Class A CDL – Extended
6 Months – Total Clock Hours: 600
2025/2026 Tuition: $8,940, Start dates: January 7, 2025 & 7/7/2025, & 1/6/2026
Admission Requirements
Application Fee, Application for Admission, Enrollment Agreement, High School Diploma or GED, Criminal Record Check, Child Abuse Clearance.
Program Overview
The CDL A Extended program is designed to provide the student with the hands-on training and knowledge to obtain a Class A CDL certification and gain entry-level employment as a CDL operator. It also provides students with hands-on driving with a transportation employer. The program features instruction on vehicle safety, driving procedures and safety, trip planning, log book practices, and public / employee relations. In addition to classroom instruction, driving skills tests, and practice exams, students receive on-the-road training on rural highway, interstate, and city driving. Students culminate this Program by completing an externship with a transportation company_
Maximum # of Students Per Class: 16
Program starts in January and July. Please check with CPI Admissions and review the Program Enrollment Agreement for specific start dates.
Entry-Level Career Opportunities:
- Commercial Truck Driver
- Driver/Sales Worker
- Agricultural Equipment Operator
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector
Courses In This Program Include:
Course Descriptions
CDL-140 – Safety, Introduction, and Basic Operation
Students start Safety, Introduction, and Basic Operation by completing their Permit prep and permit exams. This component begins by preparing students for the written portion of the CDL test, which is required to obtain a CDL Learner’s Permit, which is necessary for the on-road portion of the program. They then move on to safe vehicle operations, both off road and on road. Upon completion of the safety module, students will begin hands-on practice, in the CPI driving range, with commercial vehicles, including vehicle inspections and practice backing, parking, and basic driving skills. Students will also utilize CPI’s Trans Sim IV Simulator. Students will practice on Class A equipment. Students round out this course by learning and practicing safe loading and securing techniques, as per the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) guidelines. (64 Lecture Hours – 40 Lab Hours)
CDL-160 – On and Off Road, Including Range
On and Off Road, Including Range, continues the hands-on practice of commercial truck driving. Students’ complete inspections and practice backing, parking, and driving skills. Students work on their skills both on the range and out on the road, including simulation. Students prepare for the skills and driving portions of the Commercial Driver’s License exam. Students will practice on Class A equipment.
(40 Lecture Hours – 134 Lab Hours)
CDL-200 – CDL Skills Testing and Job Readiness
CDL Skills Testing and Job Readiness includes final preparation for the PENNDOT CDL Class A license test. Students finish pre-trip, backing, off road, and on road skills, then culminate with taking the Class A test. Students test on Class A equipment. Students finish their time in the CDL A Program rounding out skills that need further enhancement and by preparing for post program employment. Activities include meeting with or contacting transportation employers, applying through company application portals, and communicating with appropriate employer organizations. (26 Lecture Hours – 96 Lab Hours)
CDE-250 – Externship
Entering the Externship component of the CDL A 600 Program, students are placed with an appropriate externship partner to culminate the remaining 200 hours of their training at CPI. Students may self-place or they will be placed with a company externship. While on their externship, CPI students will get hands-on driving experience with a company. This experience can be listed on future job applications. The student will experience the transportation industry and workplace and will have an opportunity to see if they are a “fit” for employment with their extern partner host. CPI maintains contact with both the externship student and the externship employer to assist with any training issues not yet fully developed by the student. Students receive transcript grades from their externship employer. (200 Externship Hours)