Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Memphis.
Memphis has 140% more heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, about 19,460 in the metro. BLS counts 595 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 Memphis.
BLS counts about 34,360 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Memphis metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 19,460). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 2.40). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Memphis: 19,460 employed · $63,070 median, 11th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Memphis: 8,190 employed · $48,350 median, 10th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Memphis: 1,070 employed · $53,080 median, 17th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Memphis: 1,570 employed · $106,170 median, 45th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Memphis: 1,300 employed · $72,010 median, 78th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Memphis: 1,240 employed · $61,360 median, 61st-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Memphis: 1,670 employed · $55,930 median, 32nd-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Memphis: 3,650 employed · $69,150 median, 71st-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Memphis: 5,470 employed · $62,350 median, 52nd-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Memphis.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Memphis earn a median $63,070, 8% over the $58,640 national figure, and 11th of 112 metros. Pay runs $44,200 at the tenth percentile to $96,150 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, at $62,350 against $62,890 nationally.
| Role | Memphis median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $63,070 | $44,200–$96,150 | $58,640 | +8% | 19,460 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $48,350 | $35,360–$93,470 | $44,860 | +8% | 8,190 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $53,080 | $35,980–$77,950 | $50,340 | +5% | 1,070 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $106,170 | $62,680–$179,940 | $107,230 | −1% | 1,570 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $72,010 | $45,390–$113,420 | $80,730 | −11% | 1,300 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $61,360 | $46,070–$96,110 | $61,770 | −1% | 1,240 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $55,930 | $46,790–$95,220 | $52,260 | +7% | 1,670 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $69,150 | $45,640–$109,780 | $75,940 | −9% | 3,650 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $62,350 | $47,000–$98,140 | $62,890 | −1% | 5,470 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Memphis 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 Memphis's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Memphis rose from 380 in 2018 to 595 in 2023, up 57%, ahead of the 49% national rise. Headcount at those firms went down 5%, to about 12,246 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $55,876 to $67,726 (+21%), in step with the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 380 | 595 | +57% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 12,921 | 12,246 | −5% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $55,876 | $67,726 | +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
Memphis runs 140% 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 Memphis's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Memphis ranks 17th for headcount, 10th for median pay and 2nd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | 19,460 | $63,070 | 2.40 | 595 |
| Nashville | 18,860 | $60,630 | 1.29 | 658 |
| Knoxville | 8,130 | $59,100 | 1.44 | 230 |
| Chattanooga | 4,370 | $57,440 | 1.23 | 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 Memphis, the pool is deep but local employers have been cutting headcount. Experienced people are here, and some will be open to a move, so a clear offer and a defined path up usually beat a higher posted rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Memphis metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Trucking licensing in Tennessee.
Tennessee's minimum age for any CDL class is 18, and applicants under 21 are restricted to operating only within Tennessee. Self-certification is on Form SF1480, and an intrastate driver still needs medical certification; a driver hauling both intrastate and interstate must certify interstate. No Tennessee state intrastate medical waiver programme appears on the Department's CDL pages - Tennessee states that variances are renewed with FMCSA rather than with the state, so do not expect a Tennessee-issued waiver to exist. Tennessee has one state-specific restricted licence an employer will see on a contractor's driver: the Code 24 restricted CDL, published as CDL Farm Vehicles - Intrastate (Only), valid only for farm-related Class B and Class C service vehicles and not a Class A vehicle, limited to driving within 150 miles of the employer's place of business or the farm served, never outside Tennessee, and holdable for no more than 180 consecutive days in a 12-month calendar period, with an accompanying letter the driver must keep with the licence. The same state rules apply in Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga, so candidates licensed there can work in Memphis without re-qualifying. The Memphis metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Driver Services. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Memphis talent.
The closest metro we cover is Little Rock, about 130 miles away, with roughly 7,910 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.4 times Memphis's 19,460). Memphis pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($63,070 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Birmingham at $54,460. Memphis is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | – | 19,460 | $63,070 |
| Little Rock | 130 mi | 7,910 | $57,050 |
| Nashville | 196 mi | 18,860 | $60,630 |
| Huntsville | 198 mi | 2,570 | $56,690 |
| Birmingham | 217 mi | 9,170 | $54,460 |
| St. Louis | 240 mi | 18,270 | $58,240 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Memphis crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Memphis in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- FedEx "Hercules" sorting facility$400MGroundwork permit filed Aug 2026
A 5-story, 1.6M sq ft automated small-package sorting facility at Memphis International Airport, connected by an elevated bridge to FedEx's recently completed Secondary 25 sorting center. First-phase groundwork includes site demolition, drainage, underground utilities, paving, and foundation work.
- FedEx Memphis World Hub overhaul~$1BMulti-year, phased
FedEx's broader modernization of its Memphis air-cargo hub, the largest in the world. Sustained materials-handling electrical, structural, and industrial mechanical demand across multiple concurrent projects.
- FedEx International Priority Freight Shipment Facility expansion$18.1M3-phase, completing summer 2028
A ~500,000 sq ft commercial addition to an existing freight canopy at the World Hub - smaller in scale than Hercules but adds to the steady drumbeat of FedEx-driven construction demand in this market.
These are the 3 projects we track in Memphis. The Memphis market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Memphis.
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 Memphis a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Memphis carries 19,460 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 8,190 light-truck drivers, 2.4 to one against a 1.8 median, 31st of 112 on that ratio.
Concentration says more than the split: a 2.40 location quotient, 140% more heavy-truck drivers per job than the country, so the depth is there whichever way the mix reads.
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 Memphis.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Memphis?
BLS puts the Memphis median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $63,070 a year, 8% above the $58,640 national median. That ranks 11th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Experience carries a clear premium, $44,200 at the 10th percentile against $96,150 at the 90th - a 2.2x gap - so an offer at the median mostly reaches newer workers. No other Tennessee metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Memphis?
Not by national standards. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make up 140% more of the Memphis workforce than they do nationally, about 19,460 people. The 595 general freight trucking companies here average about 21 employees per location. With 57% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Memphis?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Memphis, a $106,170 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is CDL-A Truck Driver at $63,070, 41% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $48,350. Relative to national pay, CDL-B Truck Driver is the strongest-paying role here (8% above). Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT) trails national pay the most (11% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Memphis?
BLS counted 595 general freight trucking companies in Memphis in 2023, employing about 12,246 people between them. Up from 380 in 2018, a 57% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 21 people per location. They pay an average of $67,726, 3% above the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Memphis for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Little Rock (130 miles, about 7,910, $57,050 median), Nashville (196 miles, about 18,860, $60,630 median) and Huntsville (198 miles, about 2,570, $56,690 median). Memphis out-pays Little Rock and Huntsville, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Memphis 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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