Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Lakeland.
Lakeland has 122% more heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, about 7,820 in the metro. BLS counts 412 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 Lakeland.
BLS counts about 12,880 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Lakeland metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 7,820). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 2.22). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Lakeland: 7,820 employed · $57,090 median, 72nd-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Lakeland: 2,650 employed · $46,010 median, 27th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Lakeland: 420 employed · $45,790 median, 95th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Lakeland: 450 employed · $99,980 median, 82nd-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Lakeland: 430 employed · $63,290 median, 102nd-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Lakeland: 790 employed · $59,780 median, 84th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Lakeland: 130 employed
Driver Recruiter
Lakeland: 1,370 employed · $62,970 median, 101st-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Lakeland: 1,620 employed · $62,130 median, 59th-highest of 112 metros
The roles behind most of our Lakeland, FL searches in this trade: CDL-B Truck Driver and CDL-A Truck Driver.
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Lakeland.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Lakeland earn a median $57,090, level with the $58,640 national figure, and 72nd of 112 metros. Pay runs $39,560 at the tenth percentile to $80,990 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, at $62,130 against $62,890 nationally. BLS withholds Lakeland pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Lakeland median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $57,090 | $39,560–$80,990 | $58,640 | −3% | 7,820 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $46,010 | $29,540–$73,060 | $44,860 | +3% | 2,650 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $45,790 | $35,360–$74,510 | $50,340 | −9% | 420 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $99,980 | $61,240–$172,190 | $107,230 | −7% | 450 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $63,290 | $43,610–$109,830 | $80,730 | −22% | 430 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $59,780 | $42,530–$77,110 | $61,770 | −3% | 790 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | – | – | $52,260 | – | 130 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $62,970 | $43,260–$105,570 | $75,940 | −17% | 1,370 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $62,130 | $45,840–$84,990 | $62,890 | −1% | 1,620 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Lakeland 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 Lakeland's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Lakeland rose from 202 in 2018 to 412 in 2023, up 104%, ahead of the 49% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 77%, to about 3,855 people. Average annual pay there went from $51,369 to $62,537 (+22%), in step with the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 202 | 412 | +104% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 2,181 | 3,855 | +77% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $51,369 | $62,537 | +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
Lakeland runs 122% 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 Lakeland's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Lakeland ranks 52nd for headcount, 67th for median pay and 3rd for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. That puts it among the deepest commercial trucking labor markets in the country.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 29,060 | $51,580 | 0.78 | 2,275 |
| Tampa | 15,840 | $50,560 | 0.83 | 1,086 |
| Orlando | 15,420 | $50,250 | 0.82 | 1,342 |
| Jacksonville | 13,100 | $55,630 | 1.29 | 765 |
| Lakeland | 7,820 | $57,090 | 2.22 | 412 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | 3,050 | $48,950 | 0.76 | 199 |
| North Port-Sarasota | 2,930 | $50,890 | 0.65 | 208 |
| Port St. Lucie | 2,060 | $48,590 | 0.91 | 146 |
| Deltona-Daytona | 1,910 | $47,660 | 0.66 | 183 |
| Pensacola | 1,710 | $47,950 | 0.68 | 108 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne | 1,690 | $48,460 | 0.52 | 117 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Lakeland, the pool is deep and still growing, so the constraint is competition rather than supply. Move fast on good candidates, because another local firm is probably talking to them too.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Lakeland metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Nearby markets competing for Lakeland talent.
The closest metro we cover is Tampa, about 30 miles away, with roughly 15,840 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (2.0 times Lakeland's 7,820). Lakeland pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($57,090 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Deltona-Daytona at $47,660. Tampa has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland | – | 7,820 | $57,090 |
| Tampa | 32 mi | 15,840 | $50,560 |
| Orlando | 49 mi | 15,420 | $50,250 |
| North Port-Sarasota | 71 mi | 2,930 | $50,890 |
| Deltona-Daytona | 73 mi | 1,910 | $47,660 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne | 83 mi | 1,690 | $48,460 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Lakeland crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Lakeland in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- MDH Partners industrial portfolio$67.7M purchaseImprovements underway
An Atlanta-based commercial real estate firm's acquisition and planned upgrade of a Lakeland industrial portfolio, reflecting sustained logistics/warehouse demand along the I-4 corridor.
- AdventHealth Winter Haven hospitalUndisclosedPlanned
A four-story, 192-bed hospital with a dedicated emergency department, medical offices, and ancillary facilities.
- Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands HospitalUndisclosedOpened July 8, 2026
Lakeland's first new hospital in a century - a 7-story, 306-bed facility with inpatient care, ICU/progressive care, an emergency department, and 13 ORs now receiving patients; labor/delivery and NICU beds expected to open in the coming months, plus two new Watson Clinic locations on the same site.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Lakeland market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Lakeland.
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 Lakeland a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
For every light-truck driver BLS counts in Lakeland there are 3.0 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers - 7,820 against 2,650, 10th 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 Lakeland.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Lakeland?
BLS puts the Lakeland median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $57,090 a year, about the same as the $58,640 national median. That ranks 72nd of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $39,560 and $80,990, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Florida metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Lakeland?
Not by national standards. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make up 122% more of the Lakeland workforce than they do nationally, about 7,820 people. The 412 general freight trucking companies here average about 9.4 employees per location. With 104% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Lakeland?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Lakeland, a $99,980 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Route / Delivery Supervisor at $62,130, 38% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $46,010. Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT) trails national pay the most (22% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Lakeland?
BLS counted 412 general freight trucking companies in Lakeland in 2023, employing about 3,855 people between them. Up from 202 in 2018, a 104% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 9.4 people per location. They pay an average of $62,537, 5% below the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Lakeland for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Tampa (32 miles, about 15,840, $50,560 median), Orlando (49 miles, about 15,420, $50,250 median) and North Port-Sarasota (71 miles, about 2,930, $50,890 median). Tampa has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Lakeland out-pays Tampa, Orlando and North Port-Sarasota, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Lakeland 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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