Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Scranton.
Scranton has 54% more heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, about 5,210 in the metro. BLS counts 232 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 Scranton.
BLS counts about 9,780 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Scranton metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 5,210). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are far more concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 1.54). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Scranton: 5,210 employed · $57,580 median, 69th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Scranton: 2,200 employed · $43,110 median, 65th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Scranton: 300 employed · $47,380 median, 82nd-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Scranton: 460 employed · $99,540 median, 84th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Scranton: 570 employed · $65,780 median, 97th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Scranton: 760 employed · $62,580 median, 48th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Scranton: 70 employed · $49,310 median, 58th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Scranton: 1,130 employed · $65,360 median, 93rd-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Scranton: 1,610 employed · $65,030 median, 24th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Scranton.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Scranton earn a median $57,580, level with the $58,640 national figure, and 69th of 112 metros. Pay runs $39,670 at the tenth percentile to $78,830 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, at $65,030 against $62,890 nationally.
| Role | Scranton median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $57,580 | $39,670–$78,830 | $58,640 | −2% | 5,210 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $43,110 | $27,460–$92,240 | $44,860 | −4% | 2,200 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $47,380 | $36,100–$74,280 | $50,340 | −6% | 300 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $99,540 | $62,520–$157,570 | $107,230 | −7% | 460 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $65,780 | $44,740–$107,020 | $80,730 | −19% | 570 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $62,580 | $47,150–$83,270 | $61,770 | +1% | 760 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $49,310 | $39,810–$71,580 | $52,260 | −6% | 70 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $65,360 | $46,240–$104,750 | $75,940 | −14% | 1,130 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $65,030 | $42,160–$83,760 | $62,890 | +3% | 1,610 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Scranton 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 Scranton's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Scranton rose from 160 in 2018 to 232 in 2023, up 45%, behind the 49% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went up 7%, to about 3,522 people. Average annual pay there went from $54,131 to $68,090 (+26%), in step with the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 160 | 232 | +45% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 3,282 | 3,522 | +7% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $54,131 | $68,090 | +26% |
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
Scranton runs 54% more commercial trucking workers per job than the country as a whole — well above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching 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 Scranton's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Scranton ranks 69th for headcount, 64th for median pay and 9th for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. That puts it among the deepest commercial trucking labor markets in the country.
| 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 Scranton, the pool is deep and still growing, so the constraint is competition rather than supply. Move fast on good candidates, because another local firm is probably talking to them too.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Scranton 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, Pittsburgh, Allentown-Bethlehem, Harrisburg and Lancaster, so candidates licensed there can work in Scranton without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services, Bureau of Driver Licensing. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial trucking search in Scranton 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 Scranton than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- HVAC TechnicianA senior technician across commercial and industrial HVAC and refrigeration.
Nearby markets competing for Scranton talent.
The closest metro we cover is Allentown-Bethlehem, about 55 miles away, with roughly 6,590 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (1.3 times Scranton's 5,210). New York pays the most nearby, a $65,040 median, 13% above Scranton. That is the number any Scranton offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. New York has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scranton | – | 5,210 | $57,580 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 56 mi | 6,590 | $60,090 |
| New York | 99 mi | 65,100 | $65,040 |
| Lancaster | 100 mi | 5,080 | $58,350 |
| Harrisburg | 101 mi | 6,800 | $61,520 |
| Philadelphia | 104 mi | 32,220 | $59,370 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Scranton crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Scranton in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center expansion$900MStructural steel complete July 2026; tower opens Q1 2028; renovations through 2030
An 11-story, 600,000 sq ft patient tower increasing capacity from 356 to 500 beds and operating rooms from 12 to 18, plus an expanded emergency department.
- AWS data center (Salem Township)Part of a $20B combined AWS Pennsylvania investmentUnder development
One of two Amazon Web Services data centers in the state, with capacity Amazon has not publicly disclosed.
- NorthPoint Development data center campus (Hazle Township)UndisclosedPermit denied Nov 2025, developer appealing
A 15-building data center campus proposed on approximately 1,280 acres. Hazle Township supervisors voted 3-0 to deny the plan; the developer is now pursuing litigation/appeal, so this remains a proposal, not an active project.
These are the 3 projects we track in Scranton. The Scranton market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Scranton.
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 Scranton a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Scranton carries 5,210 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 2,200 light-truck drivers, 2.4 to one against a 1.8 median, 32nd of 112 on that ratio.
Concentration says more than the split: a 1.54 location quotient, 54% more heavy-truck drivers per job than the country, so the depth is there whichever way the mix reads.
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 Scranton.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Scranton?
BLS puts the Scranton median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $57,580 a year, about the same as the $58,640 national median. That ranks 69th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $39,670 and $78,830, a 2.0x 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 Scranton?
Not by national standards. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers make up 54% more of the Scranton workforce than they do nationally, about 5,210 people. The 232 general freight trucking companies here average about 15 employees per location. With 45% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Scranton?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Scranton, a $99,540 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Route / Delivery Supervisor at $65,030, 35% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $43,110. Relative to national pay, Route / Delivery Supervisor is the strongest-paying role here (3% above). Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT) trails national pay the most (19% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Scranton?
BLS counted 232 general freight trucking companies in Scranton in 2023, employing about 3,522 people between them. Up from 160 in 2018, a 45% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 15 people per location. They pay an average of $68,090, 4% above the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Scranton for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Allentown-Bethlehem (56 miles, about 6,590, $60,090 median), New York (99 miles, about 65,100, $65,040 median) and Lancaster (100 miles, about 5,080, $58,350 median). New York has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. New York pays 13% more, which is where Scranton employers tend to lose people.
Plenty of people. Few of them looking.
Scranton has one of the deeper pools of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers we cover, but the best of them are already working. Let's find the ones ready to move.
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