Employer-paid CDL training ยท Providence, RI
Paid CDL training in the Providence area includes First Student's school bus driver openings and Vendetti's nearby Massachusetts branches. Compare each training location, job requirement and written work agreement before choosing a company-sponsored CDL training offer.
These job routes have published paid training or tuition coverage and local registry records, checked October 27, 2026. The check line under each employer names the FMCSA Training Provider Registry, where the listed locations show Class B, passenger and school bus training with no in-review flag.
9 options listed
| Employer or sponsor | Training | Type | Length | Work commitment | Cost to you |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First StudentPawtucket, RIFMCSA Training Provider Registry CLP and CDL training provided; posting specifies an hourly training rate. Part-time split shifts on weekdays. The listed street matches the registry location; confirm paid hours and any employment commitment. Apply page | School Bus Driver | Paid while training | Ask employer | Ask employer | Ask employer |
| First StudentWarwick, RIFMCSA Training Provider Registry Strawberry Field Road posting lists CLP/CDL training and a separate training rate. School-year work uses morning and afternoon shifts. Confirm course hours, remaining licensing charges and any repayment agreement. Apply page | School Bus Driver | Paid while training | Ask employer | Ask employer | Ask employer |
| First StudentWarren, RIFMCSA Training Provider Registry The current Warren posting lists CLP/CDL instruction, a separate training rate and this street address. Work is part-time on weekday morning and afternoon routes. Request the service agreement and any early-exit charges. Apply page | School Bus Driver | Paid while training | Ask employer | Ask employer | Ask employer |
| Fisher Bus Inc.Somerset, MAFMCSA Training Provider Registry Training benefit is attached to a full-time, in-person mechanic position requiring a high school diploma or equivalent and at least two years of diesel mechanic experience. Confirm CDL class and any service or repayment conditions. Apply page | Diesel Mechanic | Employer-paid | Ask employer | Ask employer | In-house CDL training at no cost to the employee, employer posting checked October 27, 2026 |
| First StudentPortsmouth, RIFMCSA Training Provider Registry Posting publishes a separate training rate, CLP/CDL training and this Portsmouth address. Work is part-time with weekday morning and afternoon routes. Confirm the assigned training site and any employment or repayment obligation. Apply page | School Bus Driver | Paid while training | Ask employer | Ask employer | Ask employer |
| Vendetti Bus CompanyBellingham, MAFMCSA Training Provider Registry Company careers page offers paid training without prior experience. Bellingham is a published company location; registry name is VENDETTI MOTORS, INC. Confirm your training branch, CDL class, permit expenses and employment terms. Apply page | School Bus Driver | Paid while training | 60 hours of paid behind-the-wheel training | Ask employer | Ask employer |
| First StudentTiverton, RIFMCSA Training Provider Registry The current Tiverton posting lists a separate training rate, CLP/CDL instruction and this street address. Confirm your assigned course site, paid training hours and any employment or repayment terms. Apply page | School Bus Driver | Paid while training | Ask employer | Ask employer | Ask employer |
| Vendetti Bus CompanyUxbridge, MAFMCSA Training Provider Registry Published branch location and registry record under VENDETTI MOTORS, INC. Company's paid training offer supports licensing for new drivers. Ask whether this branch is your assigned course site and obtain any work agreement. Apply page | School Bus Driver | Paid while training | 60 hours of paid behind-the-wheel training | Ask employer | Ask employer |
| Vendetti Bus CompanyMilford, MAFMCSA Training Provider Registry Milford branch appears in the company's location list and the registry under VENDETTI MOTORS, INC. Paid training is advertised company-wide; verify local intake, the assigned training site and any remaining trainee expenses. Apply page | School Bus Driver | Paid while training | 60 hours of paid behind-the-wheel training | Ask employer | Ask employer |
Employers change these offers often. Confirm pay, hours, the work commitment and any repayment terms on the employer's own page before you apply.
The Pawtucket school bus posting includes weekday split shifts, commercial permit instruction and a separately published hourly training rate.
FMCSA Training Provider RegistryWarwick's Strawberry Field Road location advertises school bus employment with permit preparation and paid training for applicants without bus-driving experience.
FMCSA Training Provider RegistryThe Warren driver role offers commercial license instruction for a part-time schedule carrying students before and after school.
FMCSA Training Provider RegistryFisher Bus includes in-house CDL training as an employee benefit for experienced diesel mechanics maintaining motorcoaches, school buses and other vehicles.
FMCSA Training Provider RegistryFirst Student lists Portsmouth school bus work with license training and a weekday schedule that separates morning and afternoon routes.
FMCSA Training Provider RegistryVendetti's Bellingham branch is among its published school transportation locations, with company careers information offering paid training and licensing support.
FMCSA Training Provider RegistryTiverton applicants can enter First Student's driver training route for school transportation without previous school bus experience.
FMCSA Training Provider RegistryThe Uxbridge branch serves local school transportation, while Vendetti advertises paid training for new drivers seeking part-time morning and afternoon work.
FMCSA Training Provider RegistryVendetti publishes a Milford branch and offers inexperienced driver applicants paid training with support through the school bus licensing process.
FMCSA Training Provider RegistryRhode Island DMV distinguishes Class A combinations from Class B heavy single vehicles. Ask the employer which class and passenger or school bus endorsements its course covers.
Rhode Island and Massachusetts set minimum ages of 18 for intrastate and 21 for interstate commercial driving. Review your state's medical, driving-license and knowledge-test requirements before accepting a training date.
Vendetti describes paid training and licensing support; Fisher Bus lists tuition coverage within a mechanic job. Request written paid hours, remaining expenses, employment commitments and early-exit repayment terms.
Use the FMCSA registry to match the employer, location and training type. FMCSA advises asking providers about fees, course availability and requirements; a job location may differ from your assigned training site.
Federal ELDT rules cover first Class A/B licenses and specified first endorsements. Rhode Island DMV requires holding the CLP at least 14 days before skills testing; Massachusetts RMV publishes commercial road-test scheduling instructions.
The May 2025 BLS OEWS data report 2,690 school bus driver jobs (53-3051) in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area, with median wages of $28.52 an hour. Transit and intercity bus drivers (53-3052) accounted for 280 jobs, with a $27.88 hourly median. BLS also reported 7,030 heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver jobs (53-3032), with median pay of $29.14 hourly or $60,610 annually.
These occupation-wide estimates do not state training pay or the hours a particular job offers. Compare the actual written wage and weekly schedule with the vehicle class you will earn. Providence Trade Schools is an independent guide; employment applications and hiring decisions belong to each employer.
Fisher Bus states that its mechanic role includes in-house CDL training at no cost to the employee. Vendetti lists 60 hours of paid behind-the-wheel training, but does not publish a trainee tuition amount. Ask each employer which permit, medical, licensing and retest charges you must pay.
Paid training also needs a written pay schedule. Confirm when wages begin, how many school hours are paid and what happens if you leave before finishing. Obtain any service agreement and repayment calculation before accepting the offer. For a separate school course, Rhode Island DLT directs you to an American Job Center or career coach to review WIOA eligibility and the eligible training-provider list. Funding depends on that review; a registry entry alone does not award tuition assistance.
Check both the tuition and the wage terms. Fisher Bus offers in-house CDL training at no cost within its mechanic position. Vendetti explicitly advertises paid training for new drivers. Ask for the paid hourly schedule, any unpaid permit preparation, remaining expenses and repayment terms. Each offer needs its own written explanation.
You need the license class that matches the vehicle. Rhode Island DMV defines Class A combinations separately from Class B heavy single vehicles. The registry records checked for the employers in this table cover Class B and bus endorsements. If you want tractor-trailer work, verify a Class A course and vehicle before accepting a bus-driver training offer.
FMCSA allows training and skills testing in a state other than the state issuing your license, subject to applicable state requirements. Review the Massachusetts CLP process and ask the employer how it handles Massachusetts permits, test appointments and completion reporting. Confirm that its particular job accepts your home-state license before planning the commute.
Rhode Island DMV and Massachusetts RMV allow intrastate commercial driving from age 18 and interstate driving from age 21. Employers can set additional job requirements. First Student's Pawtucket posting requires applicants to be at least 21 and to have held a driver's license for three years. Check both sets of requirements.
The listed Diesel Mechanic position requires at least two years of diesel mechanic experience and a high school diploma or equivalent. Its no-cost CDL instruction is an employee benefit attached to that role. Ask how the course fits into your work schedule and which class it covers; the posting does not publish its training length or a service agreement.
Check the exact location, provider name, license class and each training component you need. FMCSA's selection guide says required training must come from a listed provider and encourages questions about fees and availability. Some company locations serve employees only. Ask the employer to identify who provides theory, range and public-road instruction and who submits each completion record.
We check these pages when we update this guide. If something has changed, tell us.
Review each employer's current posting, confirm your training branch and request written pay, cost and service terms before accepting an offer.