Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Charlotte.
My Trade Talent is a direct-hire recruiter for truck drivers in Charlotte: it recruits CDL-A and CDL-B drivers, dispatchers and fleet managers onto contractor and fleet payrolls as permanent employees, not as hourly staffing. BLS counted 1,893 general freight trucking companies (by business location) in the Charlotte metro in 2023. An hourly staffing agency fits short-term or seasonal driving; a direct-hire recruiter fits a seat you want filled for good. Sourcing starts within 24 hours of kickoff, with first submittals by the end of week two.
About 18,700 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers work in the Charlotte metro, at a $56,120 median. BLS counts 1,893 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 Charlotte.
BLS counts about 38,200 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Charlotte metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 18,700). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 1.04). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Charlotte: 18,700 employed · $56,120 median, 79th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Charlotte: 9,560 employed · $42,860 median, 66th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Charlotte: 1,830 employed · $50,520 median, 36th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Charlotte: 2,150 employed · $118,100 median, 22nd-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Charlotte: 3,240 employed · $86,720 median, 18th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Charlotte: 3,350 employed · $60,300 median, 80th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Charlotte: 1,030 employed · $49,720 median, 52nd-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Charlotte: 8,930 employed · $78,330 median, 22nd-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Charlotte: 6,590 employed · $63,470 median, 38th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Charlotte.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Charlotte earn a median $56,120, 4% under the $58,640 national figure, and 79th of 112 metros. Pay runs $44,240 at the tenth percentile to $77,490 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, at $63,470 against $62,890 nationally.
| Role | Charlotte median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $56,120 | $44,240–$77,490 | $58,640 | −4% | 18,700 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $42,860 | $28,130–$64,470 | $44,860 | −4% | 9,560 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $50,520 | $38,640–$74,740 | $50,340 | 0% | 1,830 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $118,100 | $71,250–$206,860 | $107,230 | +10% | 2,150 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $86,720 | $48,490–$141,780 | $80,730 | +7% | 3,240 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $60,300 | $38,370–$78,970 | $61,770 | −2% | 3,350 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $49,720 | $37,100–$68,620 | $52,260 | −5% | 1,030 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $78,330 | $48,150–$130,610 | $75,940 | +3% | 8,930 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $63,470 | $44,370–$90,940 | $62,890 | +1% | 6,590 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Charlotte 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 Charlotte's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Charlotte rose from 911 in 2018 to 1,893 in 2023, up 108%, ahead of the 49% national rise.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 911 | 1,893 | +108% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | – | 12,134 | – |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | – | $63,948 | – |
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
Charlotte sits at about the national rate for commercial trucking — neither unusually deep nor unusually thin.
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 Charlotte's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Charlotte ranks 19th for headcount, 72nd for median pay and 43rd for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 18,700 | $56,120 | 1.04 | 1,893 |
| Raleigh | 7,210 | $52,110 | 0.73 | 636 |
| Greensboro | 6,480 | $58,480 | 1.34 | 420 |
| Winston-Salem | 3,480 | $51,320 | 0.97 | 255 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 2,130 | $53,280 | 0.47 | 163 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Charlotte, 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, Charlotte metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Trucking licensing in North Carolina.
North Carolina writes the age rule backwards from most states: G.S. 20-37.13 sets 21 as the standard CDL qualification age and allows issuance at 18 only to an applicant exempt from or not subject to the age requirements of 49 CFR part 391 - in practice an 18-year-old can hold a Class A or Class B CDL for intrastate work only. North Carolina has a real statutory intrastate medical waiver: G.S. 20-37.13A lets a driver who cannot meet 49 CFR 391.41 apply to the Division in writing for a waiver valid for North Carolina operation only, for a maximum of two years, with medical recertification at intervals the Division sets. A licence issued on that basis must carry a restriction showing it is valid for intrastate operation only, and failing any waiver condition triggers an automatic downgrade to a Class C licence; the same downgrade applies if a driver misses the general medical certification requirement and does not cure it within the 60 days the Division must allow. Before dispatching an 18-to-20-year-old or a waiver holder, confirm the load neither originates nor terminates outside North Carolina. The same state rules apply in Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Durham-Chapel Hill, so candidates licensed there can work in Charlotte without re-qualifying. The Charlotte metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, a division of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Charlotte talent.
The closest metro we cover is Winston-Salem, about 70 miles away, with roughly 3,480 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.2 times Charlotte's 18,700). Greensboro pays the most nearby, a $58,480 median, 4% above Charlotte. That is the number any Charlotte offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Charlotte 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | – | 18,700 | $56,120 |
| Winston-Salem | 69 mi | 3,480 | $51,320 |
| Greensboro | 83 mi | 6,480 | $58,480 |
| Columbia | 85 mi | 5,630 | $51,280 |
| Greenville | 91 mi | 5,240 | $53,080 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 121 mi | 2,130 | $53,280 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Charlotte crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Charlotte in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) capital programMulti-billion, phasedThrough 2027+
Terminal Lobby Expansion plus concourse and airfield work. Heavy mechanical, electrical, and specialty finish demand on a rolling, multi-phase crew schedule.
- Data center corridor (Charlotte metro + nearby counties)Multiple operators, rolling2024-2026 and beyond
The Carolinas are now a fast-growing hyperscale market. Power-systems electricians, mechanical PMs, and controls technicians are the bottleneck.
- Atrium Health "The Pearl" + Wake Forest School of Medicine$1.5B+ innovation districtPhased through 2027
A full life-sciences and medical-education district south of uptown. Med-gas plumbers, lab-grade mechanical, and clean-space electrical in tight supply.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Charlotte market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Charlotte.
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 Charlotte a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Charlotte carries 18,700 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 9,560 light-truck drivers, 2.0 to one against a 1.8 median, 50th of 112 on that ratio.
Neither end dominates, so the pool depends more on which roles you are filling than on the size of the metro.
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 Charlotte.
What is a good truck driver staffing agency in Charlotte?
My Trade Talent is a direct-hire recruiter for truck drivers in Charlotte: it recruits CDL-A and CDL-B drivers, dispatchers and fleet managers onto contractor and fleet payrolls as permanent employees, not as hourly staffing. BLS counted 1,893 general freight trucking companies (by business location) in the Charlotte metro in 2023. An hourly staffing agency fits short-term or seasonal driving; a direct-hire recruiter fits a seat you want filled for good. Sourcing starts within 24 hours of kickoff, with first submittals by the end of week two. The fee is a flat monthly rate from $4,000 a month on a 12-month term, published on our pricing page before the search starts.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Charlotte?
BLS puts the Charlotte median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $56,120 a year, 4% below the $58,640 national median. That ranks 79th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $44,240 and $77,490, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within North Carolina, Greensboro pays more, at $58,480.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Charlotte?
It is about average. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are as common in Charlotte as they are nationally (location quotient 1.04), with about 18,700 in the metro. The 1,893 general freight trucking companies here average about 6.4 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 108% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Charlotte?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Charlotte, a $118,100 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Route / Delivery Supervisor at $63,470, 46% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $42,860. Relative to national pay, Fleet Manager is the strongest-paying role here (10% above). Logistics Coordinator trails national pay the most (5% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Charlotte?
BLS counted 1,893 general freight trucking companies in Charlotte in 2023, employing about 12,134 people between them. Up from 911 in 2018, a 108% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 6.4 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay about the national average of $65,587.
Which nearby metros compete with Charlotte for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Winston-Salem (69 miles, about 3,480, $51,320 median), Greensboro (83 miles, about 6,480, $58,480 median) and Columbia (85 miles, about 5,630, $51,280 median). Charlotte out-pays Winston-Salem and Columbia, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
1,893 general freight trucking companies in Charlotte are drawing on the same 18,700 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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