Montana DRIVE & DRIVE CDL

For the 46^th consecutive year, Montana DRIVE, the advanced driving school held in Lewistown, announces its commitment to road safety education. Since its inception in 1979, Montana DRIVE has been a staple of road safety education, with its instructors having successfully trained over 17,000 individuals in off-road recovery, skid control, and evasive maneuvers. The workshops blend two hours of classroom instruction and six hours of hands-on driving experience on a secure closed track near the Lewistown airport. The program is designed to equip participants with the knowledge needed to enhance safety on the roads.

The one-day workshops, limited to 12 drivers per day, will run from June 3, 2025, to August 8, 2025. Montana’s educators completing the program can earn up to eight renewal units or one college credit by choosing to stay for an additional day of student teaching. School bus drivers can also earn eight training hours toward their professional development requirements. Registration for the adult workshops will open on February 3, 2025. Cost for adult attendance is $395 per person. Registration for Teen Week, the one-day workshop, will open March 3, 2025. Cost for teens is $200 each after a $175 scholarship from State Farm. The tentative dates for teens are July 7-12, 2025. Teens are encouraged to have their learner's license and some behind-the-wheel driving experience before attending. For more information, contact the OPI Traffic Education Office at (406) 444-4432 or visit the website here. Full course schedule will be posted in January.

The Montana DRIVE CDL program, which helps new school bus drivers obtain a Montana Class B commercial driver license, launched in May of 2023. During the first year, nine people benefitted from this program. Montana DRIVE CDL will host the third year of training classes in Lewistown on May 12-23 and August 11-22, 2025.

During each ten-day Montana DRIVE CDL class, attendees are trained in the extensive Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Entry Level Driver Training requirements that went into effect on February 7, 2022. The program has the authority, with permission from the Montana Department of Justice, to administer all the required CDL tests.

For more information contact Mike Houghton (406) 444-4396 or Bruce Kubler (406) 369-1391.