CDL Pre-School · Online · Any state · Founding Student $200
Before you pay any CDL school a dime, take CDL Pre-School.
CDL Pre-School is an online, self-paced course for anyone heading to a CDL school, in any state. 7 modules and 33 lessons, on your phone.
Checkout opens in a new tab on Stan Store, our secure payment partner. We never collect card details on this site.
Limited to the first 20 verified Founding Students
All 20 Founding Student spots are open
Can't afford it right now? Or want to put someone else in the seat? → Let's Get It Seat
- Secure checkout — powered by Stan Store
- Created by a veteran truck driver — 17 years, zero violations
- Built by a working CDL instructor
- Mobile friendly — study from anywhere
The problem
Walk into CDL school cold, and it can cost you
Any of these can happen to a smart, hard-working student. Preparation is the part you control.
Washing out
CDL training moves fast. Walk in having never seen the material and the first weeks turn into catch-up — and a student who falls too far behind can wash out of the program.
Failing the permit tests
General knowledge, air brakes, combination vehicles — the permit knowledge tests have a language of their own. A failed attempt can mean a retest and a later start.
Failing the pre-trip
The CDL skills test includes a pre-trip vehicle inspection, along with basic vehicle control and a road test. It rewards a routine you’ve practiced until it’s automatic, not one crammed the night before.
Money spent on the wrong start
Tuition, time off work, weeks without a paycheck. Pick a school that doesn’t fit, or show up unprepared and need more time, and that money is hard to recover.
Signing the wrong contract
Private schools, carrier-sponsored programs, community colleges — each pays for training differently, and some tie you to one company for a set time. Read the fine print before you sign, not after.
Lifestyle surprises
Trucking is a life, not just a license. Knowing what the road asks of you and your family — before you commit — is cheaper than finding out halfway through training.
What you get
Permit prep the driver way
Built and taught by a CDL instructor — what the test actually asks, without the textbook fog, plus the real-life preparation classrooms skip.
- 7 modules / 33 self-paced lessons in a private student portal
- A workbook with every lesson, plus a printable cheat-sheet for each module
- A quiz at the end of every module — score 80% to unlock the next one
- Lessons unlock in order, so you build on what you just learned
- A completion certificate with its own online verification page — proof you finished this course, not an ELDT or state credential
- Works on your phone — progress saves automatically
- Your own login (email + password) issued personally after purchase
Inside the course
7 modules. 33 lessons. In the right order.
Modules unlock one at a time — pass each module's quiz to open the next, the same way a good school builds you up.
Get ready before day one
Module 1 — Before You Ever Touch a Truck
Module 2 — Choosing the Right CDL School (Not a Mill)
Pass the permit
Module 3 — Crushing the Permit Tests
Master the skills
Module 4 — The Pre-Trip That Passes Every Time
Module 5 — Backing, Turning & Truck Control
Module 6 — On the Road Without the Panic
Start the career
Module 7 — Land the Job & Keep It
Checkout opens in a new tab on Stan Store, our secure payment partner. We never collect card details on this site.
Who it's for
Made for the people trucking hasn't met yet
The course is online and isn't tied to one school or one state. Study your own state's CDL manual alongside it.
- Anyone about to enroll in a CDL school, in any state
- People comparing private schools, carrier-sponsored programs, and community-college CDL programs
- Students with a permit test coming up
- Career changers starting from zero
- Students already enrolled who want to show up ahead on day one
- Family members trying to understand the trucking lifestyle
Straight talk
What CDL Pre-School is not
Honesty is the whole brand. Know exactly what you're buying:
- Not a CDL license — no course can grant one
- Not behind-the-wheel training
- Not a replacement for ELDT or a registered training provider
- Not a promise of employment
- Not a guarantee of passing a state exam
The Founding Student offer
$200 — and your name on the wall, permanently
$200
The founding price for full access to CDL Pre-School.
20
Verified Founding Student spots. When they're filled, the founding offer closes.
The Wall
Your chosen public name on the Founding Student Wall — or stay anonymous. Your call.
All 20 Founding Student spots are open
Checkout opens in a new tab on Stan Store, our secure payment partner. We never collect card details on this site.
Who's teaching
Built by a working CDL-A driver and instructor
- 17 years of CDL-A driving with zero violations
- A working CDL instructor who trains new Class A drivers
- Teaches the way drivers actually talk, not the way textbooks do
Questions, answered straight
CDL Pre-School FAQ
Is this CDL school?
No. CDL Pre-School is preparation BEFORE CDL school — knowledge, expectations, and planning. The entry-level driver training itself has to be completed with a provider listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry, which is a separate step you take at a school.
Does this replace ELDT?
No. Entry-Level Driver Training is a federal requirement completed with a registered training provider. CDL Pre-School prepares you for that training; it does not substitute for any part of it.
How do I access the course?
Checkout happens securely on Stan Store. After your purchase, Shawn verifies it and personally adds you to the private student portal — you’ll receive a welcome email with your own login and a temporary password. Access is issued by hand, not by an automated redirect, so give it a little time. The course is self-paced, works on your phone, and saves your progress automatically.
How is my name added to the Founding Student Wall?
After you purchase, submit the claim form on this site with the email you used at checkout and your chosen public name. We verify the purchase against Stan Store records by hand, then approve and publish your spot. Nothing is published automatically.
Can I remain anonymous?
Yes. Choose the anonymous option on the claim form and your spot shows as "Anonymous Founding Student" — your name is never displayed.
What happens after the first 20 spots sell?
The Founding Student offer — the $200 founding price and a permanent spot on the wall — is limited to the first 20 verified students. When the twentieth spot is verified, the founding offer closes.
Does it matter which CDL school I go to, or what state I’m in?
Not for this course. CDL Pre-School is online and isn’t tied to one school or one state. It covers the Class A permit knowledge-test subjects — general knowledge, air brakes, and combination vehicles — plus the pre-trip inspection and the backing and road skills Class A programs train. Federal rules set the minimum standards, but your state writes its own CDL manual and runs its own tests, so study your state’s manual alongside the course. (Which school you pick does matter — that’s what Module 2 is for.)
I already enrolled in a school. Is it too late?
No. The course is self-paced and works on your phone, so you can work through it before your start date or alongside your first weeks of training. Modules open in order — pass each module’s quiz to unlock the next.
Can a company or program pay for seats?
Yes. A carrier, dealership, reentry program, veterans program, or anyone else can sponsor one CDL Pre-School seat, or ask about a 10-seat block for a group of drivers. Start on the sponsor page: https://truckinglifewithshawn.com/cdl-pre-school/sponsor
Ready when you are
Start CDL Pre-School — $200
Limited to the first 20 verified Founding Students. No fake timers, no fake counters — when the wall is full, the founding offer is gone.
All 20 Founding Student spots are open
Checkout opens in a new tab on Stan Store, our secure payment partner. We never collect card details on this site.
See the Founding Student Wall →Not ready to buy today?
Three next steps that cost nothing, or less
If $200 isn't today's decision, these are the honest ways to keep moving. No timer, no pressure.
Free · seven questions
CDL Readiness Score
Seven questions about where you actually are, an honest band — building, nearly there, ready — and the fix for each gap, in order. It measures preparation and nothing else.
Take the Readiness Score →Free guide
Take the free guide with you
The free Driver’s Mind guide for drivers starting out — and the driver list, where Pre-School news lands first.
For carriers and programs
Sending drivers to CDL school?
Carriers, dealerships, reentry programs, and veterans programs can sponsor CDL Pre-School seats for the people they're sending to CDL school — one seat, or a 10-seat block for a group.
Sponsor seats for your drivers →