Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Columbia.
At a $51,280 median, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Columbia earn 13% less than nationally; about 5,630 work in the metro. BLS counts 308 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 Columbia.
BLS counts about 9,700 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Columbia metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 5,630). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.08). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Columbia: 5,630 employed · $51,280 median, 96th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Columbia: 2,100 employed · $37,600 median, 108th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Columbia: 430 employed · $47,550 median, 80th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Columbia: 540 employed · $101,030 median, 73rd-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Columbia: 1,120 employed · $72,990 median, 74th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Columbia: 520 employed · $60,320 median, 78th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Columbia: 80 employed · $55,070 median, 34th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Columbia: 2,270 employed · $67,990 median, 76th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Columbia: 1,450 employed · $62,860 median, 45th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Columbia.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Columbia earn a median $51,280, 13% under the $58,640 national figure, and 96th of 112 metros. Pay runs $37,750 at the tenth percentile to $78,990 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, at $62,860 against $62,890 nationally.
| Role | Columbia median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $51,280 | $37,750–$78,990 | $58,640 | −13% | 5,630 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $37,600 | $24,080–$80,910 | $44,860 | −16% | 2,100 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $47,550 | $32,250–$74,580 | $50,340 | −6% | 430 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $101,030 | $67,860–$165,650 | $107,230 | −6% | 540 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $72,990 | $45,850–$160,810 | $80,730 | −10% | 1,120 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $60,320 | $45,830–$94,860 | $61,770 | −2% | 520 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $55,070 | $46,850–$71,280 | $52,260 | +5% | 80 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $67,990 | $46,200–$111,550 | $75,940 | −10% | 2,270 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $62,860 | $45,020–$87,850 | $62,890 | 0% | 1,450 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Columbia 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 Columbia's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Columbia rose from 168 in 2018 to 308 in 2023, up 83%, ahead of the 49% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 24%, to about 2,627 people. Average annual pay there went from $54,028 to $63,161 (+17%), slower than the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 168 | 308 | +83% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 2,112 | 2,627 | +24% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $54,028 | $63,161 | +17% |
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
Columbia runs 8% 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 Columbia's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Columbia ranks 65th for headcount, 87th for median pay and 40th for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | 6,020 | $55,150 | 1.15 | 366 |
| Columbia | 5,630 | $51,280 | 1.08 | 308 |
| Greenville | 5,240 | $53,080 | 0.91 | 274 |
| Myrtle Beach | 1,960 | $46,360 | 1.01 | 122 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Columbia, 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, Columbia metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Trucking licensing in South Carolina.
South Carolina's intrastate minimum age is 18 and the Department states the test plainly: at least 18 to drive within South Carolina and at least 21 to drive outside it. Its K restriction is published as intrastate only for ages 18 to 20, and the Department spells out a limit employers routinely miss: the restriction allows only intrastate transportation of shipments or loads that start and end in this state, and the load cannot start or finish outside South Carolina, so the in-state leg of an interstate shipment is not permitted. Removal of K is not automatic on the birthday - the driver must visit an office once they turn 21 to upgrade. South Carolina also uses P1 for excepted interstate, meaning the driver is not subject to the federal medical certificate requirements, which is a code an out-of-state employer may not recognise, and V for a medical variance the Department will not remove while the certificate references one. No South Carolina state intrastate medical waiver programme is published. The same state rules apply in Greenville, Charleston and Myrtle Beach, so candidates licensed there can work in Columbia without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial trucking search in Columbia 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 Columbia than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Sign InstallerTwo decades in the sign trade - installation, fabrication and crew leadership in one person.
Nearby markets competing for Columbia talent.
The closest metro we cover is Augusta, about 65 miles away, with roughly 3,250 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.6 times Columbia's 5,630). Charlotte pays the most nearby, a $56,120 median, 9% above Columbia. That is the number any Columbia offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Charlotte has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | – | 5,630 | $51,280 |
| Augusta | 65 mi | 3,250 | $47,920 |
| Charlotte | 85 mi | 18,700 | $56,120 |
| Greenville | 97 mi | 5,240 | $53,080 |
| Charleston | 106 mi | 6,020 | $55,150 |
| Myrtle Beach | 125 mi | 1,960 | $46,360 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Columbia crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Columbia in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Carolina Crossroads ("Malfunction Junction")$2.7B (Aug 2026 estimate, up from a $1.7B pre-2024 baseline)Phase 3C starting 2026, running through the end of the decade
The largest road construction project in South Carolina history - widening I-20 and replacing bridges between Bush River Road and U.S. 378. Sustained heavy-civil demand for years.
- ōLiv Columbia apartment tower$225M ($232M in permits issued)Under construction
A 26-story tower - the tallest building erected in Columbia in a generation - combining student and non-student housing at 1421 Main Street.
- Nephron Pharmaceuticals expansion$215MAnnounced 2020, targeted Q1 2021 completion - historical, not an active current driver
380,000 sq ft of pharmaceutical manufacturing space - cleanroom-grade electrical and process-mechanical demand. No 2025-2026 phase-two announcement could be independently confirmed; kept as a historical example of the cleanroom-grade specialty this metro has delivered, not a current pipeline project.
These are the 3 projects we track in Columbia. The Columbia market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Columbia.
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 Columbia a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
For every light-truck driver BLS counts in Columbia there are 2.7 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers - 5,630 against 2,100, 16th 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 Columbia.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Columbia?
BLS puts the Columbia median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $51,280 a year, 13% below the $58,640 national median. That ranks 96th of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Experience carries a clear premium, $37,750 at the 10th percentile against $78,990 at the 90th - a 2.1x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. Within South Carolina, Charleston pays more, at $55,150.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Columbia?
It is about average. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are as common in Columbia as they are nationally (location quotient 1.08), with about 5,630 in the metro. The 308 general freight trucking companies here average about 8.5 employees per location. With 83% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Columbia?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Columbia, a $101,030 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Route / Delivery Supervisor at $62,860, 38% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $37,600. Relative to national pay, Logistics Coordinator is the strongest-paying role here (5% above). CDL-B Truck Driver trails national pay the most (16% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Columbia?
BLS counted 308 general freight trucking companies in Columbia in 2023, employing about 2,627 people between them. Up from 168 in 2018, an 83% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 8.5 people per location. They pay an average of $63,161, 4% below the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Columbia for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Augusta (65 miles, about 3,250, $47,920 median), Charlotte (85 miles, about 18,700, $56,120 median) and Greenville (97 miles, about 5,240, $53,080 median). Charlotte has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Charlotte pays 9% more, which is where Columbia employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
308 general freight trucking companies in Columbia are drawing on the same 5,630 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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