Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Minneapolis.
Minneapolis has about 20,430 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 14th of the 112 we cover, and still 21% fewer per job than the country - so they are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 1,002 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 Minneapolis.
BLS counts about 42,410 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Minneapolis metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 20,430). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.79). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Minneapolis: 20,430 employed · $64,200 median, 5th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Minneapolis: 11,560 employed · $49,670 median, 5th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Minneapolis: 1,770 employed · $59,560 median, 2nd-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Minneapolis: 3,030 employed · $124,600 median, 14th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Minneapolis: 4,610 employed · $91,150 median, 15th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Minneapolis: 4,290 employed · $73,730 median, 14th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Minneapolis: 1,130 employed · $59,560 median, 17th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Minneapolis: 12,660 employed · $80,330 median, 16th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Minneapolis: 6,130 employed · $72,140 median, 6th-highest of 112 metros
The roles behind most of our Minneapolis, MN searches in this trade: CDL-B Truck Driver and CDL-A Truck Driver.
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Minneapolis.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Minneapolis earn a median $64,200, 9% over the $58,640 national figure, and 5th of 112 metros. Pay runs $48,080 at the tenth percentile to $83,410 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, at $73,730 against $61,770 nationally.
| Role | Minneapolis median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $64,200 | $48,080–$83,410 | $58,640 | +9% | 20,430 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $49,670 | $34,070–$90,340 | $44,860 | +11% | 11,560 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $59,560 | $41,000–$82,360 | $50,340 | +18% | 1,770 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $124,600 | $75,310–$206,760 | $107,230 | +16% | 3,030 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $91,150 | $57,710–$134,930 | $80,730 | +13% | 4,610 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $73,730 | $51,390–$94,110 | $61,770 | +19% | 4,290 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $59,560 | $47,440–$75,570 | $52,260 | +14% | 1,130 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $80,330 | $50,690–$129,850 | $75,940 | +6% | 12,660 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $72,140 | $50,160–$100,730 | $62,890 | +15% | 6,130 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Minneapolis 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 Minneapolis's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Minneapolis rose from 804 in 2018 to 1,002 in 2023, up 25%, behind the 49% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 8%, to about 12,536 people. Average annual pay there went from $56,874 to $70,982 (+25%), in step with the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 804 | 1,002 | +25% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 11,582 | 12,536 | +8% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $56,874 | $70,982 | +25% |
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
Minneapolis runs 21% 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 Minneapolis's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Minneapolis ranks 14th for headcount, 5th for median pay and 69th for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Pay here is among the highest we see, so offers need to start near the top of the range.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Minneapolis, the headline number is misleading. About 20,430 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers work here, one of the larger workforces we cover, but relative to the size of the local economy the trade is thinner than average, so every other employer is drawing on the same people. Expect to recruit people who are already employed, and to make the case for moving.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Minneapolis metro. Employers are counted by business location.
We have not closed a commercial trucking search in Minneapolis 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 Minneapolis than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Asphalt Sales RepresentativeA decade of B2B territory sales in heavy building materials and industrial software.
Nearby markets competing for Minneapolis talent.
The closest metro we cover is Madison, about 235 miles away, with roughly 4,160 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.2 times Minneapolis's 20,430). Minneapolis pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($64,200 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Omaha at $58,010. Minneapolis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis | – | 20,430 | $64,200 |
| Madison | 233 mi | 4,160 | $59,700 |
| Des Moines | 234 mi | 7,840 | $60,720 |
| Omaha | 291 mi | 10,210 | $58,010 |
| Milwaukee | 298 mi | 10,250 | $59,580 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Minneapolis crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Minneapolis in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Twin Cities data center corridor$3B+ regionalRolling
Cold-climate data center growth (free-cooling advantage). Mechanical PMs with cooling specialty and high-voltage electrical crews in demand.
- Downtown skyway & enclosed-corridor constructionNo supporting $800M figure found -- treat qualitatively, not as a sourced dollar totalRolling
Minneapolis and St. Paul run the largest enclosed skyway systems in the US. Specialty envelope, glazing, and climate-control MEP for extreme-cold enclosure.
- Medtronic campus & med-device facility expansionScale not independently verified regionally (Medtronic's $10B figure found in public sources is a national commitment, not Twin-Cities-specific)Rolling
Twin Cities is the med-device capital of the US. Cleanroom-grade mechanical, process piping, controlled-environment HVAC. Steady multi-year demand for cleanroom-experienced trades.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Minneapolis market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Minneapolis.
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 Minneapolis a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Minneapolis carries 20,430 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 11,560 light-truck drivers, 1.8 to one against a 1.8 median, 60th 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 Minneapolis.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Minneapolis?
BLS puts the Minneapolis median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $64,200 a year, 9% above the $58,640 national median. That ranks 5th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $48,080 and $83,410, a 1.7x 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 Minneapolis?
Yes. Minneapolis has 21% fewer heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 20,430 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 1,002 general freight trucking companies here average about 13 employees per location. With 25% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Minneapolis?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Minneapolis, a $124,600 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician at $73,730, 41% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $49,670. Relative to national pay, Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician is the strongest-paying role here (19% above).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Minneapolis?
BLS counted 1,002 general freight trucking companies in Minneapolis in 2023, employing about 12,536 people between them. Up from 804 in 2018, a 25% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 13 people per location. They pay an average of $70,982, 8% above the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Minneapolis for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Madison (233 miles, about 4,160, $59,700 median), Des Moines (234 miles, about 7,840, $60,720 median) and Omaha (291 miles, about 10,210, $58,010 median). Minneapolis out-pays Madison, Des Moines and Omaha, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Deep pool. Heavily fished.
Minneapolis has 20,430 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 14th of the 112 metros we cover, and still 21% fewer per job than the country. The pool is deep and every employer here is fishing it. Let's get to the ones worth moving first.
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