Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Milwaukee.
About 10,250 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers work in the Milwaukee metro, at a $59,580 median. BLS counts 456 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 Milwaukee.
BLS counts about 20,990 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Milwaukee metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 10,250). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.94). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Milwaukee: 10,250 employed · $59,580 median, 44th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Milwaukee: 6,350 employed · $45,790 median, 31st-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Milwaukee: 890 employed · $51,860 median, 25th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Milwaukee: 1,540 employed · $100,430 median, 77th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Milwaukee: 1,580 employed · $81,540 median, 33rd-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Milwaukee: 1,380 employed · $62,920 median, 45th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Milwaukee: 380 employed · $59,660 median, 15th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Milwaukee: 5,050 employed · $74,970 median, 44th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Milwaukee: 3,010 employed · $64,100 median, 33rd-highest of 112 metros
The roles behind most of our Milwaukee, WI searches in this trade: CDL-B Truck Driver and CDL-A Truck Driver.
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Milwaukee.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Milwaukee earn a median $59,580, level with the $58,640 national figure, and 44th of 112 metros. Pay runs $45,300 at the tenth percentile to $77,940 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, at $64,100 against $62,890 nationally.
| Role | Milwaukee median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $59,580 | $45,300–$77,940 | $58,640 | +2% | 10,250 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $45,790 | $32,470–$69,040 | $44,860 | +2% | 6,350 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $51,860 | $36,580–$75,220 | $50,340 | +3% | 890 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $100,430 | $62,850–$180,540 | $107,230 | −6% | 1,540 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $81,540 | $60,830–$131,940 | $80,730 | +1% | 1,580 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $62,920 | $46,710–$83,290 | $61,770 | +2% | 1,380 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $59,660 | $42,220–$72,940 | $52,260 | +14% | 380 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $74,970 | $48,630–$109,840 | $75,940 | −1% | 5,050 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $64,100 | $45,020–$95,360 | $62,890 | +2% | 3,010 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Milwaukee rose from 381 in 2018 to 456 in 2023, up 20%, behind the 49% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went down 12%, to about 5,046 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $54,571 to $63,588 (+17%), slower than the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 381 | 456 | +20% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 5,743 | 5,046 | −12% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $54,571 | $63,588 | +17% |
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
Milwaukee runs 6% 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 Milwaukee's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Milwaukee ranks 41st for headcount, 41st for median pay and 56th 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 Milwaukee, the pool is about the national norm for its size, and local employers have trimmed headcount. That usually means experienced people are available but cautious, so the stability of the job matters as much as the rate.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Milwaukee metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Nearby markets competing for Milwaukee talent.
The closest metro we cover is Madison, about 75 miles away, with roughly 4,160 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.4 times Milwaukee's 10,250). Chicago pays the most nearby, a $62,300 median, 5% above Milwaukee. That is the number any Milwaukee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | – | 10,250 | $59,580 |
| Madison | 76 mi | 4,160 | $59,700 |
| Chicago | 83 mi | 62,210 | $62,300 |
| Grand Rapids | 113 mi | 10,820 | $58,270 |
| Indianapolis | 243 mi | 20,480 | $61,980 |
| Detroit | 252 mi | 25,780 | $59,120 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Milwaukee crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Milwaukee in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Vantage Data Centers 'Lighthouse' campus (Port Washington, WI - ~30 min north of Milwaukee, not the Racine corridor; Meta's only WI data center is in Beaver Dam, ~60 mi away, also not the Racine corridor)$15BThrough 2028
A hyperscale campus in the broader Milwaukee metro (geographically north, not part of the Racine corridor with Foxconn and Microsoft) compounding regional demand for mission-critical mechanical and electrical talent.
- Foxconn Mount Pleasant expansion$569M (part of $1.2B total committed through 2029)Through 2029
Adds to Foxconn's Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park, creating 1,374 jobs over four years. Includes a Smart Manufacturing Center and a High-Performance Computing Data Center, with Mortenson selected as construction manager.
- Microsoft Racine County data center$3.3B Phase 1 (operational since April 2026); a $4B second phase and a proposed $13.3B expansion would bring total commitment toward $20B+Phase 1 complete; later phases proposed/announced, not yet built
One of the largest data-center investments in the Midwest, just south of Milwaukee. Massive mechanical and electrical scope for a facility of this scale.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Milwaukee market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Milwaukee.
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 Milwaukee a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Milwaukee carries 10,250 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 6,350 light-truck drivers, 1.6 to one against a 1.8 median, 70th 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 Milwaukee.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Milwaukee?
BLS puts the Milwaukee median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $59,580 a year, about the same as the $58,640 national median. That ranks 44th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $45,300 and $77,940, a 1.7x 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 (Madison: $59,700).
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Milwaukee?
It is about average. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are as common in Milwaukee as they are nationally (location quotient 0.94), with about 10,250 in the metro. The 456 general freight trucking companies here average about 11 employees per location. With 20% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Milwaukee?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Milwaukee, a $100,430 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Route / Delivery Supervisor at $64,100, 36% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $45,790. 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 Milwaukee?
BLS counted 456 general freight trucking companies in Milwaukee in 2023, employing about 5,046 people between them. Up from 381 in 2018, a 20% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 11 people per location. They pay an average of $63,588, 3% below the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Milwaukee for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Madison (76 miles, about 4,160, $59,700 median), Chicago (83 miles, about 62,210, $62,300 median) and Grand Rapids (113 miles, about 10,820, $58,270 median). Chicago has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
456 general freight trucking companies in Milwaukee are drawing on the same 10,250 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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