Conexus Indiana and Ivy Tech Community College launched the nation’s first training program for commercial truck drivers that is covered by federal student loans and enhances a graduate’s employability in the increasingly growing trucking industry.
The CDL+ curriculum will be offered beginning January 2021 at five Ivy Tech campuses and is currently enrolling students. An additional eight Ivy Tech locations will offer the course later this year.
Developed by Conexus Indiana in partnership with the Indiana Motor Truck Association (IMTA), Venture Logistics and Ivy Tech, and with an initial grant from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD), the CDL+ program elevates the quality of training for new commercial truck drivers while eliminating the historic financial barriers to entry.
This is the first CDL program that is eligible for federal student loans, which required both state and federal legislation and approval from the U.S. Department of Education. The state of Indiana is also working to ensure CDL+ is eligible for Workforce Ready Grants.
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The CDL+ curriculum will be offered beginning January 2021 at five Ivy Tech campuses and is currently enrolling students. An additional eight Ivy Tech locations will offer the course later this year.
Developed by Conexus Indiana in partnership with the Indiana Motor Truck Association (IMTA), Venture Logistics and Ivy Tech, and with an initial grant from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD), the CDL+ program elevates the quality of training for new commercial truck drivers while eliminating the historic financial barriers to entry.
This is the first CDL program that is eligible for federal student loans, which required both state and federal legislation and approval from the U.S. Department of Education. The state of Indiana is also working to ensure CDL+ is eligible for Workforce Ready Grants.
Click here for full press release
| CDL+ Certificate Flow Chart |
CDL Plus Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What is the CDL Plus Certificate?
A: It is a credential at Ivy Tech Community College that is 17 credit hours long. It includes the Department of Transportation 160-hour training to earn a CDL A Commercial Drivers License to drive a semi-truck. It also includes an overview of the industry, modes of transportation, rating systems for trucking, health and wellness, and an internship to reinforce safety and driving expertise.
Q: What is the difference between the widely available CDL trucking driving programs I see around including at Ivy Tech and the CDL Plus Certificate?
A: Ivy Tech and other programs offering just the 160-hour CDL A training are doing the minimum to get you to a license and into the industry. This is the minimum credential needed to drive a semi-truck. These programs are non-credit. The CDL Plus Certificate includes everything that these other programs provide but in an academic credit format of 17 credit hours. Eight of these credit hours match up exactly with these other programs. The remaining 9 credit hours includes an overview of the industry, critical soft skills needed to be successful and to take care of your health, rating systems and an overview of all transportation types (rail, ship, pipeline, air) that you will encounter in the industry. Lastly it includes an internship that trains the driver in partnership with their employer to ensure that the driver has all of the skills to be an excellent, safe, and complete driver to tackle all skills needed to operate in a variety of situations that the traditional CDL training does not provide.
Q: What is the cost difference between the traditional CDL A training and the CDL Plus?
A: The traditional CDL A training costs somewhere between $3500 and $5500 depending on location and provider. The CDL Plus Certificate costs approximately $7200 but is eligible for Financial Aid.
Q: Why is there a cost difference?
A: Traditional CDL A training is 160 hours. The CDL Plus Certificate has the same 160-hour training plus more than 200 hours of training that results in a 17-credit hour credential college credential.
Q: How long does it take to complete?
A: One semester (3 months). Although there is limited capacity due to a 1 to 4 instructor to student ratio in accordance with federal regulations that may push your start date out.
Q: What if I already have my CDL A license, can I still get the CDL Plus Certificate?
A: Yes, if you have an active CDL A license you can crosswalk that for 8 credit hours of the 17 required for the CDL Plus Certificate. This recognizes that you have successfully completed the 160-hour CDL A training so there would be no need for you to duplicate that accomplishment. You would then need to sign up for the other 9 credit hours that address the additional competencies.
Q: Will I need to apply for the FAFSA?
A: You are not required to apply but it is encouraged.
Q: When do classes start?
A: The CDL Plus Certificate classes start at Ivy Tech this coming Spring Semester. Traditional CDL A training at Ivy Tech is continuously ran and you can start as soon as a class has openings.
Q: Where will it be offered?
A: Fort Wayne, Lafayette, Indianapolis, Evansville, Lawrenceburg. More campuses are planning on offering but have not identified start dates.
Q: Why does Conexus support this training?
A: Conexus proposed this to Ivy Tech in an effort to do the following:
Q: Where should I start?
A: Go to the following website https://www.ivytech.edu/workforce/cdl/index.html. Select your campus from the pull-down menu.
A: It is a credential at Ivy Tech Community College that is 17 credit hours long. It includes the Department of Transportation 160-hour training to earn a CDL A Commercial Drivers License to drive a semi-truck. It also includes an overview of the industry, modes of transportation, rating systems for trucking, health and wellness, and an internship to reinforce safety and driving expertise.
Q: What is the difference between the widely available CDL trucking driving programs I see around including at Ivy Tech and the CDL Plus Certificate?
A: Ivy Tech and other programs offering just the 160-hour CDL A training are doing the minimum to get you to a license and into the industry. This is the minimum credential needed to drive a semi-truck. These programs are non-credit. The CDL Plus Certificate includes everything that these other programs provide but in an academic credit format of 17 credit hours. Eight of these credit hours match up exactly with these other programs. The remaining 9 credit hours includes an overview of the industry, critical soft skills needed to be successful and to take care of your health, rating systems and an overview of all transportation types (rail, ship, pipeline, air) that you will encounter in the industry. Lastly it includes an internship that trains the driver in partnership with their employer to ensure that the driver has all of the skills to be an excellent, safe, and complete driver to tackle all skills needed to operate in a variety of situations that the traditional CDL training does not provide.
Q: What is the cost difference between the traditional CDL A training and the CDL Plus?
A: The traditional CDL A training costs somewhere between $3500 and $5500 depending on location and provider. The CDL Plus Certificate costs approximately $7200 but is eligible for Financial Aid.
Q: Why is there a cost difference?
A: Traditional CDL A training is 160 hours. The CDL Plus Certificate has the same 160-hour training plus more than 200 hours of training that results in a 17-credit hour credential college credential.
Q: How long does it take to complete?
A: One semester (3 months). Although there is limited capacity due to a 1 to 4 instructor to student ratio in accordance with federal regulations that may push your start date out.
Q: What if I already have my CDL A license, can I still get the CDL Plus Certificate?
A: Yes, if you have an active CDL A license you can crosswalk that for 8 credit hours of the 17 required for the CDL Plus Certificate. This recognizes that you have successfully completed the 160-hour CDL A training so there would be no need for you to duplicate that accomplishment. You would then need to sign up for the other 9 credit hours that address the additional competencies.
Q: Will I need to apply for the FAFSA?
A: You are not required to apply but it is encouraged.
Q: When do classes start?
A: The CDL Plus Certificate classes start at Ivy Tech this coming Spring Semester. Traditional CDL A training at Ivy Tech is continuously ran and you can start as soon as a class has openings.
Q: Where will it be offered?
A: Fort Wayne, Lafayette, Indianapolis, Evansville, Lawrenceburg. More campuses are planning on offering but have not identified start dates.
Q: Why does Conexus support this training?
A: Conexus proposed this to Ivy Tech in an effort to do the following:
- Make Indiana roads safer for Hoosiers.
- Ensure Indiana is prepared to deliver high quality CDL training when new laws pertaining to commercial driver training are scheduled to take effect in 2022.
- To increase not only the quality of driving but also overall performance of new drivers to lessen the burden employers face in onboarding new drivers.
- Allows students to apply their CDL training towards a Supply Chain Management degree at Ivy Tech Community College.
Q: Where should I start?
A: Go to the following website https://www.ivytech.edu/workforce/cdl/index.html. Select your campus from the pull-down menu.
