Commercial Trucking recruiters serving New York.
New York has about 65,100 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, more than any metro we cover, and still 48% fewer per job than the country - so they are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 4,782 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 New York.
BLS counts about 171,530 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the New York metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 65,100). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.52). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →New York: 65,100 employed · $65,040 median, 4th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →New York: 58,140 employed · $47,440 median, 16th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
New York: 11,590 employed · $58,180 median, 7th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
New York: 10,410 employed · $133,640 median, 7th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
New York: 23,380 employed · $101,050 median, 5th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
New York: 12,430 employed · $75,780 median, 9th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
New York: 7,820 employed · $60,590 median, 8th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
New York: 52,370 employed · $89,780 median, 6th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
New York: 35,860 employed · $71,510 median, 7th-highest of 112 metros
The roles behind most of our New York, NY searches in this trade: CDL-A Truck Driver and CDL-B Truck Driver.
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in New York.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in New York earn a median $65,040, 11% over the $58,640 national figure, and 4th of 112 metros. Pay runs $50,440 at the tenth percentile to $92,710 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, at $75,780 against $61,770 nationally.
| Role | New York median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $65,040 | $50,440–$92,710 | $58,640 | +11% | 65,100 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $47,440 | $36,150–$76,360 | $44,860 | +6% | 58,140 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $58,180 | $39,970–$100,160 | $50,340 | +16% | 11,590 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $133,640 | $88,330–$217,500 | $107,230 | +25% | 10,410 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $101,050 | $58,990–$160,670 | $80,730 | +25% | 23,380 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $75,780 | $51,240–$94,320 | $61,770 | +23% | 12,430 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $60,590 | $46,470–$85,810 | $52,260 | +16% | 7,820 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $89,780 | $58,140–$155,480 | $75,940 | +18% | 52,370 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $71,510 | $46,880–$104,370 | $62,890 | +14% | 35,860 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, New York 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 New York's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in New York rose from 3,787 in 2018 to 4,782 in 2023, up 26%, behind the 49% growth nationally.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 3,787 | 4,782 | +26% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | – | 37,358 | – |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | – | $64,482 | – |
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
New York runs 48% fewer commercial trucking workers per job than the country as a whole — well 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 New York's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, New York ranks 1st for headcount, 4th for median pay and 94th for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. That makes it one of the thinnest commercial trucking labor markets we recruit in.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 65,100 | $65,040 | 0.52 | 4,782 |
| Albany | 4,830 | $60,720 | 0.81 | 108 |
| Buffalo | 4,710 | $59,440 | 0.66 | 220 |
| Syracuse | 4,120 | $61,330 | 1.04 | 113 |
| Rochester | 4,020 | $58,920 | 0.61 | 182 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in New York, the headline number is misleading. About 65,100 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. Local employers have been shedding headcount, so the experienced people who remain are usually well placed and slow to move. 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, New York metro. Employers are counted by business location.
We have not closed a commercial trucking search in New York 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 New York than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- HVAC Service TechnicianTwo months to find a technician who could run commercial, public and industrial service calls alone - the seniority bar is what made it long.
- HVAC Service TechnicianFifteen years across VRV/VRF, rooftop units and controls integration.
- HVAC Service TechnicianA second seat for the same contractor, filled with a strong diagnostician earlier in his independent career.
Nearby markets competing for New York talent.
The closest metro we cover is Bridgeport, about 55 miles away, with roughly 3,000 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.0 times New York's 65,100). New York pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($65,040 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Scranton at $57,580. New York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | – | 65,100 | $65,040 |
| Bridgeport | 53 mi | 3,000 | $61,580 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 78 mi | 6,590 | $60,090 |
| Philadelphia | 81 mi | 32,220 | $59,370 |
| Scranton | 99 mi | 5,210 | $57,580 |
| Hartford | 100 mi | 5,830 | $59,890 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for New York crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into New York in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- JFK Airport Terminal 6 + Terminal 1 redevelopment$13-14B combinedThrough 2030
Massive MEP scope across both terminals. Airport-grade mechanical, electrical, baggage systems. Multi-year crew demand for senior trades.
- Penn Station / Moynihan area expansion$7B+Through 2032
Tunnel work, high-density commercial mechanical, public transit MEP.
- LaGuardia Airport rebuild$4-5.3BCompleted January 2025
Now complete - a historical example of the mechanical and finish trades capacity this metro delivers under a project labor agreement, not an active current driver.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The New York market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in New York.
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 New York a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
New York runs close to even: 65,100 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 58,140 light-truck drivers, 1.1 to one, 111th of 112 on that ratio.
The driving here is mostly last-mile and service, so a Class A search competes for a smaller resident pool than the total implies and often reaches outside 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 New York.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in New York?
BLS puts the New York median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $65,040 a year, 11% above the $58,640 national median. That ranks 4th of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $50,440 and $92,710, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other New York metro we cover pays more for this work.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in New York?
Yes. New York has 48% fewer heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 65,100 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 4,782 general freight trucking companies here average about 7.8 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 26% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in New York?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in New York, a $133,640 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician at $75,780, 43% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $47,440. Relative to national pay, Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT) is the strongest-paying role here (25% above).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in New York?
BLS counted 4,782 general freight trucking companies in New York in 2023, employing about 37,358 people between them. Up from 3,787 in 2018, a 26% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 7.8 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay about the national average of $65,587.
Which nearby metros compete with New York for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Bridgeport (53 miles, about 3,000, $61,580 median), Allentown-Bethlehem (78 miles, about 6,590, $60,090 median) and Philadelphia (81 miles, about 32,220, $59,370 median). New York out-pays Bridgeport, Allentown-Bethlehem and Philadelphia, an advantage when recruiting from there.
Deep pool. Heavily fished.
New York has 65,100 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 1st of the 112 metros we cover, and still 48% 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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