Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Detroit.
About 25,780 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers work in the Detroit metro, at a $59,120 median. BLS counts 2,427 business locations of general freight trucking companies across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in Detroit.
BLS counts about 48,330 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Detroit metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 25,780). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 1.02). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Detroit: 25,780 employed · $59,120 median, 51st-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Detroit: 11,530 employed · $44,200 median, 46th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Detroit: 2,310 employed · $50,600 median, 34th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Detroit: 3,660 employed · $101,860 median, 65th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Detroit: 5,180 employed · $81,250 median, 34th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Detroit: 3,820 employed · $63,360 median, 42nd-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Detroit: 1,360 employed · $47,260 median, 73rd-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Detroit: 11,480 employed · $75,830 median, 38th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Detroit: 7,200 employed · $61,670 median, 65th-highest of 112 metros
The roles behind most of our Detroit, MI searches in this trade: CDL-A Truck Driver and CDL-B Truck Driver.
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Detroit.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Detroit earn a median $59,120, level with the $58,640 national figure, and 51st of 112 metros. Pay runs $41,960 at the tenth percentile to $76,660 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, at $63,360 against $61,770 nationally.
| Role | Detroit median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $59,120 | $41,960–$76,660 | $58,640 | +1% | 25,780 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $44,200 | $29,750–$82,800 | $44,860 | −1% | 11,530 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $50,600 | $36,420–$81,820 | $50,340 | +1% | 2,310 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $101,860 | $66,240–$170,570 | $107,230 | −5% | 3,660 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $81,250 | $49,090–$122,830 | $80,730 | +1% | 5,180 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $63,360 | $46,840–$88,810 | $61,770 | +3% | 3,820 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $47,260 | $39,950–$71,950 | $52,260 | −10% | 1,360 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $75,830 | $48,180–$124,030 | $75,940 | 0% | 11,480 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $61,670 | $44,690–$93,670 | $62,890 | −2% | 7,200 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Detroit 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 Detroit's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Detroit rose from 1,437 in 2018 to 2,427 in 2023, up 69%, ahead of the 49% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 19%, to about 18,446 people. Average annual pay there went from $56,950 to $65,666 (+15%), slower than the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 1,437 | 2,427 | +69% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 15,443 | 18,446 | +19% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $56,950 | $65,666 | +15% |
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
Detroit 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 Detroit's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Detroit ranks 11th for headcount, 47th for median pay and 48th for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 25,780 | $59,120 | 1.02 | 2,427 |
| Grand Rapids | 10,820 | $58,270 | 1.36 | 393 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Detroit, the pool is about the national norm for its size and local employers are adding people, so expect competing offers on experienced candidates and keep the process short.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Detroit metro. Employers are counted by business location.
2 commercial trucking seats are open in Michigan right now.
Nothing is open for this trade in Detroit this week. These are the live commercial trucking searches elsewhere in Michigan - commuting distance for some of them, a relocation conversation for the rest.
Every open role we are running →
Board last synced October 9, 2026. Roles move fast; /jobs/ is always the current list.
Nearby markets competing for Detroit talent.
The closest metro we cover is Cleveland, about 90 miles away, with roughly 11,970 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.5 times Detroit's 25,780). Columbus pays the most nearby, a $61,720 median, 4% above Detroit. That is the number any Detroit offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Detroit 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | – | 25,780 | $59,120 |
| Cleveland | 90 mi | 11,970 | $58,970 |
| Akron | 117 mi | 4,740 | $60,210 |
| Grand Rapids | 140 mi | 10,820 | $58,270 |
| Columbus | 164 mi | 16,110 | $61,720 |
| Dayton | 187 mi | 4,660 | $59,490 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Detroit crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Detroit in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) modernizationScale not independently verifiedPhased
Terminal and airfield upgrades are real and ongoing, but no current $1B+ DTW capital plan was found in public sources - recent confirmed figures are much smaller (e.g., a ~$38M terminal renovation). Treat as a smaller, phased program rather than a billion-dollar pipeline.
- Gordie Howe International Bridge (Detroit–Windsor)$4.4BOpened July 2026
Largest binational infrastructure project in North America, now complete - historical example of the heavy civil, structural, high-mast electrical, and toll/plaza MEP capacity this metro can deliver, not an active current driver.
- Ford Michigan Central Station district$950M+Ongoing
Restored rail depot now an innovation/mobility campus. Adaptive-reuse and new-build commercial construction with high-spec finishes and advanced systems.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Detroit market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Detroit.
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 Detroit a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Detroit carries 25,780 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 11,530 light-truck drivers, 2.2 to one against a 1.8 median, 37th 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 Detroit.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Detroit?
BLS puts the Detroit median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $59,120 a year, about the same as the $58,640 national median. That ranks 51st of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $41,960 and $76,660, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Michigan metro we cover pays more for this work (Grand Rapids: $58,270).
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Detroit?
It is about average. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are as common in Detroit as they are nationally (location quotient 1.02), with about 25,780 in the metro. The 2,427 general freight trucking companies here average about 7.6 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 69% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Detroit?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Detroit, a $101,860 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician at $63,360, 38% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $44,200. Logistics Coordinator trails national pay the most (10% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Detroit?
BLS counted 2,427 general freight trucking companies in Detroit in 2023, employing about 18,446 people between them. Up from 1,437 in 2018, a 69% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 7.6 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay about the national average of $65,587.
Which nearby metros compete with Detroit for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Cleveland (90 miles, about 11,970, $58,970 median), Akron (117 miles, about 4,740, $60,210 median) and Grand Rapids (140 miles, about 10,820, $58,270 median).
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
2,427 general freight trucking companies in Detroit are drawing on the same 25,780 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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