Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Little Rock.
Little Rock has 67% more heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, about 7,910 in the metro. BLS counts 244 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 Little Rock.
BLS counts about 13,090 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Little Rock metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 7,910). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.67). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Little Rock: 7,910 employed · $57,050 median, 73rd-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Little Rock: 2,710 employed · $37,080 median, 109th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Little Rock: 470 employed · $46,330 median, 91st-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Little Rock: 420 employed · $83,050 median, 111th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Little Rock: 1,200 employed · $60,790 median, 108th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Little Rock: 950 employed · $57,300 median, 99th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Little Rock: 360 employed · $48,290 median, 67th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Little Rock: 1,630 employed · $57,640 median, 111th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Little Rock: 1,520 employed · $54,260 median, 110th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Little Rock.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Little Rock earn a median $57,050, level with the $58,640 national figure, and 73rd of 112 metros. Pay runs $37,800 at the tenth percentile to $81,830 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, at $57,300 against $61,770 nationally.
| Role | Little Rock median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $57,050 | $37,800–$81,830 | $58,640 | −3% | 7,910 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $37,080 | $27,690–$62,710 | $44,860 | −17% | 2,710 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $46,330 | $31,200–$65,470 | $50,340 | −8% | 470 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $83,050 | $47,840–$135,200 | $107,230 | −23% | 420 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $60,790 | $42,300–$106,330 | $80,730 | −25% | 1,200 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $57,300 | $41,600–$71,470 | $61,770 | −7% | 950 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $48,290 | $35,690–$63,890 | $52,260 | −8% | 360 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $57,640 | $35,760–$99,990 | $75,940 | −24% | 1,630 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $54,260 | $37,710–$81,790 | $62,890 | −14% | 1,520 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Little Rock 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 Little Rock's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Little Rock rose from 178 in 2018 to 244 in 2023, up 37%, behind the 49% growth nationally.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 178 | 244 | +37% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | – | 5,143 | – |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | – | $64,356 | – |
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
Little Rock runs 67% 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 Little Rock's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Little Rock ranks 49th for headcount, 68th for median pay and 6th for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. That puts it among the deepest commercial trucking labor markets in the country.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Little Rock, 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, Little Rock metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Trucking licensing in Arkansas.
Arkansas sets the intrastate floor at 18: the Office of Driver Services states that a commercial learner's permit holder must be 18 or older, and the permit is the mandatory precursor to a Class A or Class B CDL, with 21 required for interstate operation and hazardous materials. Arkansas has no state intrastate medical waiver programme - its medical page describes only the federal Skill Performance Evaluation and FMCSA's diabetes, hearing, seizure and vision exemptions, and directs applicants to FMCSA. The intrastate-only code is K, applied when the driver self-certifies non-excepted or excepted intrastate, and V denotes a federal medical variance. Arkansas uses codes a national employer will not recognise, including 7 for a restricted CDL limited to diesel fuel and fertiliser and W for a seasonal farm service vehicle capped at 180 days in 12 months within 150 miles. A missed medical-card expiry puts the driver 'Not Certified' and a downgrade follows within 60 days.
Licensing authority: Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Driver Services. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Little Rock talent.
The closest metro we cover is Memphis, about 130 miles away, with roughly 19,460 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (2.5 times Little Rock's 7,910). Memphis pays the most nearby, a $63,070 median, 11% above Little Rock. That is the number any Little Rock offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Dallas-Fort Worth has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock | – | 7,910 | $57,050 |
| Memphis | 130 mi | 19,460 | $63,070 |
| Tulsa | 230 mi | 7,220 | $58,790 |
| St. Louis | 292 mi | 18,270 | $58,240 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 293 mi | 55,670 | $59,530 |
| Oklahoma City | 300 mi | 10,170 | $54,720 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Little Rock crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Little Rock in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- AVAIO Digital Leo Data Center Hub$6B initial (up to $21B full development)Construction begins Q1 2026; energized June 2027
760 acres in Pulaski County with 150MW contracted from Entergy Arkansas today and 1GW of future power demand planned - the largest economic development project in Arkansas history.
- Google data center$1BAwaiting wetlands/regulatory approval
A separate 300,000 sq ft data center on city-sold land - a second hyperscale project competing for the same specialized labor pool.
- Arkansas Children's Golisano Campus expansion$371MFirst phase opening May 2026
The largest expansion in Arkansas Children's 114-year history - a system-wide build-out with real healthcare-grade construction scope.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Little Rock market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Little Rock.
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 Little Rock a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
For every light-truck driver BLS counts in Little Rock there are 2.9 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers - 7,910 against 2,710, 11th 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 Little Rock.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Little Rock?
BLS puts the Little Rock median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $57,050 a year, about the same as the $58,640 national median. That ranks 73rd of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Experience carries a clear premium, $37,800 at the 10th percentile against $81,830 at the 90th - a 2.2x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Little Rock?
Not by national standards. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make up 67% more of the Little Rock workforce than they do nationally, about 7,910 people. The 244 general freight trucking companies here average about 21 employees per location. With 37% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Little Rock?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Little Rock, an $83,050 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician at $57,300, 31% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $37,080. Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT) trails national pay the most (25% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Little Rock?
BLS counted 244 general freight trucking companies in Little Rock in 2023, employing about 5,143 people between them. Up from 178 in 2018, a 37% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 21 people per location. They pay about the national average of $65,587.
Which nearby metros compete with Little Rock for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Memphis (130 miles, about 19,460, $63,070 median), Tulsa (230 miles, about 7,220, $58,790 median) and St. Louis (292 miles, about 18,270, $58,240 median). Memphis has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Memphis pays 11% more, which is where Little Rock employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Little Rock 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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