If you want a career with a chance to see and visit new places practically daily, there are few better ways than starting a trucking career in the state of Washington.
You’ll get an opportunity to earn a living, as well as to explore the entire Pacific Northwest.
There are as many as 20 schools you could choose from, should you decide to take this step.
With an average tuition of $4,032, this goal is certainly not outside your reach, especially with the help of scholarships.
Good scholarships, like the Washington Trucking Association’s “WTA/Dave Weldy Vocational Scholarship” ranging from $500 to $1000, are widely available.
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Challenge of Choice: Picking a School
There are options for every taste and need.
Let’s say you want to start your career as fast as possible; there is hardly a better way than joining Western Pacific Truck School, which offers quick courses.
Both the shorter Class B training and the slightly longer Class A course are available at this and similar schools.
There are options for aspiring diesel technicians as well.
At Clark’s College, for example, you could either go for a basic diesel tech certificate (taking one year), of a two-year-long study become an Associate of Science or an Associate of Art in Teaching.
20 Top CDL Schools in Washington
| School Name | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Star Truck Driving School LLC | 11 Asotin Ave, Toppenish, WA 98948 | 509-865-5053 |
| All Star Driving School | 24620 Military Road S, Kent, WA 98032 | 253-852-1996 |
| Bates Technical College | 2201 S 78th St., Tacoma, WA 98409 | 253-680-7400 |
| Big Bend Community College | 7662 Chanute St., Moses Lake, WA 98837 | 509-793-2061 |
| C&H Trucking Academy | 340 S 6th St., Sunnyside, WA 98944 | 855-512-2223 |
| Check Ride Driver Training | 13632 NE 177th Pl, Woodinville, WA 98072 | 425-402-8200 |
| Columbia Basin College | 2600 N 20th Ave, Pasco, WA 99301 | 509-547-0511 |
| Commercial Driver School (CDS) | 11000 34th Ave S., Lakewood, WA 98449 | 253-983-0200 |
| Commercial Driver School (CDS) | 4305 Auburn Way N., Auburn, WA 98002 | 253-983-0200 |
| Commercial Driver School (CDS) | 1386 SE Lund Ave. #3, Port Orchard, WA 98366 | 360-373-1114 |
| Commercial Driver School (CDS) | 1386 SE Lund Ave. #3, Port Orchard, WA 98366 | 360-373-1114 |
| Driver Training Solutions | 7405 S Hayford Rd., Cheney, WA 99004 | 509-777-0073 |
| Driver Training Solutions | 2021 E James, Pasco, WA 99301 | 509-543-7901 |
| DRM CDL Training | 424 E 19th St., Tacoma, WA 98421 | 253-426-2100 |
| Evergreen Truck Driving School | 8500 Perimeter Road South #101, Seattle, WA 98101 | 206-430-5551 |
| Fort Simcoe Job Corps Center | 40 Abella Ln, White Swan, WA 98952 | 509-874-2244 |
| GMC Training Institute | 109 W Second St., Grandview, WA 98930 | 509-882 2523 |
| Grays Harbor College | 1620 Edward P Smith Dr, Aberdeen, WA 98520, USA | 360-532-9020 |
| L & T Training | 17802 N Redowa Dr., Colbert, WA 99005 | 509-464-2199 |
| North Cross Commercial Driving School LLC | 3122 Cedardale Rd., Mt. Vernon, WA 98274 | 360-424-0373 |
At a Glance: Trucking Schools in Washington
| Total Schools: | 20 |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate Programs: | 20 |
| Graduate Programs: | 5 |
| Average Acceptance Rate: | 76% |
| Average Tuition Cost: | $8,920 |
| Average Loan Amount: | $6,603 |
| Average Scholarship Award: | $3,046 |
| Average Classroom Size: | 19 Students |
Employment Expectations
Good prospects seem to await a truck driver or a car mechanic in Washington, with no foreseeable decline in sight.
On the contrary, it’s difficult to go wrong by being optimistic today.
Fresh news from The Washington Times newspaper is in: it seems that Washington trucking companies are short of as many as 150,000 workers, even at his moment!
According to O*Net, truck driver jobs will grow at least 15%, along with 11% growth for diesel mechanics in the years ahead (which is better than the already optimistic national average).
Salary Satisfaction
Travel and excitement are all well and good, but in the end, few people are rich enough to neglect the question of salary.
The average truck driver can expect a salary of $47,072 in the state of Washington.
If you want more salary data, you are invited to consult the overview of the salary data we’ve collected for you.
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of Truck Drivers in Washington
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Seattle | $48,365 |
| Spokane | $43,722 |
| Tacoma | $46,988 |
| Vancouver | $45,949 |
| Bellevue | $48,365 |
| Everett | $47,160 |
| Federal Way | $46,988 |
| Kent | $46,894 |
| Yakima | $43,678 |
| Bellingham | $45,000 |
Regional Salary
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham, WA | 1,080 | $60,940 | $29.3 | $76,370 | $46,810 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | 440 | $61,810 | $29.72 | $75,770 | $47,560 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | 1,800 | $62,080 | $29.85 | $80,830 | $45,580 |
| Longview, WA | 710 | $59,220 | $28.47 | $73,860 | $45,750 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 710 | $62,560 | $30.08 | $78,780 | $46,690 |
| Olympia-Tumwater, WA | 1,120 | $61,550 | $29.59 | $78,010 | $45,600 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 18,650 | $66,270 | $31.86 | $83,730 | $49,760 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 3,440 | $58,810 | $28.27 | $73,360 | $45,550 |
| Walla Walla, WA | 250 | $56,830 | $27.32 | $75,450 | $44,390 |
| Wenatchee, WA | 450 | $59,790 | $28.75 | $78,560 | $45,880 |
| Yakima, WA | 1,700 | $55,490 | $26.68 | $74,260 | $33,240 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
