XPO Trucking School Review – Company Paid CDL Training

You want a trade that pays a real wage, comes with benefits, and doesn’t bury you under a five-figure school loan before you ever earn a dollar. That combination feels rare, which is exactly why XPO’s driver school gets a second look from so many career changers. The company runs its own training at its freight terminals, waves the tuition, pays you while you learn, and hands qualified graduates a full-time driving job at the end.

XPO is a top-ten global provider of transportation services and one of the largest asset-based less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers in North America. Together with its European operations, the company serves roughly 43,000 shippers through 564 locations and about 38,000 employees. The corporate headquarters sits in Greenwich, Connecticut, and the stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker XPO.

The company has trained new drivers for more than 35 years, and its schools sit inside working LTL service centers rather than on some distant campus. That setup means the people teaching you also run freight for a living, and the equipment you practice on is the equipment you’ll drive on the job. For anyone weighing a switch into trucking, that kind of continuity matters.

Scale matters when you’re trusting a company with your career, and XPO’s network is deep. Its integrated system of people, technology, and physical assets moves freight across hundreds of service centers, and the company has been recognized by Forbes among America’s Best Employers. That reach translates into steady freight, established routes, and the kind of stability that lets a driver plan years ahead rather than job-hop.

For a career changer, the reputation cuts through a lot of noise. A driving job is only as good as the company behind it, and XPO’s standing gives you a reasonable expectation that the paycheck, the benefits, and the equipment will be there tomorrow. That predictability is worth as much to most people as any single perk on the list.

A Trucking Career Without the Tuition Bill

Private CDL schools routinely charge $5,000 or more, and that money usually comes due whether or not you land a job afterward. XPO flips that math. The company charges no tuition for its driver school, which erases the single biggest obstacle standing between most people and a commercial license.

A quick word on what LTL means, since it shapes the whole job. Less-than-truckload freight is exactly what it sounds like: instead of one customer filling an entire trailer, many customers each ship a portion of a load, and XPO consolidates those shipments through its terminal network. That model is why so many XPO routes are local and short-haul, moving freight between service centers and out to customers in the same region rather than across the country.

The savings go further than a waived bill. As a Truck Driver Student, you’re on XPO’s payroll from the start, earning an hourly wage while you train instead of draining your savings to attend class. Students also have the option to pick up part-time dock work at the service center, which adds hours and puts more on each paycheck during the program.

Full benefits kick in on day one of your employment, not months down the line. That includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and a 401(k) with a company match. You’re building a career and a benefits history from your first shift, which is a very different starting line than paying an outside school and hoping a carrier hires you later.

There’s one more piece that sets this apart from a generic company paid CDL training pitch: a job waits at the finish. Students who complete the program, pass their state CDL exams, clear the required screenings, and finish a short probationary period move directly into a full-time XPO driving role. The path from first day of class to first solo route runs through one company, start to finish.

How XPO Structures Its Earn-While-You-Learn Program

The program blends classroom study with heavy behind-the-wheel practice, then finishes with on-the-job time riding alongside a working driver. XPO trains close to home by design, with schools spread across roughly 30 states and located inside the company’s LTL service centers. Students can often arrange to attend near where they live and stay in their own bed at night.

Classroom instruction covers the theory and federal rules you need to pass the written exams and drive legally. Range training gets you inside a real tractor to master low-speed control and backing. Road training moves you into live traffic, and a final stretch of on-the-job experience with a mentor driver bridges the gap between passing a test and actually running freight.

Because the courses sit at LTL terminals, there’s also room to learn the specifics of less-than-truckload freight, and the company even offers a hostler class for people drawn to yard and dock operations. Whether you already hold a license and want to learn XPO’s way of working or you’re starting from zero, the program has a lane for you. The common thread is that you’re paid, insured, and pointed toward a guaranteed job the whole way through.

The training you receive isn’t watered down to save money. Students log 160 supervised hours behind the wheel with a driver trainer, backed by 80 hours of classroom study on highway laws, safety regulations, inspection technique, and defensive driving. That’s a serious amount of seat time before anyone cuts you loose on your own.

The optional dock work is worth understanding, because it does more than pad a paycheck. Working the dock puts you inside the LTL operation, loading and unloading freight, running a forklift, checking documentation, and getting a feel for how a service center moves cargo on a deadline. Drivers who’ve spent time on the dock tend to understand their freight better and communicate more smoothly with the people who load their trucks.

That exposure also gives you a preview of the physical side of the job before you commit to a driving career. You learn what the pace feels like and whether the work suits you, all while collecting a wage. For a career changer testing the waters, few programs offer that kind of low-risk look at the actual day-to-day.

Inside the Classroom at XPO’s Driver School

Your first stretch of the program lives in the classroom, and it’s where the license really starts. Bring a notebook and something to write with, because the instructors move through a lot of material and you’ll lean on those notes when exam day arrives. Everything here builds toward passing the CDL General Knowledge test and earning your commercial learner’s permit.

Federal Rules and Staying Legal on the Road

A big share of classroom time goes to the rules that govern every commercial driver. You’ll study Department of Transportation regulations, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, hours-of-service limits, and the logging requirements that keep your workday legal and documented. These aren’t abstract; a driver who mismanages a logbook can lose income and put a carrier at risk.

Instructors also walk through accident procedures and hazard perception, so you learn to read a developing problem on the road before it becomes a crash. You’ll cover service requirements and the reporting habits that keep you and the company compliant. By the end, the language of federal trucking law stops sounding foreign and starts sounding like your job.

This grounding pays off long after school ends. LTL drivers deal with inspections, scale houses, and documentation constantly, and knowing the rules cold keeps your record clean. A safe, legal driver earns more raises and fewer headaches, and that reputation starts in this classroom.

Trip Planning, Routing, and Cargo Paperwork

Getting a truck from point A to point B legally takes more than a GPS. You’ll learn map reading and routing so you can plan a trip around low bridges, weight limits, and restricted roads that would stop a car driver in their tracks. Planning a route the right way saves fuel, time, and a lot of aggravation.

Weight scales and staying legal get their own attention, since an overweight or improperly balanced load can trigger fines and delays. You’ll study cargo documentation and the paperwork that follows freight from pickup to delivery. On an LTL route with multiple stops, that recordkeeping becomes second nature fast.

The classroom ties these skills together so you understand why each step exists. When you know how a scale house works and why your paperwork has to match your freight, the job feels far less intimidating. That confidence is worth as much as any single fact you memorize.

Truck Systems, Simulators, and Exam Prep

Before you touch a real rig, you’ll learn how one works. Lessons cover truck systems, control systems, and communication systems, along with the theory behind a full pre-trip and post-trip inspection. Understanding the machine makes you a smarter, safer operator once you’re actually driving it.

Hands-on lab sessions let you practice steering and shifting on a computer-simulated truck cab, so your hands and feet start learning the motions in a low-pressure setting. It’s a gentle way to build muscle memory for the clutch and gearbox before a live tractor is involved. Many students find the simulator takes a lot of the first-day nerves out of range training.

The classroom phase ends with focused CDL exam preparation. Once you pass the General Knowledge test and earn your commercial learner’s permit, you’re cleared to move onto the practice range. That permit is the first real milestone, and it means the paperwork side of the license is officially behind you.

Skill-Building on the Driving Range

With your permit in hand, the training moves outdoors to a controlled practice range. This is where you finally climb into the cab of a tractor and start operating it yourself. Depending on class size, you’ll share a truck with a handful of other students, taking turns at the wheel while the instructor guides each of you through every maneuver.

Pre-Trip Inspections and Coupling the Trailer

The range is where inspection theory becomes a physical routine. You’ll watch your instructor perform a complete pre-trip and post-trip inspection, then practice each one yourself until you can run through it from memory. The Class A CDL Skills Test requires a thorough inspection, so this repetition is time well spent.

You’ll also learn to couple and uncouple a trailer, connecting and disconnecting the tractor from the box it pulls. It’s a precise sequence, and doing it wrong is one of the more common ways new drivers get into trouble. Practicing it under supervision builds a habit you’ll repeat thousands of times over a career.

By the time you leave the range, a proper inspection should feel automatic. That skill protects you at roadside checks and catches mechanical problems before they strand you. Instructors treat it as a foundation, not a formality, and so should you.

Backing and Maneuvering a Tractor-Trailer

Backing a rig is the skill that humbles almost every new driver, and the range gives you the space to get good at it. With the instructor standing outside the truck to coach you, you’ll work through a full set of maneuvers that show up on the skills test and in real docks every day.

• Alley Docking
• Offset Backing
• Sight Side Parallel Backing
• Blind Side Parallel Backing
• Straight Line Backing
• Serpentine Maneuvers

Each maneuver trains a different piece of trailer control, from lining up a straight back to threading the truck through tight turns. LTL work means backing into loading docks constantly, so these drills translate straight to the job. The more reps you get now, the smoother your first solo delivery will feel.

Nobody nails these on the first try, and instructors expect that. The point of the range is to make your mistakes here, where the only thing at stake is a cone. Patience and practice turn a nerve-wracking task into routine muscle memory.

Shifting, Steering, and Low-Speed Control

Beyond backing, the range is where you learn to feel the truck. You’ll refine your shifting, get comfortable with the clutch, and practice steering a vehicle that responds nothing like a car. Low-speed control in a lot builds the coordination you’ll need before ever merging into traffic.

You train on the same class of equipment you’ll operate as a working XPO driver, so nothing feels unfamiliar when you graduate. That consistency shortens the learning curve and makes the jump to real routes less of a shock. It also means the habits you build now are the exact habits the job rewards.

Instructors keep the ratio of students to trucks small, which means more hands-on minutes for you. High graduation rates come from that kind of individual attention. When your instructor decides you’re steady enough, you’ll move from the range out onto public roads.

Behind the Wheel on the Open Road

Range skills only take you so far; eventually you have to drive with other cars around you. The road phase puts you in live traffic under an instructor’s supervision, building toward your Class A CDL Skills Test. This is the part of training that turns a student into a driver.

City Streets, Rural Roads, and Highways

Your instructor drives first, demonstrating proper shifting, speed control, lane changes, and cornering so you see it done right. Then you and your classmates rotate through the wheel, practicing in a mix of driving situations. You’ll handle tight city streets, open rural roads, and highway speeds, each of which asks something different from a big truck.

City driving teaches you to manage a long vehicle around traffic, pedestrians, and sharp turns. Highway miles build your comfort with speed, following distance, and merging. Rural stretches throw in narrow lanes and unexpected hazards that sharpen your awareness.

Every mile in this phase is supervised and deliberate. The instructor is right there to correct a bad habit before it sets. By the end, situations that felt overwhelming on day one start to feel manageable.

Learning the Job With a Mentor Driver

Training doesn’t stop the moment you can steer safely. XPO pairs you with an experienced mentor for on-the-job time, so you learn how the work actually flows on a real LTL operation. Riding along with someone who does this every day teaches you the rhythm of pickups, deliveries, and dock work that no classroom can fully capture.

This mentorship covers the practical stuff: how to manage your paperwork on a busy day, how to work efficiently at a customer’s dock, and how to communicate with the service center. Your mentor has been where you are and knows the questions you’re afraid to ask. That relationship often becomes one of the most valuable parts of the whole program.

Because XPO’s LTL routes are built around getting drivers home, this on-the-job phase shows you the daily-life version of the career, not a life on the road. You see what a normal shift really looks like before you commit to it solo. It’s an honest preview of the job you’re signing up for.

Passing Your CDL-A Skills Test

After your supervised behind-the-wheel hours, you’ll take your Class A CDL Skills Test. Passing it earns you a commercial driver’s license, the credential that legally lets you operate a tractor-trailer for a living. Clearing this test is the moment months of work turn into a career.

Once you’re licensed and you complete the program’s remaining requirements, XPO moves you into a full-time driving role. There’s no scramble to find a carrier willing to hire a rookie, because your employer trained you from the start. That built-in job offer is the reason many students choose a company school over a private one.

From here, your pay starts climbing on a set schedule as you gain experience. The license is the door, and the job on the other side of it is already yours to walk into. Everything after this point is about growing your income and settling into the routine.

The Trucks You’ll Train On

One of the smartest things about learning at a company school is that there’s no bait-and-switch on equipment. You train on the same class of tractor-trailer you’ll operate as a working XPO driver, so the truck you graduate on already feels familiar. That continuity shortens the learning curve and takes a lot of first-week nerves off the table.

Early in the program, a computer-simulated truck cab lets you practice steering and shifting before a live tractor is ever involved. Once you move to the range, you climb into a real tractor and share it with a few classmates, taking turns at the wheel under the instructor’s eye. It’s hands-on with real equipment, not a watered-down trainer built only for the classroom.

From there, you practice on the actual trailer configurations LTL freight uses, learning to couple and uncouple and to back a real rig into tight spots. XPO’s fleet runs modern, late-model tractors, including automatic transmissions that tend to be more forgiving for newer drivers. Getting comfortable with that equipment during training is exactly what makes your first solo route feel manageable.

Truck Driving Jobs at XPO Logistics

XPO’s LTL network runs on several kinds of driving roles, and the school is your entry point to all of them. Most graduates step into a local, home-daily position, but the company also runs line-haul team routes for drivers who want higher mileage pay. Here’s what each role looks like, including what you’ll do, what it pays, the benefits, and what it takes to get hired.

Truck Driver Student

This is where everyone starts. As a Truck Driver Student, your job is to attend training, earn your CDL-A, and gain on-the-job experience as an LTL driver under supervision. You’ll also learn to perform vehicle inspections under federal regulations, handle required paperwork, and load and unload freight with a forklift as needed.

A typical training day mixes structured instruction with real exposure to the operation. You’ll attend sessions working toward your CDL-A, perform supervised vehicle inspections under federal regulations, keep records in line with DOT and company policy, and stay in contact with service center staff in a fast-moving environment. It’s hands-on from early on, which is why graduates step into their first driving role already comfortable with how XPO runs.

The role pays starting at $22.85 per hour, and you’re home daily throughout training. At a standard 40-hour week, that works out to roughly $914 a week, or about $47,500 on an annualized basis, before any additional dock hours you choose to pick up. That’s real income arriving while you earn a license that would cost thousands somewhere else.

Benefits are strong from the first day: full health insurance, life and disability coverage, up to 13 days of PTO in your first year, nine paid company holidays, a 401(k) with company match, and education assistance. To qualify, you must be at least 21, hold a valid state driver’s license for at least 12 months, have a CDL-A permit by the first day of class, and carry a clean, safe driving record. You’ll also complete a TSA fingerprint background check, pass a DOT drug test, and pass a company-paid DOT physical, with forklift experience and a Class B CDL viewed as pluses.

Home Daily CDL-A Truck Driver

This is the role most students graduate into, and it’s the backbone of XPO’s LTL operation. You’ll safely operate tractor-trailer combinations, including doubles and triples, provide service to customers, generate sales leads, and load and unload freight. The defining feature is right in the name: you’re home every day.

Starting pay for a home-daily CDL-A driver runs around $29.35 per hour, which comes to roughly $1,174 a week and about $61,000 a year at 40 hours. Because LTL drivers often work longer scheduled shifts, actual weekly earnings frequently run higher. Some locations sweeten the offer with retention bonuses; one posting listed up to $2,000 in bonuses paid out across the first six months of employment.

Experienced drivers earn considerably more, with rates reaching $28.49 to $36.10 per hour depending on location and experience, and some markets posting a range up to $37.18. At $36.10 an hour, a driver grosses roughly $1,444 a week and about $75,000 a year on a 40-hour basis, with overtime pushing that higher. Pay follows an annual step progression, so your rate climbs on a predictable schedule as you stack up experience.

A word on doubles and triples, since they appear in the job duties. These are configurations where a tractor pulls two or three shorter trailers linked together, which is common in LTL freight and different from the single 53-foot trailer people usually picture. XPO trains you on this equipment, so the endorsement requirement isn’t something you have to figure out alone. The sales-lead part of the role simply means that, as the face of the company at each stop, you’re encouraged to flag new business opportunities you notice on your route.

The benefits match the student role and start on day one: medical, dental, and vision, life and disability insurance, up to 13 PTO days, nine paid holidays, a 401(k) match, and education assistance. To get hired you’ll need to be 21 or older, hold a valid Class A CDL, keep a safe driving record, and obtain hazardous materials, tank, and doubles/triples endorsements within 90 days of employment. You’ll also pass a DOT drug test with no positives or refusals in the last three years, hold a valid DOT medical card or pass a company physical, and be available for a flexible schedule of up to 12 to 14 hours a day.

Dedicated and Line-Haul Team Driver

For drivers who want to run bigger miles with a partner, XPO hires teams to move freight between its facilities on longer runs. Team drivers operate a sleeper tractor over extended routes, running loads between XPO terminals in a typical five-day work week. The freight is no-touch and in-house, which keeps the work focused on driving rather than handling cargo.

Team driving works by keeping the truck moving nearly around the clock: while one partner drives, the other rests in the sleeper berth, then they swap. That’s how teams cover far more ground per week than a solo driver and why the pay potential runs higher. It suits partners who travel well together, whether that’s a married couple, friends, or two drivers who click on the road.

Teams are paid on mileage at $0.974 per mile, split evenly so each driver earns $0.487 per mile for every load. A team that logs 4,000 miles in a week puts roughly $1,948 on each driver’s check, and at that steady pace a driver’s yearly earnings climb well into six figures. En route waiting time of more than an hour due to traffic, construction, or weather pays out at an hourly rate of $35.42, and the company reimburses on-the-road showers.

The schedule typically runs five days on and two days off, with weekly pay. Benefits include full health insurance on day one, PTO, hourly pay for six holidays, and a 401(k) with company match. The trucks are 2023 Freightliner and Kenworth automatics outfitted with microwaves, refrigerators, and a tool and repair kit in the cab.

One thing to know: XPO currently recruits existing teams only, so both partners must apply together. You’ll each need to be at least 21 with a valid Class A CDL, a safe driving record, and hazardous materials, tank, and doubles/triples endorsements. A valid DOT medical card or company-paid physical is required, along with a willingness to work away from home during the five-day week.

The Equipment You’ll Drive on the Job

Out on the road, XPO drivers run tractor-trailer combinations, including the doubles and triples that are common in LTL freight. Doubles and triples mean a tractor pulling two or three linked trailers rather than one long box, which is standard for moving consolidated shipments through a terminal network. The configuration you pull depends on your role and the freight you’re assigned that day.

Local, home-daily drivers typically work regional routes and return to their service center at the end of the shift, while team drivers cover longer line-haul trips in sleeper tractors. Team drivers operate 2023 Freightliner and Kenworth automatics, and those sleeper trucks come outfitted with a microwave, a refrigerator, and a tool and repair kit in the cab for life on the road. Local tractors are held to the same maintenance standard, so you’re not fighting your equipment on a busy day.

XPO backs its trucks with a network of shops and fueling stations across its system, which cuts down on delays and gets you back on schedule faster. Newer automatic transmissions make long shifts less tiring, and a well-maintained fleet means fewer breakdowns and safer miles. For a working driver, reliable equipment is the difference between a smooth week and a frustrating one.

What You’ll Earn Your First Year and Beyond

First-year earnings depend on your role and location, but the numbers are solid for a job that costs you nothing to train for. A new home-daily CDL-A driver starting near $29.35 an hour earns roughly $1,174 a week and about $61,000 a year at a standard 40-hour schedule. LTL shifts often run longer than 40 hours, and any retention bonuses your terminal offers push first-year take-home higher still.

Because these roles pay hourly rather than purely by the mile, your weekly earnings track closely with the hours you work. A schedule built around 12 to 14 hour days adds up quickly, and hours worked beyond the standard week are compensated accordingly. Location matters too, since XPO sets rates by market, so the same experience level can pay differently in different parts of the country.

XPO also runs an accelerated compensation path in a large number of U.S. markets, where drivers can reach a top pay rate after just one year of CDL-A experience. That’s a meaningful head start compared with carriers that make you grind for years before your rate moves. In those markets, your income can jump faster than the standard step progression alone would suggest.

Once you’ve driven for XPO for five years or more, you’re firmly in experienced-driver territory, and your pay reflects it. Rates in that tier reach $36.10 an hour and, in some postings, up to $37.18, which lands around $75,000 to $77,000 a year at 40 hours and higher with overtime. Add in a matched 401(k), profit-sharing, and years of accrued PTO, and a veteran XPO driver’s total compensation stretches well past the base hourly figure.

Team drivers occupy the top of the earning range. With each partner paid $0.487 per mile and teams routinely running high weekly mileage, a committed team driver can clear six figures a year while splitting the workload. The trade-off is time away from home during the work week, which is a personal call rather than a better or worse choice.

It helps to look past the base rate at the full picture. A matched 401(k) adds money you don’t see on your check, day-one health coverage saves you the premiums a private plan would cost, and paid time off and holidays mean you’re compensated even when you’re not driving. Stack those on top of a rising hourly wage, and the real value of an XPO driving job runs higher than the number on the pay stub.

The bottom line for someone deciding whether to make the leap is that the earnings arrive quickly and grow steadily. You start earning during training, move into a paying job as soon as you’re licensed, and see your rate climb year over year. Few career changes let you go from no experience to a stable middle-class income this fast without taking on debt to get there.

The LTL Lifestyle: Home Every Night

The biggest shift for anyone picturing trucking as weeks away from home is that XPO’s LTL work usually doesn’t look like that. Local and home-daily routes are built so drivers get back at the end of the shift, sleep in their own bed, and keep a normal home life. For people leaving jobs specifically to be around their families, that’s often the whole appeal.

The routine has real advantages. You get the pay and job security of commercial driving without sacrificing evenings and weekends the way long-haul over-the-road work demands. Steady hours, day-one benefits, and predictable home time make this a career you can actually build a life around.

The work also asks something of you physically, and it’s fair to know that going in. LTL driving is touch freight, so you’ll load and unload, operate a forklift, and lift objects that frequently weigh up to 50 pounds and occasionally more than 75. Shifts can run 12 to 14 hours, cover days, nights, or weekends, and put you outdoors in whatever weather the day brings.

The rewards tend to compound over time. You build seniority, your pay rises on schedule, and the same route eventually feels like second nature, which takes the daily stress down considerably. Drivers who stick with it often describe the job as a genuine profession rather than a stopgap, with the respect and independence that come from being trusted with valuable freight.

There’s also a social side that surprises people. You get to know the customers on your route, the crew at your service center, and the other drivers who share the yard, and that community keeps the work from feeling isolating. For someone leaving a job that felt like a dead end, the mix of independence behind the wheel and camaraderie at the terminal can be a real draw.

None of that is a reason to hesitate; it’s just the honest shape of the job. Plenty of people find the physical side keeps them active and the daily variety keeps them engaged. If you want a stable trade with a real paycheck and a return home each night, the LTL lifestyle delivers exactly that.

Your Guaranteed Path From Student to XPO Driver

The appeal of a company school is that the whole journey runs through one door. You apply, you’re hired as a Truck Driver Student, and you start earning a wage while you learn. There’s no gap between finishing school and finding an employer, because your employer is the one teaching you.

From there, the steps are clear. You complete classroom instruction and earn your commercial learner’s permit, master the range and the road, ride with a mentor to learn the working side of the job, and pass your CDL-A Skills Test. Along the way you clear the required background check, drug test, and physical.

Graduates who finish the program, pass their exams, and complete a probationary period step directly into a full-time XPO driving role. Your pay then follows the company’s step progression, climbing on schedule as your experience grows. In accelerated markets, you can reach top pay after a single year behind the wheel.

The road doesn’t end at driving, either. XPO is a large company with dock operations, yard work, mechanics, dispatch, and leadership roles across its network, and driving experience opens doors to those tracks for people who want them. Some of the company’s own non-driving employees go through this very school to move behind the wheel, and the reverse path exists too.

The result is a career you can see the shape of from the very first day. You know where you start, how you’ll be trained, what the job is, and how your pay will grow. That kind of clarity is hard to find when you’re changing careers, and it’s the strongest argument for going the company-school route.

Benefits

• Tuition-free CDL training, saving you an estimated $5,000 or more versus a private for-profit driving school.
• You’re paid an hourly wage as a Truck Driver Student while you attend school, with Truck Driver Student pay starting at $22.85 per hour.
• Optional part-time dock work during the program lets you add hours and earn more while training.
• 160 supervised hours of behind-the-wheel training plus 80 hours of classroom instruction.
• You train on the same class of equipment you’ll operate on the job as an XPO driver.
• One-on-one, on-the-job experience with an experienced mentor driver.
• Small class sizes, a low student-to-truck ratio, and high graduation rates.
• A full-time XPO driving job for students who complete the program and meet hiring requirements.
• Home-daily, local driving positions that get you back each night.
• Full medical, dental, and vision insurance beginning on day one of employment.
• Life and disability insurance included.
• A 401(k) retirement plan with a company match, plus profit-sharing.
• Up to 13 days of PTO in your first year and nine paid company holidays.
• Education assistance for continued learning.
• Home-daily CDL-A driver pay starting around $29.35 per hour, with experienced rates reaching $36.10 per hour and higher in some markets.
• An accelerated compensation path in a large number of U.S. markets, reaching top pay after one year of CDL-A experience.
• Retention bonuses of up to $2,000 available in select locations.
• Team driver mileage pay of $0.974 per mile, split $0.487 per driver, with $35.42 per hour for qualifying en route delays.
• Late-model equipment, including 2023 Freightliner and Kenworth automatics on team routes, with microwaves and refrigerators in sleeper cabs.
• Mostly no-touch, in-house freight on team and line-haul runs.
• Local schools at LTL service centers in roughly 30 states, with the flexibility to train close to home.
• Opportunities for XPO’s current non-driving employees to move into a driving career, plus a hostler class for those interested in yard operations.

Requirements

• You must be at least 21 years of age to apply.
• You must hold a valid state-issued driver’s license for a minimum of 12 months.
• You must attain a CDL-A permit by the first day of class.
• You must obtain doubles/triples, tanker, and hazardous materials endorsements within 90 days of employment.
• You must complete a TSA fingerprint-based background check, beginning no later than the second week of class.
• You must have a safe driving record and history.
• You must pass a DOT drug test with no prior positive tests or refusals in the last three years.
• You must pass a company-paid DOT physical and a pre-hire test of the job’s essential physical functions.
• You must be able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without accommodation.
• You must be available to work a variety of shifts, including days, evenings, nights, and weekends.
• You must be able to lift objects that frequently weigh up to 50 pounds and occasionally more than 75 pounds.
• You must be able to read and speak English sufficiently to converse with the public, understand traffic signs, and complete reports and records.
• Forklift experience and a Class B CDL are preferred but not required.
• Team driver applicants must apply as part of an existing team, with both partners applying together.

Commonly Asked Questions

Does XPO’s driver school really cost nothing?

XPO charges no tuition for its driver school, which saves students an estimated $5,000 or more compared with a private commercial driving school. On top of that, you’re hired as a paid employee during training rather than paying out of pocket to attend. There’s no separate tuition bill to pay back and no loan hanging over your first year on the job.

Do I get paid while I’m in training?

Yes. As a Truck Driver Student you earn an hourly wage starting at $22.85 per hour throughout the program. You also have the option to pick up part-time dock work at the service center to add hours and earn more while you learn.

Will I have a job when I finish?

Students who complete the program, pass their state CDL exams, clear the required screenings, and finish a short probationary period move into a full-time XPO driving job. Because XPO is both your school and your employer, there’s no separate job search after graduation. That built-in job offer is one of the main reasons people choose a company school.

How long is the program?

Training combines classroom instruction with hands-on driving, including 80 hours of classroom study and 160 supervised hours behind the wheel, followed by on-the-job experience with a mentor. The exact schedule can vary by location and by how quickly you progress through each phase. Your recruiter or local service center can confirm the timeline for your specific school.

Will I be home at night, or is this over-the-road work?

Most XPO driving roles are local, home-daily LTL positions, which means you’re back at the end of your shift. This is a major difference from long-haul over-the-road jobs that keep drivers away for days or weeks. Team and line-haul routes involve time away during the work week, but those are separate roles you’d choose deliberately.

What endorsements will I need?

Drivers are expected to obtain doubles/triples, tanker, and hazardous materials endorsements within 90 days of employment. You’ll need a CDL-A permit by the first day of class, and the endorsements come as you progress. Having some of them already is a plus but not a requirement to start.

How much can I make in my first year?

A home-daily CDL-A driver starting near $29.35 per hour earns roughly $1,174 a week and about $61,000 a year on a 40-hour schedule, often more with longer shifts and any local bonuses. In a large number of markets, XPO’s accelerated pay path lets drivers reach top pay after just one year of experience. Actual earnings vary by location, hours, and role.

What does an experienced XPO driver earn?

Experienced home-daily drivers earn rates reaching $36.10 per hour, and some postings list up to $37.18, which works out to roughly $75,000 or more a year at 40 hours. Pay follows an annual step progression, so your rate rises on a set schedule with tenure. Team drivers, paid $0.487 per mile each, can earn well into six figures with steady weekly miles.

Do I need trucking experience to apply?

No prior trucking experience is needed to start as a Truck Driver Student, since the program is designed to take you from a standard driver’s license to a CDL-A. You do need to be at least 21, hold a valid driver’s license for at least 12 months, and meet the safety and screening requirements. Forklift experience and a Class B CDL are welcome but optional.

Where are XPO’s driver schools located?

XPO runs its driver schools inside its LTL service centers across roughly 30 states, so training happens at working freight terminals rather than a remote campus. Many students can arrange to attend a school near where they live and stay close to home during the program. Availability depends on current openings at each location.

XPO Trucking School

XPO operates its driver schools at less-than-truckload service centers across the United States, with training available in approximately 30 states. The company’s corporate headquarters is located at:

XPO, Inc.
Five American Lane
Greenwich, CT 06831