Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Pittsburgh.
About 14,620 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers work in the Pittsburgh metro, at a $57,880 median. BLS counts 478 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 Pittsburgh.
BLS counts about 28,480 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Pittsburgh metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 14,620). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 0.99). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Pittsburgh: 14,620 employed · $57,880 median, 67th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Pittsburgh: 8,180 employed · $42,700 median, 71st-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Pittsburgh: 1,290 employed · $49,910 median, 43rd-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Pittsburgh: 1,500 employed · $101,600 median, 67th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Pittsburgh: 2,730 employed · $70,560 median, 86th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Pittsburgh: 2,070 employed · $60,280 median, 82nd-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Pittsburgh: 670 employed · $45,760 median, 84th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Pittsburgh: 6,280 employed · $65,260 median, 94th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Pittsburgh: 3,610 employed · $58,540 median, 102nd-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Pittsburgh.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Pittsburgh earn a median $57,880, level with the $58,640 national figure, and 67th of 112 metros. Pay runs $42,970 at the tenth percentile to $76,810 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, at $60,280 against $61,770 nationally.
| Role | Pittsburgh median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $57,880 | $42,970–$76,810 | $58,640 | −1% | 14,620 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $42,700 | $27,100–$69,850 | $44,860 | −5% | 8,180 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $49,910 | $36,650–$76,150 | $50,340 | −1% | 1,290 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $101,600 | $61,160–$178,520 | $107,230 | −5% | 1,500 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $70,560 | $47,600–$119,100 | $80,730 | −13% | 2,730 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $60,280 | $45,190–$79,300 | $61,770 | −2% | 2,070 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $45,760 | $35,480–$77,280 | $52,260 | −12% | 670 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $65,260 | $46,110–$106,810 | $75,940 | −14% | 6,280 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $58,540 | $40,440–$89,240 | $62,890 | −7% | 3,610 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Pittsburgh rose from 412 in 2018 to 478 in 2023, up 16%, behind the 49% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went down 2%, to about 6,698 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $58,371 to $72,572 (+24%), in step with the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 412 | 478 | +16% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 6,836 | 6,698 | −2% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $58,371 | $72,572 | +24% |
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
Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Pittsburgh ranks 27th for headcount, 62nd for median pay and 50th for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 32,220 | $59,370 | 0.84 | 1,935 |
| Pittsburgh | 14,620 | $57,880 | 0.99 | 478 |
| Harrisburg | 6,800 | $61,520 | 1.53 | 219 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 6,590 | $60,090 | 1.32 | 401 |
| Scranton | 5,210 | $57,580 | 1.54 | 232 |
| Lancaster | 5,080 | $58,350 | 1.52 | 274 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Pittsburgh, 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, Pittsburgh metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Trucking licensing in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania's minimum age is 18: 75 Pa.C.S. 1603 provides that a CDL authorises a person 18 years of age or older to drive a class of commercial motor vehicle, and 1607(d)(10) sets 18 for the commercial learner's permit. Pennsylvania prints restriction K, limiting the driver to intrastate commerce. Pennsylvania does not run a condition-based intrastate medical waiver: it adopts physical and mental standards for intrastate CDL drivers through its own 67 Pa. Code chapter 231, and the only way to avoid the medical examiner's certificate requirement is to self-certify as excepted intrastate based on the type of operation - government employees, beekeepers, custom harvesters, farm vehicle operators and similar. Self-certification is on Form DL-11CD, and the Department accepts certificate information only electronically from the federal National Registry; it will not take a certificate in person or by email. Watch the downgrade timing: with no current certificate on file the commercial designation is removed within 45 days, and a rescinded certification removes it immediately, which can mean a learner's permit and retesting to recover. The same state rules apply in Philadelphia, Allentown-Bethlehem, Harrisburg, Lancaster and Scranton, so candidates licensed there can work in Pittsburgh without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services, Bureau of Driver Licensing. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Pittsburgh talent.
The closest metro we cover is Akron, about 90 miles away, with roughly 4,740 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.3 times Pittsburgh's 14,620). Columbus pays the most nearby, a $61,720 median, 7% above Pittsburgh. That is the number any Pittsburgh offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | – | 14,620 | $57,880 |
| Akron | 91 mi | 4,740 | $60,210 |
| Cleveland | 115 mi | 11,970 | $58,970 |
| Columbus | 162 mi | 16,110 | $61,720 |
| Harrisburg | 164 mi | 6,800 | $61,520 |
| Buffalo | 179 mi | 4,710 | $59,440 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Pittsburgh crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Pittsburgh in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Pittsburgh International Airport terminal programMulti-hundred-millionNew terminal delivered; landside and phased work continuing
The new landside terminal is complete, but concourse, airfield, and support facility work continues. Live-airport experience and night-shift capability remain at a premium.
- Regional bridge and PennDOT programState + federal programOngoing through 2030
Allegheny County has one of the highest bridge densities in the country and a well-documented backlog. Sustained heavy civil, structural steel, and coatings demand.
- Robotics and life sciences corridor build-outRolling private investment2025-2029
Strip District and Oakland lab and advanced manufacturing conversions. Specialty exhaust, precision environmental controls, and clean power work in adaptive-reuse buildings - technically harder than ground-up.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Pittsburgh market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Pittsburgh.
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 Pittsburgh a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Pittsburgh carries 14,620 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 8,180 light-truck drivers, 1.8 to one against a 1.8 median, 59th 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 Pittsburgh.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Pittsburgh?
BLS puts the Pittsburgh median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $57,880 a year, about the same as the $58,640 national median. That ranks 67th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $42,970 and $76,810, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Pennsylvania, Harrisburg pays more, at $61,520.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Pittsburgh?
It is about average. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are as common in Pittsburgh as they are nationally (location quotient 0.99), with about 14,620 in the metro. The 478 general freight trucking companies here average about 14 employees per location. With 16% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Pittsburgh?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Pittsburgh, a $101,600 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician at $60,280, 41% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $42,700. Driver Recruiter trails national pay the most (14% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Pittsburgh?
BLS counted 478 general freight trucking companies in Pittsburgh in 2023, employing about 6,698 people between them. Up from 412 in 2018, a 16% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 14 people per location. They pay an average of $72,572, 11% above the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Pittsburgh for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Akron (91 miles, about 4,740, $60,210 median), Cleveland (115 miles, about 11,970, $58,970 median) and Columbus (162 miles, about 16,110, $61,720 median). Columbus pays 7% more, which is where Pittsburgh employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
478 general freight trucking companies in Pittsburgh are drawing on the same 14,620 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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