Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Chattanooga.
Chattanooga has 23% more heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, about 4,370 in the metro. BLS counts 165 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 Chattanooga.
BLS counts about 9,600 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Chattanooga metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 4,370). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.23). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Chattanooga: 4,370 employed · $57,440 median, 70th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Chattanooga: 3,500 employed · $49,990 median, 3rd-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Chattanooga: 340 employed · $46,620 median, 88th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Chattanooga: 380 employed · $95,640 median, 101st-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Chattanooga: 750 employed · $68,000 median, 94th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Chattanooga: 480 employed · $57,450 median, 98th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Chattanooga: 150 employed · $49,460 median, 57th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Chattanooga: 1,550 employed · $61,660 median, 107th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Chattanooga: 1,250 employed · $62,270 median, 54th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Chattanooga.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Chattanooga earn a median $57,440, level with the $58,640 national figure, and 70th of 112 metros. Pay runs $39,440 at the tenth percentile to $74,730 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, at $62,270 against $62,890 nationally.
| Role | Chattanooga median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $57,440 | $39,440–$74,730 | $58,640 | −2% | 4,370 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $49,990 | $29,450–$54,060 | $44,860 | +11% | 3,500 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $46,620 | $33,820–$63,110 | $50,340 | −7% | 340 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $95,640 | $54,630–$186,490 | $107,230 | −11% | 380 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $68,000 | $42,580–$128,380 | $80,730 | −16% | 750 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $57,450 | $39,000–$83,200 | $61,770 | −7% | 480 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $49,460 | $45,070–$74,180 | $52,260 | −5% | 150 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $61,660 | $41,090–$108,550 | $75,940 | −19% | 1,550 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $62,270 | $42,360–$92,500 | $62,890 | −1% | 1,250 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Chattanooga 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 Chattanooga's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Chattanooga rose from 135 in 2018 to 165 in 2023, up 22%, behind the 49% growth nationally. Headcount and pay for those firms are withheld in Chattanooga, so the occupation figures above are the better guide to what hiring costs.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 135 | 165 | +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
Chattanooga runs 23% 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 Chattanooga's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Chattanooga ranks 77th for headcount, 65th for median pay and 25th for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | 19,460 | $63,070 | 2.40 | 595 |
| Nashville | 18,860 | $60,630 | 1.29 | 658 |
| Knoxville | 8,130 | $59,100 | 1.44 | 230 |
| Chattanooga | 4,370 | $57,440 | 1.23 | 165 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Chattanooga, the local pool is deeper than most, so a well-run search can usually fill field roles from inside the metro.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Chattanooga metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Trucking licensing in Tennessee.
Tennessee's minimum age for any CDL class is 18, and applicants under 21 are restricted to operating only within Tennessee. Self-certification is on Form SF1480, and an intrastate driver still needs medical certification; a driver hauling both intrastate and interstate must certify interstate. No Tennessee state intrastate medical waiver programme appears on the Department's CDL pages - Tennessee states that variances are renewed with FMCSA rather than with the state, so do not expect a Tennessee-issued waiver to exist. Tennessee has one state-specific restricted licence an employer will see on a contractor's driver: the Code 24 restricted CDL, published as CDL Farm Vehicles - Intrastate (Only), valid only for farm-related Class B and Class C service vehicles and not a Class A vehicle, limited to driving within 150 miles of the employer's place of business or the farm served, never outside Tennessee, and holdable for no more than 180 consecutive days in a 12-month calendar period, with an accompanying letter the driver must keep with the licence. The same state rules apply in Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville, so candidates licensed there can work in Chattanooga without re-qualifying. The Chattanooga metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Driver Services. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Chattanooga talent.
The closest metro we cover is Huntsville, about 75 miles away, with roughly 2,570 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.6 times Chattanooga's 4,370). Nashville pays the most nearby, a $60,630 median, 6% above Chattanooga. That is the number any Chattanooga offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Atlanta has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga | – | 4,370 | $57,440 |
| Huntsville | 76 mi | 2,570 | $56,690 |
| Knoxville | 101 mi | 8,130 | $59,100 |
| Atlanta | 104 mi | 41,830 | $59,100 |
| Nashville | 113 mi | 18,860 | $60,630 |
| Birmingham | 135 mi | 9,170 | $54,460 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Chattanooga crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Chattanooga in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Erlanger East Hospital expansion$122MConstruction begins summer 2026, opening fall 2028
A new three-story, 52,000 sq ft building on Gunbarrel Road adding 22 patient beds, a cardiac catheterization lab, an electrophysiology lab, and an interventional radiology lab, plus 100 new jobs.
- CommonSpirit Memorial Hospital (Ooltewah)UndisclosedBroke ground April 2026, opening spring 2027
A 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital on Mountain View Road.
- Volkswagen Chattanooga plant$4.3B invested since 2011Ongoing production transition
Volkswagen's sole US assembly facility, 4,000+ employees, reached a 1-million-vehicle milestone in 2026 and is pivoting from ID.4 electric vehicle assembly to the second-generation Atlas as its primary production mandate.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Chattanooga market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Chattanooga.
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 Chattanooga a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Chattanooga runs close to even: 4,370 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 3,500 light-truck drivers, 1.2 to one, 99th of 112 on that ratio.
The driving here is mostly last-mile and service, so a Class A search competes for a smaller resident pool than the total implies and often reaches outside the metro.
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 Chattanooga.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Chattanooga?
BLS puts the Chattanooga median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $57,440 a year, about the same as the $58,640 national median. That ranks 70th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $39,440 and $74,730, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Tennessee, Memphis pays more, at $63,070.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Chattanooga?
Not by national standards. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make up 23% more of the Chattanooga workforce than they do nationally, about 4,370 people. With 22% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Chattanooga?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Chattanooga, a $95,640 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Route / Delivery Supervisor at $62,270, 35% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $49,990. Relative to national pay, CDL-B Truck Driver is the strongest-paying role here (11% above). Driver Recruiter trails national pay the most (19% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Chattanooga?
BLS counted 165 general freight trucking companies in Chattanooga in 2023. Up from 135 in 2018, a 22% increase against 49% growth nationally. BLS withholds their combined headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers.
Which nearby metros compete with Chattanooga for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Huntsville (76 miles, about 2,570, $56,690 median), Knoxville (101 miles, about 8,130, $59,100 median) and Atlanta (104 miles, about 41,830, $59,100 median). Knoxville has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Chattanooga has one of the deeper pools of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
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