CDL Driver — Class A and B, Over-the-Road, Regional and Local Routes, US Carriers

Trucking companies, freight carriers, distribution centres, construction firms, waste operators and transit agencies across the United States hire commercial drivers. The licence class and the route type matter more than the job title: two roles advertised as "CDL Driver" can differ by tens of thousands of dollars and by whether you sleep at home.

What the work involves

Operating a commercial vehicle within federal hours-of-service limits; pre-trip and post-trip inspections; securing and checking loads; recording duty status on an electronic logging device; and route planning around weather, traffic and delivery windows.

Requirements

• A valid Commercial Driver's License of the right class — Class A for most tractor-trailer work, Class B for heavy single vehicles
• Entry-Level Driver Training completed with a provider listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry, required for a first CDL since 7 February 2022
• Age 21 for interstate driving, hazmat and passenger work. Drivers aged 18 to 20 are limited to intrastate work in most states
• A current DOT medical certificate and a clean Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse record
• Endorsements where the load requires them: Hazmat (H), Tanker (N), Doubles/Triples (T), Passenger (P), School Bus (S)
• Authorisation to work in the United States, and domicile in the state that issues your licence

The route types, and what they cost you

• Local. Home daily, lower mileage pay, often hourly
• Regional. Home most weekends, a middle band of pay
• Over-the-road. The highest advertised pay and weeks away from home at a time
• Specialised — tanker, flatbed, hazmat. Higher rates, extra endorsements and extra liability

Before you apply

Ask how you are paid. Cents per mile is not an hourly rate: detention, loading and traffic are unpaid under most mileage schemes, so two jobs with the same weekly figure can mean very different hourly earnings.

Note: pay, route assignment, home time and training contracts are set by each carrier — not by JobGader. Confirm the details on the employer's own advertisement before applying.