Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Palm Bay-Melbourne.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are scarcer in Palm Bay-Melbourne than in most of the country, 48% fewer per job, so the roughly 1,690 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 117 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne.
BLS counts about 3,810 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Palm Bay-Melbourne metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 1,690). 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 →Palm Bay-Melbourne: 1,690 employed · $48,460 median, 107th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Palm Bay-Melbourne: 1,320 employed · $40,520 median, 93rd-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Palm Bay-Melbourne: 210 employed · $45,140 median, 99th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Palm Bay-Melbourne: 270 employed · $111,590 median, 29th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Palm Bay-Melbourne: 630 employed · $84,230 median, 24th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Palm Bay-Melbourne: 250 employed · $56,990 median, 104th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Palm Bay-Melbourne: 100 employed · $49,560 median, 54th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Palm Bay-Melbourne: 1,500 employed · $62,700 median, 103rd-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Palm Bay-Melbourne: 550 employed · $57,290 median, 106th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Palm Bay-Melbourne.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Palm Bay-Melbourne earn a median $48,460, 17% under the $58,640 national figure, and 107th of 112 metros. Pay runs $28,000 at the tenth percentile to $69,060 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, at $57,290 against $62,890 nationally.
| Role | Palm Bay-Melbourne median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $48,460 | $28,000–$69,060 | $58,640 | −17% | 1,690 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $40,520 | $29,290–$64,660 | $44,860 | −10% | 1,320 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $45,140 | $34,510–$74,480 | $50,340 | −10% | 210 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $111,590 | $47,570–$212,320 | $107,230 | +4% | 270 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $84,230 | $48,010–$138,010 | $80,730 | +4% | 630 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $56,990 | $42,710–$76,280 | $61,770 | −8% | 250 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $49,560 | $34,190–$82,880 | $52,260 | −5% | 100 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $62,700 | $46,190–$126,740 | $75,940 | −17% | 1,500 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $57,290 | $40,520–$85,950 | $62,890 | −9% | 550 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Palm Bay-Melbourne 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Palm Bay-Melbourne rose from 76 in 2018 to 117 in 2023, up 54%, ahead of the 49% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 37%, to about 354 people. Average annual pay there went from $37,685 to $57,990 (+54%), 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 | 76 | 117 | +54% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 259 | 354 | +37% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $37,685 | $57,990 | +54% |
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
Palm Bay-Melbourne 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Palm Bay-Melbourne ranks 100th for headcount, 95th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 29,060 | $51,580 | 0.78 | 2,275 |
| Tampa | 15,840 | $50,560 | 0.83 | 1,086 |
| Orlando | 15,420 | $50,250 | 0.82 | 1,342 |
| Jacksonville | 13,100 | $55,630 | 1.29 | 765 |
| Lakeland | 7,820 | $57,090 | 2.22 | 412 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | 3,050 | $48,950 | 0.76 | 199 |
| North Port-Sarasota | 2,930 | $50,890 | 0.65 | 208 |
| Port St. Lucie | 2,060 | $48,590 | 0.91 | 146 |
| Deltona-Daytona | 1,910 | $47,660 | 0.66 | 183 |
| Pensacola | 1,710 | $47,950 | 0.68 | 108 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne | 1,690 | $48,460 | 0.52 | 117 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Palm Bay-Melbourne, the local pool is thin and local employers have been cutting headcount. Senior hires often come from outside the metro or from adjacent trades, so start searches earlier than you would elsewhere.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Palm Bay-Melbourne metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Trucking licensing in Florida.
Florida's floor is 18, and a driver under 21 is restricted to intrastate operation only; F.S. 316.302(4) separately bars anyone under 18 from operating a commercial motor vehicle at all. Florida's intrastate medical relief is statutory rather than a waiver programme: F.S. 316.302(2)(i) exempts a driver who operates only intrastate from the federal vision standard at 391.41(b)(10) where the driver has had no convictions under s. 322.61 - Florida's CDL disqualification section for specified serious and major offences - in the two years before applying, is otherwise qualified under 49 CFR part 391, and carries a physical examination form dated within the past 24 months; ordinary moving violations not reached by s. 322.61 do not defeat eligibility. Florida also runs its own intrastate hours of service for non-placarded loads: no driving beyond 12 hours after 10 consecutive hours off, none after the 16th hour, and none after 70 hours in 7 consecutive days or 80 in 8 for a carrier operating every day, reset by 34 consecutive hours off - so a Florida intrastate log is not a federal 11-and-14 log. Florida adopts 49 CFR parts 382-386 and 390-397 for intrastate carriers as they existed on December 31, 2023. The same state rules apply in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, North Port-Sarasota, Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Lakeland, Deltona-Daytona, Port St. Lucie and Pensacola, so candidates licensed there can work in Palm Bay-Melbourne without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Palm Bay-Melbourne talent.
The closest metro we cover is Port St. Lucie, about 55 miles away, with roughly 2,060 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (1.2 times Palm Bay-Melbourne's 1,690). Lakeland pays the most nearby, a $57,090 median, 18% above Palm Bay-Melbourne. That is the number any Palm Bay-Melbourne offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Tampa has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Bay-Melbourne | – | 1,690 | $48,460 |
| Port St. Lucie | 53 mi | 2,060 | $48,590 |
| Orlando | 59 mi | 15,420 | $50,250 |
| Deltona-Daytona | 73 mi | 1,910 | $47,660 |
| Lakeland | 83 mi | 7,820 | $57,090 |
| Tampa | 114 mi | 15,840 | $50,560 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Palm Bay-Melbourne crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Palm Bay-Melbourne in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Blue Origin "Project Horizon" expansion$600MUnder construction
An 830,000 sq ft manufacturing facility on Blue Origin's Merritt Island campus dedicated to producing the New Glenn rocket's upper stage - about 500 new aerospace jobs averaging $98,000+.
- Project Hinton (confidential Cape Canaveral aerospace)$1.8BUnder development
600 high-paying jobs tied to a confidential aerospace capital improvement program at Cape Canaveral.
- Health First Palm Bay Hospital expansion$200MConstruction starting summer 2026
A 5-floor patient tower addition - healthcare-grade MEP work at real scale.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Palm Bay-Melbourne market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Palm Bay-Melbourne.
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 Palm Bay-Melbourne a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Palm Bay-Melbourne runs close to even: 1,690 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 1,320 light-truck drivers, 1.3 to one, 96th 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Palm Bay-Melbourne?
BLS puts the Palm Bay-Melbourne median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $48,460 a year, 17% below the $58,640 national median. That ranks 107th of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. The range is unusually wide: $28,000 at the bottom tenth against $69,060 at the top tenth, a 2.5x gap. Senior people here are priced far above the median. Within Florida, Lakeland pays more, at $57,090.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Palm Bay-Melbourne?
Yes. Palm Bay-Melbourne has 48% fewer heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 1,690 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 117 general freight trucking companies here average about 3.0 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 54% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Palm Bay-Melbourne?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Palm Bay-Melbourne, a $111,590 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Route / Delivery Supervisor at $57,290, 49% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $40,520. Relative to national pay, Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT) is the strongest-paying role here (4% above). Driver Recruiter trails national pay the most (17% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Palm Bay-Melbourne?
BLS counted 117 general freight trucking companies in Palm Bay-Melbourne in 2023, employing about 354 people between them. Up from 76 in 2018, a 54% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 3.0 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $57,990, 12% below the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Palm Bay-Melbourne for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Port St. Lucie (53 miles, about 2,060, $48,590 median), Orlando (59 miles, about 15,420, $50,250 median) and Deltona-Daytona (73 miles, about 1,910, $47,660 median). Orlando 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 Palm Bay-Melbourne, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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