Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Kansas City.
Kansas City has 25% more heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, about 18,230 in the metro. BLS counts 662 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 Kansas City.
BLS counts about 34,370 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Kansas City metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 18,230). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.25). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Kansas City: 18,230 employed · $60,170 median, 35th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Kansas City: 8,020 employed · $45,290 median, 36th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Kansas City: 1,590 employed · $47,660 median, 78th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Kansas City: 1,300 employed · $108,270 median, 38th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Kansas City: 3,470 employed · $77,650 median, 53rd-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Kansas City: 2,890 employed · $62,570 median, 49th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Kansas City: 620 employed · $50,340 median, 43rd-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Kansas City: 6,950 employed · $75,190 median, 43rd-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Kansas City: 5,230 employed · $63,610 median, 36th-highest of 112 metros
The roles behind most of our Kansas City, MO searches in this trade: CDL-A Truck Driver and CDL-B Truck Driver.
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Kansas City.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Kansas City earn a median $60,170, level with the $58,640 national figure, and 35th of 112 metros. Pay runs $44,070 at the tenth percentile to $80,900 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, at $63,610 against $62,890 nationally.
| Role | Kansas City median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $60,170 | $44,070–$80,900 | $58,640 | +3% | 18,230 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $45,290 | $30,920–$92,480 | $44,860 | +1% | 8,020 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $47,660 | $36,800–$72,480 | $50,340 | −5% | 1,590 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $108,270 | $65,530–$176,290 | $107,230 | +1% | 1,300 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $77,650 | $47,980–$125,200 | $80,730 | −4% | 3,470 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $62,570 | $46,170–$86,650 | $61,770 | +1% | 2,890 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $50,340 | $39,660–$75,820 | $52,260 | −4% | 620 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $75,190 | $47,810–$119,070 | $75,940 | −1% | 6,950 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $63,610 | $46,240–$95,830 | $62,890 | +1% | 5,230 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Kansas City 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 Kansas City's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Kansas City rose from 468 in 2018 to 662 in 2023, up 41%, behind the 49% growth nationally. Their combined payroll headcount barely moved, at about 11,292. Average annual pay there went from $54,631 to $65,912 (+21%), in step with the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 468 | 662 | +41% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 11,188 | 11,292 | +1% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $54,631 | $65,912 | +21% |
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
Kansas City runs 25% more commercial trucking workers per job than the country as a whole — well 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 Kansas City's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Kansas City ranks 21st for headcount, 32nd for median pay and 24th for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | 18,270 | $58,240 | 1.03 | 896 |
| Kansas City | 18,230 | $60,170 | 1.25 | 662 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Kansas City, 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, Kansas City metro. Employers are counted by business location.
We have not closed a commercial trucking search in Kansas City 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 Kansas City than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial HVAC Service TechnicianA technician who has run his own HVAC business - customer instincts on top of the wrench work.
2 commercial trucking seats are open in Illinois right now.
Nothing is open for this trade in Kansas City this week. These are the live commercial trucking searches elsewhere in Illinois - commuting distance for some of them, a relocation conversation for the rest.
Every open role we are running →
Board last synced October 14, 2026. Roles move fast; /jobs/ is always the current list.
Nearby markets competing for Kansas City talent.
The closest metro we cover is Omaha, about 165 miles away, with roughly 10,210 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.6 times Kansas City's 18,230). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $57,930 in Wichita to $60,720 in Des Moines, against $60,170 here.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | – | 18,230 | $60,170 |
| Omaha | 165 mi | 10,210 | $58,010 |
| Wichita | 178 mi | 3,890 | $57,930 |
| Des Moines | 180 mi | 7,840 | $60,720 |
| Tulsa | 218 mi | 7,220 | $58,790 |
| St. Louis | 238 mi | 18,270 | $58,240 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Kansas City crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Kansas City in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Logistics and distribution corridorRolling private investment2025-2029
Kansas City's rail and interstate position keeps large-footprint distribution construction steady. Tilt-up, high-bay mechanical, and industrial electrical demand.
- De Soto data center campus$3.1BUnder construction
A hyperscale campus adjacent to the Panasonic plant off 103rd Street and Edgerton Road near K-10. Power-systems electricians, mission-critical mechanical, and controls technicians - the same profiles the battery plant needs, competing head to head.
- KC Streetcar and regional transit expansionFederal + local fundedPhased through 2028
Extension work through the urban core. Systems electrical, trackwork, and utility relocation in a live downtown - sequencing-heavy work that rewards experienced field leadership.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Kansas City market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Kansas City.
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 Kansas City a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Kansas City carries 18,230 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 8,020 light-truck drivers, 2.3 to one against a 1.8 median, 35th 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 Kansas City.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Kansas City?
BLS puts the Kansas City median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $60,170 a year, about the same as the $58,640 national median. That ranks 35th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $44,070 and $80,900, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Missouri metro we cover pays more for this work (St. Louis: $58,240).
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Kansas City?
Not by national standards. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make up 25% more of the Kansas City workforce than they do nationally, about 18,230 people. The 662 general freight trucking companies here average about 17 employees per location. With 41% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Kansas City?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Kansas City, a $108,270 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Route / Delivery Supervisor at $63,610, 41% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $45,290. Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator trails national pay the most (5% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Kansas City?
BLS counted 662 general freight trucking companies in Kansas City in 2023, employing about 11,292 people between them. Up from 468 in 2018, a 41% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 17 people per location. They pay about the national average of $65,587.
Which nearby metros compete with Kansas City for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Omaha (165 miles, about 10,210, $58,010 median), Wichita (178 miles, about 3,890, $57,930 median) and Des Moines (180 miles, about 7,840, $60,720 median).
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Kansas City 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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