Ready to hit the road? Let us help. Our CDL Prep course will provide you with the knowledge and skills to obtain your Class A Driver’s License. As part of the course, we’ll connect you with employers who are eager to hire our graduates, so you can walk straight out of class and into a job with a family-sustaining wage. Students should expect to dedicate about 10 hours per week to the course (plus individual study time), for a total of 4 weeks, with testing in the 4th or 5th week, depending on DMV testing availability and student readiness. Classes will run two days per week (either Monday & Wednesday or Tuesday & Thursday) from 10 AM-4 PM.

Upcoming Courses – Fallon, NV

Monday & Wednesday Sections

10 AM-4 PM Daily

Week of May 16-Week of June 6

Upcoming Courses – Fallon, NV

Tuesday & Thursday Sections

10 AM-4 PM Daily

Coming soon!

Course Cost
The cost of the course is $2500, and includes all instruction, access to WNC’s truck (generously donated by Hert Trucking), and the cost of your Class A driver’s license test at the DMV. Course fees are non-refundable. In addition to these course costs, students should expect to spend about $70 at the DMV to obtain their class A permit before the class begins, along with the cost of a DOT Physical and Drug Screen (available at Renown or through Dr. Jon Floto).

Financial Assistance Available

Students who intend to obtain employment in Northern Nevada are eligible for a scholarship which covers the full cost of their course tuition, through a generous donation by the William N Pennington Foundation. Call us for information or to apply.

Additionally, students who can demonstrate financial need are eligible to have the cost of tuition covered through one of our generous community partners, including Community Chest (https://communitychestnevada.net/) and JOIN, Inc. (join.org). We encourage you to begin by contacting JOIN, Inc. (join.org) to see if you qualify.

By the date your class starts, you must have completed the following required items. Failure to do so will disqualify you from participating in the course and will result in a forfeiture of your class fee.

1. Study for and pass the DMV CDL Class A Permit test. The CDL handbook is available online at www.dmvnv.com. (Study Sections 5-1 and 6-1 to prepare for the airbrakes and combination vehicles section, and the entire manual for the general knowledge test.) Tests are given Monday through Friday, and cost $58.25. If you fail any portion, you have to wait one full day to re-take the test. You get 2 tries, and then you are charged $11 per attempt, per endorsement. You may take the first two exams before you take the General Knowledge Test. Let DMV personnel know if you would like to do this.

2. Complete a DOT physical and drug screen. You may wish to make an appointment with Renown or with Dr. Jon Floto at (775) 423-5878. You will need to provide your exam results to the DMV when taking your permit test.

Sam Yesuratnam developed a passion for big rigs when he watched the Smokey And The Bandit movie in 1977.

“It spawned a love for big rigs and trucking that I’d never been able to shake,” said Yesuratnam, who worked for several top companies as both a local and OTR driver, including FedEx Ground, JC’s XPress, Packer Transportation and Sherwin-Williams. “I walked away from a long career in internetworking engineering and decided it was time to make what had been a passion my whole life into a reality. I do love the feeling of being out on the open road, and the sense of freedom and adventure it brings.”

Now, Yesuratnam cherishes the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of people who are planning to make a career behind the wheel.
“My hope is that my students will not only gain the knowledge and skills to be proficient, professional drivers — but also learn how to be safe and successful in the long term, with a career that is both personally and financially rewarding,” Yesuratnam said. “This is an opportunity to have a real impact on so many lives in a positive, lasting way.”

To enroll, please contact the Continuing Education office at (775) 445-4210 or conted@wnc.edu.

We would like to offer our sincerest thanks to S.S. Hert Trucking, Inc. (https://www.herttrucking.com/) and Steven Hert for providing our program with the truck we currently use to train students, as well as the Churchill County School District for their donation of a bus to train students for a Class B license. But for their generosity, this program would not have been possible.

We would also like to thank the WNC Foundation (https://www.wnc.edu/foundation/) and the William N Pennington Foundation for their generous support of our students in the form of scholarships.