# CDL-A Truck Driver

Drive a Class A tractor-trailer for one of the carriers we recruit for. Choose OTR, regional, local or dedicated routes, with pay from $900 a week for new drivers to $1,700 a week with experience. New CDL holders are welcome: tell us what you have driven and we match you with carriers that fit.

- **Pay:** $900–$1,700 a week. Set from current U.S. company-driver postings (October 2026): new CDL-A drivers typically start at about $900–$1,250 a week, and experienced drivers earn about $1,250–$1,700, with dedicated and local routes at the top. Your pay depends on the carrier, the route and your experience; many carriers pay by the mile, and your recruiter gives each carrier's exact pay.
- **Employer:** A carrier Digital Storming recruits for, named when the recruiter calls
- **Where:** Anywhere in the U.S.
- **Routes:** OTR, Regional, Local, Dedicated
- **Home time:** Depends on the route: home every day (local), every week (regional) or every 2–3 weeks (OTR)
- **Equipment:** Dry van, reefer, flatbed
- **License:** CDL Class A
- **Experience:** New drivers welcome
- **Job type:** Full-time
- **Posted:** Oct 29, 2026
- **Applications close:** Jan 31, 2027

**Apply (about 3 minutes, free):** https://digitalstorming.com/careers/cdl-truck-driver/apply/?start=1

## About this CDL-A Truck Driver job

Digital Storming recruits CDL drivers for trucking companies across the United States. Instead of applying to carriers one by one, you send one short application, and a recruiter matches you with carriers that are hiring for the kind of driving you want.

This job is for Class A drivers who haul freight in tractor-trailers: dry van, refrigerated (reefer) or flatbed, on over-the-road (OTR), regional, local or dedicated routes. Home time, pay and equipment depend on the carrier and the route you pick.

New drivers are welcome. If you have just earned your CDL, say so in your application and we look for carriers that hire recent graduates. If you have years behind the wheel, tell us your equipment and endorsements so we can match you with the right fit.

## What you’ll do

- Drive a Class A tractor-trailer safely on the routes the carrier gives you
- Do pre-trip and post-trip inspections and report any defects
- Keep your hours of service on the truck's electronic logging device (ELD)
- Deliver loads on time and keep dispatch and customers updated
- Secure your load (straps and tarps on flatbed)
- Follow the carrier's safety rules and the federal motor carrier safety regulations

## What you need

- A valid CDL Class A, or a CDL permit if you are finishing CDL school
- 21 or older (the federal minimum for driving across state lines)
- A current DOT medical certificate
- A driving record that meets the carrier's safety standards
- Able to pass a DOT pre-employment drug test and a Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse check
- Able to read and speak English well enough for road signs, inspections and paperwork
- Legally allowed to work in the U.S.

## What you get

- Weekly pay of $900 to $1,700: about $900–$1,250 as a new driver and $1,250–$1,700 with experience, depending on the carrier and the route
- Your choice of OTR, regional, local or dedicated routes
- Benefits depend on the carrier: your recruiter goes over health insurance, paid time off and retirement plans where a carrier offers them
- One application for several carriers, and a recruiter who explains each offer
- Free to apply, with no account to make

## What this job pays: $900–$1,700 a week

Set from current U.S. company-driver postings (October 2026): new CDL-A drivers typically start at about $900–$1,250 a week, and experienced drivers earn about $1,250–$1,700, with dedicated and local routes at the top. Your pay depends on the carrier, the route and your experience; many carriers pay by the mile, and your recruiter gives each carrier's exact pay.

### What employers advertise now (checked October 29, 2026)

| Advertised by | What they advertise | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Schneider | Schneider’s solo van drivers average $1,140–$1,400 a week, dedicated drivers $1,180–$1,440. | [Schneider](https://schneiderjobs.com/truck-driving-jobs/driving-opportunities/solo) |
| Swift | Swift’s more than 570 solo driver listings on October 29, 2026 show a median of $1,400 a week; the middle half pay $1,250–$1,600. | [Swift Transportation](https://swifttrans.com/careers/drivers/search-driving-jobs/search-results) |
| Roehl | Roehl drivers with at least a year on the job averaged $1,435 a week in September 2026. | [Roehl Transport](https://www.roehl.jobs/driving-jobs/experienced-drivers) |
| American Trucking Associations (2026 study) | The American Trucking Associations’ 2026 study puts the median dry van company driver at $73,639 a year, about $1,416 a week. | [Fleet Equipment](https://www.fleetequipmentmag.com/ata-driver-pay-continues-to-rise-as-trucking-emerges-from-a-tough-four-years/) |

Public pay figures checked October 29, 2026, named as market examples only.

### Government pay data across the U.S.

**Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (CDL), U.S., May 2025 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, released 2026)**

| Pay level | Per year | Per week | Per hour |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 10th percentile | $40,140 | $772 | $19.30 |
| 25th percentile | $47,960 | $922 | $23.06 |
| Median | $58,640 | $1,128 | $28.19 |
| 75th percentile | $69,120 | $1,329 | $33.23 |
| 90th percentile | $79,380 | $1,527 | $38.17 |

2,062,040 jobs in the U.S. Employment is projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 214,500 openings a year. Sources: [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 data](https://data.bls.gov/oesprofile/?year=2025&major_group=530000&occupation=533032&measure=01&areas=INDUSTRY,STATE,MSA) and its [Occupational Outlook Handbook](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/heavy-and-tractor-trailer-truck-drivers.htm); wage and salary jobs, self-employed drivers not included.

## CDL routes and trailers: OTR, regional, local and dedicated

Home time depends on the route: home every day (local), every week (regional) or every 2–3 weeks (OTR).

- **OTR (over the road):** OTR (over-the-road) CDL drivers run long hauls across many states, out two to three weeks at a time. Their hours reset after 34 hours off, so the time at home counts.
- **Regional:** Regional CDL drivers haul loads within one part of the country, usually with home time every week. It is a good first step for many new CDL holders.
- **Local:** Local CDL drivers are home every night. Within 150 air-miles and back in 14 hours, they can work without logbook entries under the short-haul exception.
- **Dedicated:** Dedicated CDL drivers run for the same customer or lanes every week, which makes pay and home time easier to predict.

- **Dry van:** Dry van trailers are the most common kind: boxed freight such as retail goods, packaged food and paper products.
- **Reefer:** Reefer (refrigerated) trailers carry food and medicine, so the driver watches the temperature as well as the road.
- **Flatbed:** Flatbed trailers are open, for steel, lumber and machinery, and the driver straps, chains and tarps the load.

## CDL driver requirements

The federal rules every carrier must check, in plain words. Each carrier adds its own hiring standards on top.

- **A Class A CDL:** A Class A CDL covers vehicle combinations rated 26,001 lb or more where the trailer is rated over 10,000 lb: tractor-trailers. A Class A holder can also drive Class B and C vehicles with the right endorsements. (source: [49 CFR 383.91](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-383.91))
- **Training for new CDL holders:** A first Class A or B CDL issued since February 7, 2022 needs entry-level driver training (ELDT) from a provider on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry before the skills test. (source: [49 CFR 380.609](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-380.609))
- **21 to cross state lines:** CDL drivers must be 21 to drive across state lines. Inside one state, states may let drivers start at 18. FMCSA’s Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP), which let some 18–20-year-olds drive interstate, ended on November 7, 2025. (sources: [49 CFR 391.11](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.11), [49 CFR 350.305](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-350.305), [Minimum age for drivers](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/28/2026-01679/qualifications-of-drivers-minimum-age-for-drivers-american-trucking-associations-application-for))
- **A DOT medical certificate:** CDL drivers need a medical examiner’s certificate, renewed at least every 24 months. Since June 23, 2025, CDL holders no longer carry the paper card: the examiner sends the result to the state. (sources: [49 CFR 383.71](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-383.71), [49 CFR 391.41](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.41))
- **A drug test and a Clearinghouse check:** Before a CDL driver’s first trip, the carrier needs a negative DOT pre-employment drug test and a full query of the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, which the driver consents to online. (sources: [49 CFR 382.701](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-382.701), [49 CFR 382.301](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-382.301))
- **English language proficiency (ELP):** Every commercial driver must read and speak English well enough for road signs, inspections and records. Since June 25, 2025, a driver who fails this check at a roadside inspection is put out of service, and FMCSA proposed writing that into its rules in August 2026. (sources: [49 CFR 391.11](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.11), [English Language Proficiency Out-of-Service Criteria](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/10/2026-16288/english-language-proficiency-out-of-service-criteria)) [What the English proficiency rule means for drivers](https://digitalstorming.com/blog/fmcsa-english-proficiency-rule/)
- **Hours of service:** CDL drivers may drive up to 11 hours in a 14-hour window after 10 hours off. They take a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving. The weekly limit is 60 hours in 7 days or 70 in 8, and 34 hours off resets it; the truck’s ELD keeps the record. (source: [49 CFR 395.3](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-395.3))
- **Driving record (MVR) and driver application:** Before you start, the carrier has you fill in its full driver application and pulls your driving record (MVR) from every state that licensed you in the past three years. Have ready your addresses, licenses, accidents, tickets and employers for the past three years, plus any commercial driving jobs in the seven years before that. (sources: [49 CFR 391.21](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.21), [49 CFR 391.23](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.23))

## How to get your Class A CDL

1. **Get a learner’s permit (CLP):** Pass your state’s general knowledge test for a commercial learner’s permit, with a DOT medical certificate. You must be 18 or older, and with the permit you drive a truck only with a CDL holder beside you.
2. **Finish entry-level training:** Complete theory and behind-the-wheel training with a provider listed on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry. The provider reports it, so you can take the skills test.
3. **Take the skills test:** After holding the permit for at least 14 days, take the CDL skills test in a truck of the class you want. The permit is good for up to a year.
4. **Apply as a new driver:** Choose “None yet, I’m a new driver” in the application, and the recruiter looks for carriers that hire new CDL holders.

Sources: [49 CFR 383.25](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-383.25) (the learner’s permit) and [49 CFR 380.609](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-380.609) (entry-level driver training).

## How hiring works: from application to your first load

1. **Apply in 3 minutes:** Answer a few quick questions about your license, your experience, where you live and the driving you want. **No account and no resume needed.**
2. **Talk to a recruiter:** A recruiter reads your answers and looks for carriers that are hiring for this job near you. When one fits, we call you about its pay, routes and home time.
3. **Meet the carrier:** You fill in the carrier’s own driver application. The carrier pulls your driving record and sets up the DOT drug test and the Clearinghouse check.
4. **Start driving:** Once you accept the carrier’s offer, you go through its orientation and get your truck. Nothing is final until you say yes.

## Questions about CDL driving jobs

### How much do CDL drivers make?

CDL tractor-trailer drivers earned a median of $58,640 a year ($28.19 an hour, about $1,128 a week) in May 2025, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $47,960 to $69,120. This CDL-A job pays $900–$1,700 a week, set from current employer postings: new drivers start at the low end and experienced drivers earn toward the top.

Pay per mile, by route and by state: [how much CDL drivers make in 2026](https://digitalstorming.com/blog/how-much-do-cdl-drivers-make/).

### Can I get a CDL A job with no experience?

Yes: this CDL-A job welcomes new CDL holders, and the recruiter looks for carriers that hire recent graduates. A first Class A CDL issued since February 7, 2022 needs entry-level driver training from a registered provider before the skills test.

Step by step, with costs and paid training: [how to become a truck driver with no experience](https://digitalstorming.com/blog/how-to-become-a-truck-driver/).

### What is the difference between OTR, regional and local driving?

OTR drivers run long hauls across the country and are out two to three weeks at a time. Regional drivers stay in one part of the country and are usually home every week. Local drivers start and end the day at the same place and sleep at home every night.

### How old do you have to be to drive a semi across state lines?

You must be 21 to drive a semi across state lines, the federal minimum for interstate commercial driving. An FMCSA pilot (SDAP) that let some drivers aged 18–20 drive interstate ended on November 7, 2025. Inside one state, many states allow drivers from 18.

### Do CDL drivers still carry a DOT medical card?

No: since June 23, 2025, CDL drivers don’t carry a paper medical card. CDL and permit holders still need a medical examiner’s certificate at least every 24 months, but the examiner sends the result to the state.

### What checks does the carrier run before I start?

Before you start, the carrier runs a DOT pre-employment drug test and a full Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse query, which you consent to online. It also pulls your driving record from each state that licensed you in the last three years and has you fill in its own driver application. This quick application doesn’t ask for your Social Security number or date of birth; the carrier’s full application does, as federal rules require.

### Do I need endorsements for this job?

No endorsements are required for this job. Endorsements such as tanker (N) or hazmat (H) open more kinds of loads, so list any you have.

### Why doesn’t the job name the carrier?

The job doesn’t name the carrier because we match you with the carrier that fits after you apply. Your recruiter tells you the carrier’s name, its exact pay and its home time before you fill in that carrier’s application, so you never apply to an employer you haven’t been told about.

## Guides for CDL drivers

- [How Much Do CDL Drivers Make in 2026? Pay by Week, Mile and Route](https://digitalstorming.com/blog/how-much-do-cdl-drivers-make/): CDL truck drivers earned a median $58,640 a year ($1,128 a week) in BLS May 2025 data. See 2026 pay per mile, by route and for new drivers.
- [How to Become a Truck Driver With No Experience in 2026](https://digitalstorming.com/blog/how-to-become-a-truck-driver/): New drivers usually get a Class A CDL in five weeks to three months: DOT physical, permit, ELDT and skills test. Tuition: $3,500–$9,495 at schools we checked.

## Who recruits you

Digital Storming has recruited truck drivers for carriers since 2017, with a team of 50+. Carriers pay our placement fee; applying is free for drivers.

Digital Storming recruits without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other status protected by law.

## Sources

Pay figures come from employers’ current job postings and pay pages (October 2026) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 wage data, its newest (released in 2026). The federal rules are as of October 27, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice: each carrier sets its own hiring standards on top of the federal rules. Checked Oct 29, 2026.

1. [Schneider: solo truck driving jobs, average weekly pay (live page, October 2026)](https://schneiderjobs.com/truck-driving-jobs/driving-opportunities/solo), Schneider
2. [Swift: weekly pay in more than 570 solo driver listings (median and middle half, October 29, 2026)](https://swifttrans.com/careers/drivers/search-driving-jobs/search-results), Swift Transportation
3. [Roehl: experienced driver pay (page updated October 26, 2026)](https://www.roehl.jobs/driving-jobs/experienced-drivers), Roehl Transport
4. [ATA 2026 Driver Compensation Study: driver pay continues to rise (October 16, 2026)](https://www.fleetequipmentmag.com/ata-driver-pay-continues-to-rise-as-trucking-emerges-from-a-tough-four-years/), Fleet Equipment
5. [Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025 data (released 2026): Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032)](https://data.bls.gov/oesprofile/?year=2025&major_group=530000&occupation=533032&measure=01&areas=INDUSTRY,STATE,MSA), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
6. [Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–35 (updated Aug 2026): Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/heavy-and-tractor-trailer-truck-drivers.htm), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
7. [49 CFR 383.91: Commercial motor vehicle groups (CDL classes)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-383.91), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
8. [49 CFR 380.609: Entry-level driver training requirements](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-380.609), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
9. [49 CFR 383.25: Commercial learner’s permit (CLP)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-383.25), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
10. [49 CFR 391.11: General qualifications of drivers](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.11), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
11. [49 CFR 350.305: Intrastate driver variances](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-350.305), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
12. [Minimum age for drivers: ATA application for exemption (Jan 28, 2026; the under-21 pilot ended Nov 7, 2025)](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/28/2026-01679/qualifications-of-drivers-minimum-age-for-drivers-american-trucking-associations-application-for), Federal Register
13. [49 CFR 383.71: Driver application and certification procedures](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-383.71), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
14. [49 CFR 391.41: Physical qualifications for drivers](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.41), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
15. [49 CFR 382.301: Pre-employment testing](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-382.301), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
16. [49 CFR 382.701: Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse queries](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-382.701), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
17. [English Language Proficiency Out-of-Service Criteria (proposed rule, Aug 10, 2026)](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/10/2026-16288/english-language-proficiency-out-of-service-criteria), Federal Register
18. [49 CFR 395.3: Maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-395.3), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
19. [49 CFR 395.1: Scope of the hours of service rules (short-haul exceptions)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-395.1), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
20. [49 CFR 391.21: Application for employment](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.21), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
21. [49 CFR 391.23: Investigation and inquiries (driving record)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.23), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)

Page: https://digitalstorming.com/careers/cdl-truck-driver/ · checked 2026-10-29