Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Cincinnati.
About 13,820 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers work in the Cincinnati metro, at a $60,590 median. BLS counts 698 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 Cincinnati.
BLS counts about 28,650 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Cincinnati metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 13,820). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.95). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Cincinnati: 13,820 employed · $60,590 median, 28th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Cincinnati: 7,590 employed · $44,070 median, 49th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Cincinnati: 1,020 employed · $51,900 median, 24th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Cincinnati: 1,920 employed · $106,160 median, 46th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Cincinnati: 2,440 employed · $79,310 median, 47th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Cincinnati: 2,300 employed · $62,400 median, 50th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Cincinnati: 1,530 employed · $46,190 median, 82nd-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Cincinnati: 7,110 employed · $73,010 median, 53rd-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Cincinnati: 4,940 employed · $63,900 median, 34th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Cincinnati.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Cincinnati earn a median $60,590, 3% over the $58,640 national figure, and 28th of 112 metros. Pay runs $45,920 at the tenth percentile to $81,620 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, at $63,900 against $62,890 nationally.
| Role | Cincinnati median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $60,590 | $45,920–$81,620 | $58,640 | +3% | 13,820 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $44,070 | $27,600–$82,840 | $44,860 | −2% | 7,590 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $51,900 | $36,670–$83,160 | $50,340 | +3% | 1,020 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $106,160 | $66,640–$208,580 | $107,230 | −1% | 1,920 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $79,310 | $49,000–$130,280 | $80,730 | −2% | 2,440 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $62,400 | $45,780–$79,810 | $61,770 | +1% | 2,300 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $46,190 | $39,200–$78,230 | $52,260 | −12% | 1,530 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $73,010 | $45,910–$121,750 | $75,940 | −4% | 7,110 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $63,900 | $46,790–$92,550 | $62,890 | +2% | 4,940 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Cincinnati rose from 473 in 2018 to 698 in 2023, up 48%, close to the 49% national change. Headcount at those firms went up 7%, to about 7,806 people. Average annual pay there went from $55,049 to $69,721 (+27%), faster than the 23% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 473 | 698 | +48% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 7,288 | 7,806 | +7% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $55,049 | $69,721 | +27% |
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
Cincinnati runs 5% fewer commercial trucking workers per job than the country as a whole — below the national concentration.
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 Cincinnati's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Cincinnati ranks 30th for headcount, 26th for median pay and 54th for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | 16,110 | $61,720 | 1.10 | 866 |
| Cincinnati | 13,820 | $60,590 | 0.95 | 698 |
| Cleveland | 11,970 | $58,970 | 0.88 | 768 |
| Akron | 4,740 | $60,210 | 1.12 | 264 |
| Dayton | 4,660 | $59,490 | 0.94 | 204 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Cincinnati, 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, Cincinnati metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Trucking licensing in Ohio.
Ohio's minimum age is 18 for a first-time CDL, and drivers under 21 are restricted to intrastate commercial driving within Ohio; R.C. 4506.05(C) independently bars interstate operation before 21 and R.C. 4506.06 sets 18 for the temporary instruction permit. Ohio prints an explicit K Intrastate Only restriction on both the CDL and the learner's permit. Ohio has a genuinely unusual hazmat rule: R.C. 4506.131(A)(2) allows the registrar to issue a hazardous materials endorsement to a person under 21, but only for intrastate commerce - so an under-21 Ohio driver can lawfully hold an H endorsement, unlike in most states. Ohio uses four self-certification categories, and non-excepted intrastate drivers are subject to Ohio's own state medical requirements under R.C. 4506.10 rather than federal part 391, with Ohio optometrists permitted to perform the visual acuity, field of vision and colour recognition portions. No named Ohio intrastate medical waiver programme could be verified, so confirm any specific condition with the Bureau. The same state rules apply in Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton and Akron, so candidates licensed there can work in Cincinnati without re-qualifying. The Cincinnati metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Ohio Department of Public Safety. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial trucking search in Cincinnati 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 Cincinnati than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Junior Project ManagerA licensed architect placed into a project management seat after the firm lost its PM mid-project.
- Special Projects Sheet Metal TechnicianAn early-career sheet metal technician placed with onboarding support built into the plan.
Nearby markets competing for Cincinnati talent.
The closest metro we cover is Dayton, about 45 miles away, with roughly 4,660 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.3 times Cincinnati's 13,820). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $59,000 in Louisville to $61,980 in Indianapolis, against $60,590 here.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | – | 13,820 | $60,590 |
| Dayton | 47 mi | 4,660 | $59,490 |
| Louisville | 90 mi | 10,820 | $59,000 |
| Indianapolis | 98 mi | 20,480 | $61,980 |
| Columbus | 99 mi | 16,110 | $61,720 |
| Akron | 208 mi | 4,740 | $60,210 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Cincinnati crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Cincinnati in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- CVG air cargo and logistics expansionMulti-hundred-million, rollingOngoing
Northern Kentucky's airport is one of the largest air cargo hubs in North America. Sortation and logistics facility construction drives conveyor systems, industrial electrical, and high-bay mechanical work.
- Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project$4.4B (up from $3.6B estimate)Construction began early 2026, broke ground May 2026
Transforms an eight-mile stretch of I-71 and I-75 across the Ohio River, adding a double-decker cable-stayed companion bridge. The defining heavy civil program of the Midwest - structural steel, cable-stay specialty work, and multi-year sustained demand for bridge-experienced field leadership.
- ODOT statewide 2026 construction program~$3.5B statewide2026 season
More than 4,500 miles of roadway and over 700 bridges statewide. Cincinnati draws a meaningful share, and it competes with Brent Spence for the same operators and heavy civil supervision.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Cincinnati market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Cincinnati.
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 Cincinnati a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Cincinnati carries 13,820 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 7,590 light-truck drivers, 1.8 to one against a 1.8 median, 55th 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 Cincinnati.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Cincinnati?
BLS puts the Cincinnati median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $60,590 a year, 3% above the $58,640 national median. That ranks 28th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $45,920 and $81,620, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Ohio metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Cincinnati?
It is about average. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are as common in Cincinnati as they are nationally (location quotient 0.95), with about 13,820 in the metro. The 698 general freight trucking companies here average about 11 employees per location. With 48% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Cincinnati?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Cincinnati, a $106,160 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Route / Delivery Supervisor at $63,900, 40% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $44,070. Relative to national pay, CDL-A Truck Driver is the strongest-paying role here (3% above). Logistics Coordinator trails national pay the most (12% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Cincinnati?
BLS counted 698 general freight trucking companies in Cincinnati in 2023, employing about 7,806 people between them. Up from 473 in 2018, a 48% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 11 people per location. They pay an average of $69,721, 6% above the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Cincinnati for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Dayton (47 miles, about 4,660, $59,490 median), Louisville (90 miles, about 10,820, $59,000 median) and Indianapolis (98 miles, about 20,480, $61,980 median).
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
698 general freight trucking companies in Cincinnati are drawing on the same 13,820 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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