Weekend and Evening Formats, Side by Side
| Program and Location | Attendance | Published Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Calhoun Community CollegeDecatur and Huntsville Area, Alabama | Published Saturday/Sunday cohorts; weekday evenings also offered | $3,200 for the standard Class A or B course |
| 2. Houston City CollegeNortheast Campus, Houston, Texas | Ten weekends, Saturday/Sunday 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; separate ten-week evenings | $4,350 published Class A tuition |
| 3. Wallace State Community CollegeHanceville, Oneonta, and Winston County, Alabama | Thursday/Friday 4:30–9:30 p.m. plus Saturday/Sunday 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m. | $3,500 full in-person Class A course |
| 4. Lincoln Land Community CollegeWorkforce Careers Center, Springfield, Illinois | Published night cohorts; described as six weeks/32 nights, with exact calendars varying | $4,500 program cost, plus listed medical, record, and permit charges |
| 5. The Truck Master SchoolHayward, California | Saturday 9 a.m.–2 p.m., or Monday/Wednesday/Thursday 6–9 p.m. | $2,500 standard PRO price; $2,400 paid in full |
| 6. Academy of Truck Driving2585 Buna Street, Building 99, Oakland, California | Evenings 4:30–6:30 p.m. and weekend mornings 8 a.m.–noon by arrangement | $7,615 total private-pay Class A cost in the 2026 catalog |
How These CDL Training Programs Were Selected
We selected six providers with official published weekend or evening availability and usable Class A cost information. The order favors defined recurring cohorts and clear attendance requirements, followed by evening-only and individually arranged alternatives. It is a schedule-fit ranking, not a national price or job-placement ranking. Policies and prices were checked September 17, 2026; a listed format does not confirm an open seat. The comparison names the location or campus condition rather than applying one branch’s timetable to an entire chain.
Advertisements are separate from the editorial order. A training certificate, an ELDT completion record, a state-issued CDL, and an employer’s hiring decision are different results.
6 Programs, with Their Practical Conditions
Selected Rank 1 · Decatur and Huntsville Area, Alabama
Calhoun Community College
160-Hour Class A or B Training. Published Saturday/Sunday cohorts; weekday evenings also offered.
$3,200 for the standard Class A or B course
Calhoun leads this selected schedule comparison because it identifies a genuine Saturday/Sunday option alongside day and evening formats. Its published September–October 2026 weekend cohort meets 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the next available dates and training location must be confirmed with the CDL office.
The standard course covers permit-test preparation, inspections, backing, and road work, with skills testing described as included. Manual and automatic vehicles are listed. Ask which equipment and location are assigned to your cohort and how the school accounts for each student’s driving time.
The $3,200 price belongs to the standard Class A or B route. Calhoun separately advertises a funded, shorter Class B program through Skills for Success. Do not treat that separate offer as free enrollment in every weekend Class A course.
Selected Rank 2 · Northeast Campus, Houston, Texas
Houston City College
Commercial Truck Driver Occupational Skills Award. Ten weekends, Saturday/Sunday 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; separate ten-week evenings.
$4,350 published Class A tuition
Houston City College gives working applicants a concrete weekend calendar: ten weekends of long Saturday and Sunday sessions. Its separate evening route meets Monday through Friday, 5:30–10:30 p.m. Those are different commitments, even though both spread training beyond the five-week daytime model.
The current program page lists a 200-contact-hour minimum for the award and $4,350 tuition. Applicants need a valid Class C driver’s license, a suitable driving record, and required DOT medical and drug checks. The college distinguishes the intrastate minimum age of 18 from interstate driving at 21.
Ask for a dated cohort calendar before arranging leave. Testing, medical appointments, and license-office visits may still require weekday availability. Use the Northeast training location in your commute estimate rather than the college system’s central administrative address.
Selected Rank 3 · Hanceville, Oneonta, and Winston County, Alabama
Wallace State Community College
160-Hour Full Class A Course. Thursday/Friday 4:30–9:30 p.m. plus Saturday/Sunday 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m..
$3,500 full in-person Class A course
Wallace State is a fit for someone who can protect two weekday evenings and both weekend days. The published format is a combined night-and-weekend schedule, so it should not be described as weekend-only. The college lists Hanceville, Oneonta, and Winston County training locations.
The full in-person Class A route costs $3,500 and lists 160 total hours. A separate 120-hour behind-the-wheel-only option costs $2,650 and excludes theory. The distinction matters if you are comparing prices before completing any ELDT.
Wallace State also lists a tuition-free Skills for Success hybrid route with online theory and campus driving. Ask about eligibility, seats, location, and additional charges for that specific cohort. Choose the correct course before comparing its price with another school’s full beginner program.
Selected Rank 4 · Workforce Careers Center, Springfield, Illinois
Lincoln Land Community College
Truck Driver Training CDL Basic Certificate. Published night cohorts; described as six weeks/32 nights, with exact calendars varying.
$4,500 program cost, plus listed medical, record, and permit charges
Lincoln Land adds a documented evening option for a student who cannot attend a daytime course. Its program page publishes separate night cohorts in the 2026 calendar and describes the alternative as 32 nights. Use the exact cohort dates to calculate the commitment, since holidays and calendars can stretch a nominal six-week description.
The $4,500 program cost is due in full before training. The page separately lists $134 for the DOT physical and drug screen and $12 for the motor-vehicle record, with permit and endorsement charges depending on the applicant.
This is an evening alternative within a weekend-and-evening comparison, not a claim of Saturday-only attendance. Ask for the nightly meeting times, missed-session policy, truck assignments, and testing schedule. Include those charges and travel in your budget before choosing between the day and night formats.
Selected Rank 5 · Hayward, California
The Truck Master School
Published 160-Hour PRO CDL Program. Saturday 9 a.m.–2 p.m., or Monday/Wednesday/Thursday 6–9 p.m..
$2,500 standard PRO price; $2,400 paid in full
Truck Master lists a Saturday block and a three-evening option on its programs-and-payments page. The Hayward location is one of the company’s named branches; the night schedule specifically excludes La Puente, so campus confirmation matters.
The school advertises a 160-hour certificate. A five-hour Saturday block does not, by itself, explain how all required learning and driving will fit into a particular number of weeks. Obtain a calendar showing theory, range, road practice, and any additional sessions instead of applying the company’s general six-to-eight-week description to every format.
The installment plan starts at $1,000 with three $500 payments, and the balance is due at least seven days before the DMV appointment. Ask the agreement to identify Class A, the exact campus, included testing support, and additional permit or medical costs.
Selected Rank 6 · 2585 Buna Street, Building 99, Oakland, California
Academy of Truck Driving
Class A Program, Up to 160 Hours. Evenings 4:30–6:30 p.m. and weekend mornings 8 a.m.–noon by arrangement.
$7,615 total private-pay Class A cost in the 2026 catalog
Academy of Truck Driving is a conditional scheduling option rather than a fixed weekend cohort. Its 2026 catalog lists evening and Saturday/Sunday morning hours with an explicit note that those sessions may be arranged. Secure the actual schedule in writing before comparing it with a college’s published cohort.
The catalog’s Class A total is $7,615, including listed pre-enrollment and institutional charges. The program allows up to 160 hours, with a mix of theory and practical work. Additional testing visits or other circumstances can create extra charges under the agreement.
This may fit a Bay Area applicant who needs shorter blocks, but short blocks can lengthen the calendar. Ask how many days per week are guaranteed, whether an assigned truck is shared, and what happens if a vehicle or DMV appointment changes. A convenient opening-hours grid is not the same as a reserved training place.
Compare Weekend CDL Training with Your Actual Work Calendar
Block the complete school day, commute, meal breaks, and study time on your calendar. A Saturday/Sunday program can occupy most of both days. A combined schedule can also require Thursday and Friday evenings, making it very different from a weekend-only plan.
Ask which tasks happen outside the advertised schedule: obtaining a permit, DOT appointments, orientation, testing, retests, and make-up sessions. A school may teach on weekends while a licensing office or examiner follows another calendar.
Write down the missed-session policy and the next available make-up date. Losing one Saturday in a cohort with weekly practical instruction can affect the completion date even when tuition does not change.
Separate Total Training Hours From Your Driving Time
A 160-hour course is not necessarily 160 hours behind the wheel for each student. Ask for the split between theory, observation, range, and public-road work, plus the number of learners sharing a truck and instructor.
Federal ELDT sets curriculum and proficiency requirements and does not establish a universal minimum training-hour total; state rules may add requirements. The FMCSA training-requirements guidance explains the federal framework. A weekend format still must deliver the applicable instruction.
Check the exact provider and training location in the FMCSA Training Provider Registry before paying. Registration is not a placement guarantee or a quality ranking. Our provider-registry walkthrough shows the checks to make.