Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Atlanta.
About 41,830 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers work in the Atlanta metro, at a $59,100 median. BLS counts 1,924 business locations of general freight trucking companies across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff, the state licensing rules that apply and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in Atlanta.
BLS counts about 80,020 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Atlanta metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 41,830). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.09). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Atlanta: 41,830 employed · $59,100 median, 52nd-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Atlanta: 15,350 employed · $44,960 median, 40th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Atlanta: 3,690 employed · $48,930 median, 62nd-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Atlanta: 4,460 employed · $127,520 median, 12th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Atlanta: 9,170 employed · $72,810 median, 76th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Atlanta: 5,940 employed · $62,270 median, 52nd-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Atlanta: 2,680 employed · $58,750 median, 23rd-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Atlanta: 20,920 employed · $75,410 median, 42nd-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Atlanta: 16,900 employed · $65,290 median, 23rd-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Atlanta.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Atlanta earn a median $59,100, level with the $58,640 national figure, and 52nd of 112 metros. Pay runs $40,900 at the tenth percentile to $77,750 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, at $65,290 against $62,890 nationally.
| Role | Atlanta median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $59,100 | $40,900–$77,750 | $58,640 | +1% | 41,830 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $44,960 | $28,090–$91,310 | $44,860 | 0% | 15,350 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $48,930 | $32,770–$74,700 | $50,340 | −3% | 3,690 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $127,520 | $80,460–$214,750 | $107,230 | +19% | 4,460 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $72,810 | $45,760–$141,150 | $80,730 | −10% | 9,170 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $62,270 | $48,920–$88,490 | $61,770 | +1% | 5,940 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $58,750 | $31,440–$75,980 | $52,260 | +12% | 2,680 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $75,410 | $47,860–$129,200 | $75,940 | −1% | 20,920 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $65,290 | $42,530–$97,040 | $62,890 | +4% | 16,900 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Atlanta metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile; management and office roles are metro-wide. A metro ranking counts only the metros where BLS publishes that occupation.
How Atlanta's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Atlanta rose from 1,147 in 2018 to 1,924 in 2023, up 68%, ahead of the 49% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 11%, to about 29,429 people. Average annual pay there went from $53,296 to $65,221 (+22%), in step with the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 1,147 | 1,924 | +68% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 26,451 | 29,429 | +11% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $53,296 | $65,221 | +22% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Free Commercial Trucking hiring resources.
Definitive Guide to Commercial Trucking · 2026 Commercial Trucking Salary Guide · 3-Step Interview Guide for Commercial Trucking
Atlanta runs 9% more commercial trucking workers per job than the country as a whole — above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers. Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Atlanta's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Atlanta ranks 6th for headcount, 48th for median pay and 39th for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 41,830 | $59,100 | 1.09 | 1,924 |
| Augusta | 3,250 | $47,920 | 1.06 | 129 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Atlanta, the pool is about the national norm for its size, and local employers have trimmed headcount. That usually means experienced people are available but cautious, so the stability of the job matters as much as the rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Atlanta metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Trucking licensing in Georgia.
Georgia writes the rule as 21 with an intrastate exception: an applicant must be at least 21, but applicants between 18 and 20 who meet every other requirement may be issued a CDL valid for intrastate use only, bearing an 'Intrastate Commerce Only' restriction spelled out in words rather than as a code letter. Georgia operates a narrow intrastate medical exemption: rule 1-1-.06(4) lets a driver who operates solely within Georgia and has lost some or all vision in one eye qualify on evidence from an ophthalmologist or optometrist for a maximum of two years, renewable at the Department's discretion, and after three years on the state waiver the driver may apply for the federal vision exemption. Rule 1-1-.06(6) grandfathers intrastate drivers who did not meet the federal standard when Georgia adopted it. Georgia issues no diabetic waivers at all - the Department states FMCSA grants those only for interstate commerce. Since June 18, 2025 the medical examiner transmits the certificate electronically and the Department no longer accepts paper, so verify the driver's status in Department records rather than from a card. The same state rules apply in Augusta, so candidates licensed there can work in Atlanta without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Georgia Department of Driver Services. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial trucking search in Atlanta yet. Here is what we have closed.
These are other trades in the same market. We would rather show you the searches we have actually run in Atlanta than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Senior Accounting CoordinatorThe back-office hire that keeps a trade business’s books straight.
- Outside Sales RepresentativeA rep who grew a regional product line from $600,000 to $2.5 million.
Nearby markets competing for Atlanta talent.
The closest metro we cover is Chattanooga, about 105 miles away, with roughly 4,370 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.1 times Atlanta's 41,830). Atlanta pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($59,100 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Augusta at $47,920. Atlanta is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | – | 41,830 | $59,100 |
| Chattanooga | 104 mi | 4,370 | $57,440 |
| Greenville | 137 mi | 5,240 | $53,080 |
| Birmingham | 140 mi | 9,170 | $54,460 |
| Augusta | 140 mi | 3,250 | $47,920 |
| Huntsville | 143 mi | 2,570 | $56,690 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Atlanta crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Atlanta in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Hartsfield-Jackson Terminal F + Concourse modernization$1.5B+Through 2030
World's busiest airport. Terminal expansion + concourse upgrades drive long-duration MEP demand.
- Microsoft data center campuses (multiple, metro-wide)$6B+ announced 2024-2026Rolling
Atlanta is a top-2 US data center market (with Northern VA). Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others expanding aggressively. Power-systems electricians, cooling specialists, mechanical PMs at extreme premium.
- Hospital expansion (Emory, Piedmont, CHOA)$2B+ aggregated2024-2028
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta new Arthur M. Blank Hospital ($1.5B alone). Hospital-grade HVAC + medical gas in tight supply.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Atlanta market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Atlanta.
The 4 credentials that gate the work and the 4 things that most often end a commercial trucking offer are the same in every market, kept in one place: Commercial Trucking credentials and offer risks, each linked to the body that issues it. What is local is the licensing rule above and the pay further up this page.
Is Atlanta a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
For every light-truck driver BLS counts in Atlanta there are 2.7 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers - 41,830 against 15,350, 14th of 112 on that ratio.
Weighted that far to Class A, the linehaul and regional pool is deeper than the headcount suggests and the local-delivery bench thinner.
Nationally it is 2.1 to one.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (53-3032) against light truck drivers (53-3033), across the 112 metros BLS publishes both series for.
Frequently asked - Commercial Trucking hiring in Atlanta.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Atlanta?
BLS puts the Atlanta median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $59,100 a year, about the same as the $58,640 national median. That ranks 52nd of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $40,900 and $77,750, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Georgia metro we cover pays more for this work (Augusta: $47,920).
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Atlanta?
It is about average. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are as common in Atlanta as they are nationally (location quotient 1.09), with about 41,830 in the metro. The 1,924 general freight trucking companies here average about 15 employees per location. With 68% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Atlanta?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Atlanta, a $127,520 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Route / Delivery Supervisor at $65,290, 49% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $44,960. Relative to national pay, Fleet Manager is the strongest-paying role here (19% above). Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT) trails national pay the most (10% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Atlanta?
BLS counted 1,924 general freight trucking companies in Atlanta in 2023, employing about 29,429 people between them. Up from 1,147 in 2018, a 68% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 15 people per location. They pay about the national average of $65,587.
Which nearby metros compete with Atlanta for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Chattanooga (104 miles, about 4,370, $57,440 median), Greenville (137 miles, about 5,240, $53,080 median) and Birmingham (140 miles, about 9,170, $54,460 median). Atlanta out-pays Greenville and Birmingham, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
1,924 general freight trucking companies in Atlanta are drawing on the same 41,830 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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