Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Madison.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are scarcer in Madison than in most of the country, 23% fewer per job, so the roughly 4,160 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 165 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 Madison.
BLS counts about 8,830 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Madison metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 4,160). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.77). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Madison: 4,160 employed · $59,700 median, 43rd-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Madison: 2,550 employed · $46,120 median, 26th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Madison: 340 employed · $50,020 median, 41st-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Madison: 580 employed · $100,340 median, 78th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Madison: 1,310 employed · $80,440 median, 37th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Madison: 840 employed · $63,850 median, 38th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Madison: 100 employed · $59,460 median, 18th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Madison: 2,810 employed · $76,660 median, 31st-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Madison: 1,280 employed · $64,420 median, 30th-highest of 112 metros
The roles behind most of our Madison, WI searches in this trade: CDL-A Truck Driver and CDL-B Truck Driver.
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Madison.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Madison earn a median $59,700, level with the $58,640 national figure, and 43rd of 112 metros. Pay runs $44,110 at the tenth percentile to $77,750 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, at $64,420 against $62,890 nationally.
| Role | Madison median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $59,700 | $44,110–$77,750 | $58,640 | +2% | 4,160 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $46,120 | $32,740–$93,260 | $44,860 | +3% | 2,550 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $50,020 | $35,950–$75,440 | $50,340 | −1% | 340 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $100,340 | $57,410–$183,250 | $107,230 | −6% | 580 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $80,440 | $59,350–$121,870 | $80,730 | 0% | 1,310 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $63,850 | $45,500–$81,160 | $61,770 | +3% | 840 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $59,460 | $31,830–$74,160 | $52,260 | +14% | 100 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $76,660 | $51,320–$106,440 | $75,940 | +1% | 2,810 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $64,420 | $43,720–$96,190 | $62,890 | +2% | 1,280 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Madison 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 Madison's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Madison rose from 141 in 2018 to 165 in 2023, up 17%, behind the 49% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 3%, to about 1,594 people. Average annual pay there went from $52,471 to $68,284 (+30%), faster than the 23% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 141 | 165 | +17% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 1,549 | 1,594 | +3% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $52,471 | $68,284 | +30% |
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
Madison runs 23% fewer commercial trucking workers per job than the country as a whole — below the national concentration. Fewer per job means the people you want are already working, and usually for someone who would rather keep 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 Madison's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Madison ranks 81st for headcount, 40th for median pay and 72nd for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 10,250 | $59,580 | 0.94 | 456 |
| Madison | 4,160 | $59,700 | 0.77 | 165 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Madison, the local pool is thin but growing. Expect a mix of local candidates and people recruited in from nearby metros, and budget for relocation on senior roles.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Madison metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Nearby markets competing for Madison talent.
The closest metro we cover is Milwaukee, about 75 miles away, with roughly 10,250 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (2.5 times Madison's 4,160). Minneapolis pays the most nearby, a $64,200 median, 8% above Madison. That is the number any Madison offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Chicago has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | – | 4,160 | $59,700 |
| Milwaukee | 76 mi | 10,250 | $59,580 |
| Chicago | 123 mi | 62,210 | $62,300 |
| Grand Rapids | 189 mi | 10,820 | $58,270 |
| Minneapolis | 233 mi | 20,430 | $64,200 |
| Des Moines | 238 mi | 7,840 | $60,720 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Madison crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Madison in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- UW Health University Hospital addition$177MConcluding late 2026
A six-story addition with 22 emergency department rooms, 22 flexible care beds, 48 inpatient rooms, and a dedicated trauma/life support center.
- UW Health East Madison Hospital addition$133MFinishing end of 2026
A one-story addition adding 6 operating rooms, 14 inpatient beds, and 60 post-surgery care spaces.
- Epic Systems sixth campus ("Other Worlds")$13.2M water/sewer + $20M road work reimbursements (public infrastructure support)First buildings occupied early 2026
A "Black Hole" parking structure with 2,000+ stalls, three new office buildings, a food services building, and a 5.5-acre underground parking ramp on part of Epic's ~1,700-acre Verona campus.
These are the 3 projects we track in Madison. The Madison market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Madison.
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 Madison a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Madison carries 4,160 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 2,550 light-truck drivers, 1.6 to one against a 1.8 median, 68th 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 Madison.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Madison?
BLS puts the Madison median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $59,700 a year, about the same as the $58,640 national median. That ranks 43rd of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $44,110 and $77,750, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Wisconsin metro we cover pays more for this work (Milwaukee: $59,580).
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Madison?
Yes. Madison has 23% fewer heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 4,160 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 165 general freight trucking companies here average about 9.7 employees per location. With 17% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Madison?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Madison, a $100,340 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Route / Delivery Supervisor at $64,420, 36% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $46,120. Relative to national pay, Logistics Coordinator is the strongest-paying role here (14% above). Fleet Manager trails national pay the most (6% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Madison?
BLS counted 165 general freight trucking companies in Madison in 2023, employing about 1,594 people between them. Up from 141 in 2018, a 17% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 9.7 people per location. They pay an average of $68,284, 4% above the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Madison for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Milwaukee (76 miles, about 10,250, $59,580 median), Chicago (123 miles, about 62,210, $62,300 median) and Grand Rapids (189 miles, about 10,820, $58,270 median). Milwaukee has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers this scarce in Madison, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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