025 – 03/16/2025   Weekend Class Saturday & Sunday 8:00am to 5:00pm (10 weeks)

03/17/2025 – 05/08/2025   Evening Class Monday thru Thursday 5:00pm to 10:00pm (8 weeks)

03/29/2025 – 06/08/2025   Weekend Class  Saturday & Sunday 8:00am to 10:00pm (10 weeks)

06/01/2025 – 07/24/2025   Evening Class Monday thru Thursday 5:00pm to 10:00pm (8 weeks)

06/21/2025 – 09/07/2025   Weekend Class  Saturday & Sunday 8:00am to 10:00pm (10 weeks)

08/04/2025 – 12/02/2025   Evening Class Monday thru Thursday 5:00pm to 10:00pm (8 weeks)

09/20/2025 –  11/23/2025   Weekend Class  Saturday & Sunday 8:00am to 10:00pm (10 weeks)

Classes are held Saturday & Sunday, 7:30 am – 4:30 pm or Monday-Thursday, 5 – 10 pm

Course Prerequisite
You must obtain your Class A permit before the first day of class. You must also take and pass a DOT drug screen -which GPTC will provide on the first day of class- and obtain a DOT Physical before the first day of class.

Class Registration
You may come to the GPTC Regional Transportation Training Center at 6720 Marbut Rd., Lithonia, Georgia 30058 to register for class. Please bring your permit, license and DOT physical card with you — if obtained it prior to class.

Additional Charges
The following charges are NOT included in the cost of the class tuition and are not paid to the college with tuition:

CDL Permit Written Test at DDS – $45

Class A CDL License Fee – $32

CDL Retest (if necessary) – $100

Additional Information

• In order to apply for admission to the CTD program, applicants must be at least 18 years of age with a Class C license. Persons 18 to 21 may obtain a Commercial Driver’s License but will be restricted to drive in Georgia only.
• The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates commercial driver licensing and requires a Department of Transportation (DOT) physical and drug test in addition to a Motor Vehicle Report prior to the issuance of a Georgia Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) or Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). Furthermore, random drug testing is required during the course of the Commercial Truck Driving program (FMCSA Regulation 382.305 and 391, subpart E).
• EZ DOT, LLC will visit the Regional Transportation Training Center campus and perform the required Department of Transportation drug test during the first 3 days of the CTDL 1010 course.  Students must be able to produce negative results on the drug screening and submit a satisfactory physical by the first day of class.
• Students can begin CTD courses while drug screening results are pending. However, the results must come back by the completion the first week of class for the student to remain in the program.

• • • Student drivers who fail the drug screening are advised to contact:
      Dr. David Clark at 770-713-8580
      5073 LaVista Rd., Tucker, GA 30084

An applicant/student driver who fails a drug and/or alcohol test may not be able to complete the CTD program at Georgia Piedmont Technical College or any Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) institution until documentation of successful completion of a return to duty program as prescribed by a Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) has been received.

More SAPs can be found at the following link www.naadac.org/sap-directory

CTD Program Contact:
Selina James
404-297-9522 ext. 5503
Email:  jamess@gptc.edu
Fax: 678-323-8719

Office operating hours:
Monday-Thursday   8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Friday   8:00 am – 3:00 pm

This class is designed to help those who have been out of the transportation industry and need to refresh their skills and for those who have had trouble passing the CDL skills exam and requiring extra instruction before re-testing.

Classes meet either Sunday from 8AM – 5PM or for four (4) hours for two (2) days: Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday 5PM – 9PM

For more details, see this information sheet.

Note: This course has a minimum of 4 students.

Not quite ready for hands on training or you need to sharpen your driving skills? Our simulator training will be in place once our new transportation center is complete. It will enable a student to drive a Class A, Class B, or Class C vehicle in a virtual space, while operating the controls of an actual vehicle. Watch this space for more details.

– $100 = cost to test with own vehicle.
–  $150 = cost to test with GPTC vehicle, plus an 8-hour CDL Refresher class ($450) is required.
–  Students MUST be able to pass a Department of Transportation (DOT) drug screen before class begins. The $40 drug screen cost is the responsibility of the applicant.

Call 404.297.9522, ext. 5503 to schedule an exam.