Work and pay
CDL jobs with no experience
People search for CDL jobs with no experience and for truck driving jobs that train new drivers. This page is not a job board. It does not list openings, and it does not name a carrier that hires without experience. A carrier’s own posting is the only place that can say what that carrier requires.
What “None” means on the BLS summary
The Occupational Outlook Handbook summary for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, SOC 53-3032, lists work experience in a related occupation as “None.” BLS uses that field for work that employers commonly treat as necessary, or as a substitute for formal training. “None” means BLS does not list prior work in a related occupation as the typical way in. It does not mean you may drive a heavy truck before you hold a CDL.
Checked . Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
What the same page still requires
The summary table lists the typical entry-level education as a postsecondary nondegree award, and on-the-job training as short-term. The narrative is more specific. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers usually have a high school diploma and attend a professional truck driving school. They must have a commercial driver’s license. BLS says most companies require a high school diploma or equivalent.
BLS also says many prospective drivers attend a private truck driving school or a community-college program that lasts between 3 and 6 months, and that after a company hires them, drivers normally receive several weeks of on-the-job training with an experienced mentor. Those are the handbook’s statements. They are not a course length or a wage from a school in this directory.
The median is not a first-year offer
The May 2025 median annual wage was $58,640. Employment in 2025 was 2,221,200, with projected growth of 4 percent by 2035. About 214,500 openings a year, on average, are projected for 2025–35, including people who leave the occupation. BLS says drivers are usually paid by the mile and that the per-mile rate may depend on the cargo and the driver’s experience. The handbook does not publish a starting wage, so this page does not invent one.
Light truck “None” is a different occupation
Delivery truck drivers and driver/sales workers, including light truck drivers (SOC 53-3033), also list related work experience as “None.” Their typical entry-level education is a high school diploma or equivalent, and the handbook says they must have a driver’s license. That is not a statement that those jobs require a CDL, and it is not a list of Class B jobs. The May 2025 median for light truck drivers was $44,860. Source: BLS delivery truck drivers, checked .
Questions drivers ask
Does “no experience” mean a carrier will hire me?
No. BLS lists no related work experience as the typical entry field for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. That is not a hiring offer, and this page does not name a carrier that hires without a CDL.
Do I still need a CDL for heavy truck driving?
Yes. BLS says heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers must have a commercial driver’s license, and that they usually attend a professional truck driving school.
Is $58,640 the pay for a first CDL job?
No. That is the May 2025 median annual wage for the occupation. BLS says a per-mile rate may depend on cargo and the driver’s experience. The handbook does not publish a starting wage.
National CDL jobs context · Class A CDL jobs · How to get a CDL · Carrier-paid training