Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Phoenix.
About 30,480 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers work in the Phoenix metro, at a $59,770 median. BLS counts 1,175 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 Phoenix.
BLS counts about 56,330 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Phoenix metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 30,480). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 0.97). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Phoenix: 30,480 employed · $59,770 median, 42nd-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Phoenix: 13,820 employed · $45,790 median, 31st-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Phoenix: 4,200 employed · $48,280 median, 71st-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Phoenix: 2,610 employed · $99,710 median, 83rd-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Phoenix: 7,980 employed · $74,240 median, 68th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Phoenix: 3,550 employed · $63,330 median, 43rd-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Phoenix: 1,470 employed · $50,240 median, 46th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Phoenix: 15,430 employed · $74,640 median, 45th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Phoenix: 8,480 employed · $64,990 median, 26th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Phoenix.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Phoenix earn a median $59,770, level with the $58,640 national figure, and 42nd of 112 metros. Pay runs $43,500 at the tenth percentile to $76,550 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, at $64,990 against $62,890 nationally.
| Role | Phoenix median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $59,770 | $43,500–$76,550 | $58,640 | +2% | 30,480 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $45,790 | $35,400–$93,650 | $44,860 | +2% | 13,820 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $48,280 | $38,020–$69,220 | $50,340 | −4% | 4,200 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $99,710 | $70,200–$169,020 | $107,230 | −7% | 2,610 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $74,240 | $47,920–$129,570 | $80,730 | −8% | 7,980 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $63,330 | $48,150–$86,000 | $61,770 | +3% | 3,550 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $50,240 | $36,980–$70,650 | $52,260 | −4% | 1,470 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $74,640 | $48,510–$116,000 | $75,940 | −2% | 15,430 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $64,990 | $44,480–$91,320 | $62,890 | +3% | 8,480 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Phoenix 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 Phoenix's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Phoenix rose from 573 in 2018 to 1,175 in 2023, up 105%, ahead of the 49% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 6%, to about 13,420 people. Average annual pay there went from $54,214 to $66,022 (+22%), in step with the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 573 | 1,175 | +105% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 12,708 | 13,420 | +6% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $54,214 | $66,022 | +22% |
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
Phoenix sits at about the national rate for commercial trucking — neither unusually deep nor unusually thin.
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 Phoenix's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Phoenix ranks 9th for headcount, 39th for median pay and 51st for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | 30,480 | $59,770 | 0.97 | 1,175 |
| Tucson | 3,820 | $56,640 | 0.74 | 159 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Phoenix, 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, Phoenix metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Trucking licensing in Arizona.
Arizona's intrastate floor is 18 and the interstate floor is 21: A.R.S. 28-3153(A)(3) provides that the Division may issue a Class A, B or C licence restricted to intrastate driving only to a person who is at least 18. Arizona runs one of the clearest intrastate medical waivers in the country - A.A.C. R17-5-208, Intrastate Medical Waiver; Alternative Physical Qualification Standards - which lets a driver who cannot meet 49 CFR 391.41(b)(1), (b)(2), (b)(3) or (b)(10) operate intrastate if the Director grants it, covering loss of limb, limb impairment, insulin-treated diabetes and vision including monocular vision at 20/40 with a 70-degree and 35-degree field. A waiver runs no more than two years, and R17-5-204(B) requires a copy in the driver's qualification file, so ask for it and diary the expiry. One Arizona-specific trap: R17-5-202 subjects an intrastate tow truck operator to the federal physical-qualification rules even at 26,000 pounds GVWR or less. The same state rules apply in Tucson, so candidates licensed there can work in Phoenix without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Phoenix talent.
The closest metro we cover is Tucson, about 110 miles away, with roughly 3,820 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.1 times Phoenix's 30,480). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $56,640 in Tucson to $60,650 in Las Vegas, against $59,770 here. Phoenix is the largest market for this work in the region, so nearby metros tend to recruit from here rather than the other way round.
What else is competing for Phoenix crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Phoenix in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Sky Harbor International Airport expansion (Terminal 4 + Terminal 3)$2.5B+Through 2030
Airport-grade MEP, large-scale AHU installs, baggage handling mechanical, ground transportation systems.
- TSMC Arizona - Fabs 21, 22, advanced packaging (Phoenix North)$65B+ over multi-phase buildPhase 1 operating; Phase 2-4 through 2030
Largest single private investment in Arizona history. Semiconductor-grade mechanical, cleanroom HVAC, process gas, ultra-pure water. Specialty trades commanding 20-30% premiums.
- Intel Ocotillo Fab 52/62 expansion (Chandler)$20B+Construction through 2028
Cleanroom mechanical, semiconductor process trades. Direct competition with TSMC for the same specialty labor pool.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Phoenix market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Phoenix.
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 Phoenix a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Phoenix carries 30,480 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 13,820 light-truck drivers, 2.2 to one against a 1.8 median, 39th 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.
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 Phoenix.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Phoenix?
BLS puts the Phoenix median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $59,770 a year, about the same as the $58,640 national median. That ranks 42nd of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $43,500 and $76,550, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. No other Arizona metro we cover pays more for this work (Tucson: $56,640).
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Phoenix?
It is about average. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are as common in Phoenix as they are nationally (location quotient 0.97), with about 30,480 in the metro. The 1,175 general freight trucking companies here average about 11 employees per location. With 105% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Phoenix?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Phoenix, a $99,710 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Route / Delivery Supervisor at $64,990, 35% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $45,790. Relative to national pay, Route / Delivery Supervisor is the strongest-paying role here (3% above). Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT) trails national pay the most (8% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Phoenix?
BLS counted 1,175 general freight trucking companies in Phoenix in 2023, employing about 13,420 people between them. Up from 573 in 2018, a 105% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 11 people per location. They pay about the national average of $65,587.
Which nearby metros compete with Phoenix for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Tucson (108 miles, about 3,820, $56,640 median), Las Vegas (256 miles, about 8,670, $60,650 median) and San Diego (299 miles, about 10,440, $59,780 median). Phoenix out-pays Tucson, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
1,175 general freight trucking companies in Phoenix are drawing on the same 30,480 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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