Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Louisville.
Louisville has 19% more heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, about 10,820 in the metro. BLS counts 436 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 Louisville.
BLS counts about 22,830 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Louisville metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 10,820). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.19). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Louisville: 10,820 employed · $59,000 median, 54th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Louisville: 6,340 employed · $47,150 median, 17th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Louisville: 1,060 employed · $51,950 median, 23rd-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Louisville: 1,050 employed · $98,040 median, 87th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Louisville: 1,550 employed · $71,120 median, 82nd-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Louisville: 1,480 employed · $61,310 median, 63rd-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Louisville: 1,310 employed · $49,480 median, 56th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Louisville: 3,680 employed · $71,880 median, 56th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Louisville: 4,190 employed · $60,440 median, 81st-highest of 112 metros
The roles behind most of our Louisville, KY searches in this trade: CDL-B Truck Driver and CDL-A Truck Driver.
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Louisville.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Louisville earn a median $59,000, level with the $58,640 national figure, and 54th of 112 metros. Pay runs $44,970 at the tenth percentile to $87,580 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, at $61,310 against $61,770 nationally.
| Role | Louisville median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $59,000 | $44,970–$87,580 | $58,640 | +1% | 10,820 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $47,150 | $28,330–$82,050 | $44,860 | +5% | 6,340 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $51,950 | $34,880–$72,390 | $50,340 | +3% | 1,060 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $98,040 | $59,030–$166,540 | $107,230 | −9% | 1,050 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $71,120 | $45,880–$124,800 | $80,730 | −12% | 1,550 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $61,310 | $43,680–$82,370 | $61,770 | −1% | 1,480 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $49,480 | $39,530–$75,310 | $52,260 | −5% | 1,310 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $71,880 | $45,760–$108,420 | $75,940 | −5% | 3,680 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $60,440 | $46,470–$87,270 | $62,890 | −4% | 4,190 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Louisville 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 Louisville's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Louisville rose from 340 in 2018 to 436 in 2023, up 28%, behind the 49% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went down 9%, to about 6,652 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $54,073 to $66,937 (+24%), in step with the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 340 | 436 | +28% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 7,325 | 6,652 | −9% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $54,073 | $66,937 | +24% |
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
Louisville runs 19% 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 Louisville's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Louisville ranks 37th for headcount, 50th for median pay and 27th for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Louisville, 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, Louisville metro. Employers are counted by business location.
We have not closed a commercial trucking search in Louisville 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 Louisville than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Journeyman HVAC Service TechnicianA technician who ran his own HVAC company for six years, bringing owner-level judgment to every service call.
Nearby markets competing for Louisville talent.
The closest metro we cover is Cincinnati, about 90 miles away, with roughly 13,820 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (1.3 times Louisville's 10,820). Indianapolis pays the most nearby, a $61,980 median, 5% above Louisville. That is the number any Louisville offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Indianapolis has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville | – | 10,820 | $59,000 |
| Cincinnati | 90 mi | 13,820 | $60,590 |
| Indianapolis | 107 mi | 20,480 | $61,980 |
| Dayton | 134 mi | 4,660 | $59,490 |
| Nashville | 155 mi | 18,860 | $60,630 |
| Knoxville | 188 mi | 8,130 | $59,100 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Louisville crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Louisville in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- UPS Worldport expansion and modernization$750M–$1.5BMulti-year, ongoing
Expansion of sort and cargo facilities, new and reconfigured cargo buildings, ramp and aircraft parking expansions, and automation upgrades to support higher nightly package throughput at the world's largest package-handling facility.
- SDF Next Program (Louisville airport)$1B by 2030$335M+ invested through 2024; $280M+ more through 2026
A comprehensive capital improvement program at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, running concurrently with and adjacent to UPS's own Worldport buildout.
- UPS 747-8 hangar$220MOpened 2024, ongoing related work
A 275,000 sq ft hangar that can house two Boeing 747-8 cargo jets side by side - large-span structural and specialized aviation-facility construction.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Louisville market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Louisville.
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 Louisville a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Louisville carries 10,820 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 6,340 light-truck drivers, 1.7 to one against a 1.8 median, 62nd 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.
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 Louisville.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Louisville?
BLS puts the Louisville median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $59,000 a year, about the same as the $58,640 national median. That ranks 54th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $44,970 and $87,580, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Louisville?
Not by national standards. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make up 19% more of the Louisville workforce than they do nationally, about 10,820 people. The 436 general freight trucking companies here average about 15 employees per location. With 28% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Louisville?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Louisville, a $98,040 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician at $61,310, 37% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $47,150. Relative to national pay, CDL-B Truck Driver is the strongest-paying role here (5% above). Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT) trails national pay the most (12% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Louisville?
BLS counted 436 general freight trucking companies in Louisville in 2023, employing about 6,652 people between them. Up from 340 in 2018, a 28% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 15 people per location. They pay about the national average of $65,587.
Which nearby metros compete with Louisville for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Cincinnati (90 miles, about 13,820, $60,590 median), Indianapolis (107 miles, about 20,480, $61,980 median) and Dayton (134 miles, about 4,660, $59,490 median). Indianapolis has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Indianapolis pays 5% more, which is where Louisville employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Louisville 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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