Southwest Truck Driver Training

What Southwest Truck Driver Training does

Southwest Truck Driver Training (SWTDT) is a privately held, second-generation family-owned commercial driver training school operating two physical campuses in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1999 by Gary P. Williams — a professional truck driver — the school is now led by his sons Sean Williams (President/CEO) and Travis Williams (Director of Veteran Affairs). SWTDT delivers Class A CDL and Class B CDL training programs (typically completed in 4–5 weeks) along with supplementary product lines including HazMat/Passenger/School Bus endorsement training, 10/40/80-hour CDL refresher courses, RV training for personal and business use, and customized corporate fleet training.

The school's physical technology stack centers on a late-model, regularly updated fleet of custom-modified training trucks in both automatic and manual transmissions, training buses, straight trucks, and classrooms equipped with audio/video systems. Both campuses hold state-certified CDL testing site status, allowing students to test where they train, and SWTDT is a registered FMCSA Training Provider with all endorsement programs meeting federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements. The headcount is 11–50 employees across instructors, examiners, admissions, business development, career services, and campus administration.

Commercially, SWTDT runs a direct-to-consumer tuition model, enrolling students via phone, campus visit, or online inquiry forms (tuitions not publicly disclosed, but program durations imply per-student pricing in the low-thousands-of-dollars range). Revenue streams include one-time tuition for CDL training programs and professional-services revenue from customized corporate fleet training. SWTDT has graduated 25,000+ students since 1999 and maintains 50+ recruiting partnerships with major carriers including Werner Enterprises, Schneider National (Q1 2024 Top CDL School), and Covenant Transport, as well as demand-side exposure to Amazon's Tucson logistics expansion. The school is a 25+ year member of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA), with Sean Williams appointed to the CVTA Board of Directors in October 2024.

Name

Southwest Truck Driver Training

Legal name

Southwest Truck Driver Training, Inc.

Website

https://swtdt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Southwest Truck Driver Training is a second-generation, family-owned CDL training school operating two state-certified campuses in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, delivering Class A/B CDL, endorsement, refresher, RV, and corporate fleet training programs to individual career-changers, veterans, and trucking companies since 1999.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Driving Training

NAICS

Automobile Driving Schools (611692)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Driving & Heavy Transport (CDL) (EDAOANAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Driver Staffing, Training & Compliance (CDL, Background Checks) (EDAEADAE), Driver & Technician Training, Certification & Workforce Management (THAIANAJ)

Keywords

• CDL training programs
• Commercial driver education
• Truck driving school
• CDL endorsement training
• Fleet driver training

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. CDL Training Tuition: Revenue from tuition fees for Class A CDL, Class B CDL, endorsement training, refresher courses, and RV training programs. Programs range from 4-5 weeks for standard CDL training to custom hour-based formats for refreshers.
2. Business/Fleet Training: Customized corporate training programs for businesses needing drivers retrained after incidents, brought up to compliance standards, or prepared for different vehicle types. Built around company timelines and specific driver gaps.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Southwest Truck Driver Training is a family-owned CDL training school that delivers hands-on commercial driver education at two Arizona campuses in Phoenix and Tucson. Its core programs include Class A CDL training (4-5 weeks), Class B CDL training, endorsement training (HazMat, Passenger, School Bus), CDL refresher courses, and RV training, all delivered using a late-model fleet of automatic and manual transmission trucks. Both campuses operate as state-certified CDL testing sites, allowing students to take their state CDL exams on-site where they trained, supplemented by career placement services connecting graduates with trucking employers.

Product overview

Southwest Truck Driver Training is a family-owned CDL training school offering a comprehensive suite of driver training programs. The core offerings consist of Class A CDL and Class B CDL training programs, which serve as the primary pathways for students to obtain commercial driver's licenses. These core programs are supplemented by endorsement training (HazMat, Passenger, School Bus), CDL refresher courses for experienced drivers, RV training for personal and business users, and business/fleet development training for companies. All programs are delivered through two Arizona campuses in Phoenix and Tucson, with state-approved on-site CDL testing services. The company also provides career services and job placement assistance to help graduates transition into trucking careers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates can complete training and obtain CDL in as few as 4 to 5 weeks
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 March 2024CVTA is the largest association representing commercial truck driver training programs in the US, representing over 400 training locations in 46 states that train 100,000+ drivers annually. CEO Sean Williams was appointed to the CVTA Board of Directors in October 2024. SWTDT has been a CVTA member for 25+ years and participates in annual Hill Day advocacy events in Washington, DC.
• Schneider NationalflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Recognized Southwest Truck Driver Training as Top CDL School in Recruited Drivers for Q1 2024. Schneider National is one of the largest trucking companies in the US and actively recruits graduates from SWTDT.
• AmazonmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Amazon is expanding Tucson operations with new logistics facilities requiring CDL drivers. Hiring for LTL hauls and last-mile delivery services through their Delivery Service Partner Program. SWTDT prepares students for Amazon trucking jobs.
• Werner EnterprisesflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor trucking carrier that hosts semi-annual Driver Appreciation Events for SWTDT students and staff. Employs SWTDT graduates including Nicole (fleet assignment) and Gina Jones (2024 TA Citizen Driver of the Year honoree).
• Covenant TransportcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor carrier with over 3,000 professional drivers and $424.5M revenue (2018). Partners with SWTDT for recruiting graduates; offers on-the-job training, team driving bonuses up to $40,000, and lifetime job placement program for SWTDT graduates.
• Arizona MVD / Motor Vehicle DivisioncoreTechnology or IntegrationState agency administering CDL knowledge tests and endorsement testing. SWTDT campuses are state-certified CDL testing sites, though HazMat, Passenger, and School Bus knowledge tests are administered at MVD offices. TSA background checks for HazMat are submitted through Arizona MVD.
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)coreTechnology or IntegrationFederal agency regulating commercial driver training. SWTDT is a registered FMCSA Training Provider; all endorsement programs meet federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements.
• Transportation Security Administration (TSA)coreTechnology or IntegrationFederal agency conducting security threat assessments for HazMat endorsement applicants. TSA background checks are required for all HazMat endorsement candidates and submitted through Arizona MVD.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 160 Driving Academy: National CDL training school operating across multiple states, offering Class A and Class B CDL programs, endorsements, and refresher training. Closest direct competitor in scale and product mix to SWTDT, but with materially broader geographic footprint.
• Roadmaster Drivers School: Multi-state CDL training school with nationwide locations offering Class A CDL, refresher, and endorsement programs. Directly comparable on product set, employer partnerships, and career services model.
• SAGE Truck Driving Schools: Network of CDL training schools across multiple states offering Class A and Class B programs with similar employer-partnership-driven placement model. Comparable on curriculum length, price point, and carrier-recruitment GTM.
• JTL Truck Driving School: Regional CDL training school with multi-state locations offering Class A, Class B, and endorsement training. Comparable in curriculum structure and target student profile.
• All-State Career: For-profit vocational school network offering CDL training among other trade programs. Comparable on career-services-led GTM and tuition-based revenue model.
• National Tractor Trailer School: Long-established CDL training school operating multi-week Class A programs in the eastern US. Comparable on program duration, instructor quality emphasis, and employer placement focus.
• United States Truck Driving School: Multi-state CDL training operator offering Class A programs, endorsements, and carrier recruitment partnerships. Comparable GTM and product breadth.

Broad incumbents

• CR England CDL Training: Large national trucking carrier that also operates its own CDL training academies for drivers. Overlaps with SWTDT's graduate-placement model but operates as a captive program for one carrier rather than an independent school.
• Schneider National CDL Training Academy: Major carrier's in-house CDL training program. SWTDT is recognized by Schneider as a Top CDL School (Q1 2024), so Schneider both partners with and competes for the same recruit pool.

Regional players

• HDS Truck Driving Institute: Regional CDL training school with similar product mix (Class A, endorsements, refresher). Competitor in adjacent Southwest market and analogous regional family/operator-led schools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SouthwestTruckDriverTraining
• Facebookfacebook.com/swtdtphx
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swtdt-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/swtdt_
• Xx.com/SWTDT

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southwest Truck Driver Training