Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Syracuse.
About 4,120 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers work in the Syracuse metro, at a $61,330 median. BLS counts 113 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 Syracuse.
BLS counts about 8,820 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Syracuse metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 4,120). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 1.04). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Syracuse: 4,120 employed · $61,330 median, 21st-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Syracuse: 2,710 employed · $44,200 median, 46th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Syracuse: 490 employed · $50,480 median, 37th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Syracuse: 280 employed · $104,340 median, 53rd-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Syracuse: 580 employed · $79,710 median, 44th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Syracuse: 670 employed · $64,770 median, 30th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Syracuse: 120 employed · $62,100 median, 5th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Syracuse: 1,280 employed · $77,190 median, 25th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Syracuse: 1,320 employed · $64,540 median, 28th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Syracuse.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Syracuse earn a median $61,330, 5% over the $58,640 national figure, and 21st of 112 metros. Pay runs $47,070 at the tenth percentile to $85,490 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, at $64,770 against $61,770 nationally.
| Role | Syracuse median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $61,330 | $47,070–$85,490 | $58,640 | +5% | 4,120 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $44,200 | $33,230–$65,530 | $44,860 | −1% | 2,710 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $50,480 | $39,310–$76,960 | $50,340 | 0% | 490 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $104,340 | $77,450–$171,560 | $107,230 | −3% | 280 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $79,710 | $50,630–$125,070 | $80,730 | −1% | 580 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $64,770 | $47,250–$88,300 | $61,770 | +5% | 670 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $62,100 | $46,100–$73,150 | $52,260 | +19% | 120 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $77,190 | $51,150–$125,510 | $75,940 | +2% | 1,280 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $64,540 | $45,170–$90,550 | $62,890 | +3% | 1,320 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Syracuse 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 Syracuse's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Syracuse rose from 94 in 2018 to 113 in 2023, up 20%, behind the 49% growth nationally. Headcount at those firms went down 16%, to about 2,040 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $57,577 to $68,155 (+18%), slower than the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 94 | 113 | +20% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 2,429 | 2,040 | −16% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $57,577 | $68,155 | +18% |
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
Syracuse 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 Syracuse's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Syracuse ranks 82nd for headcount, 19th for median pay and 43rd for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
| 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 Syracuse, 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, Syracuse metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Trucking licensing in New York.
New York publishes a minimum age of 21 for Class A and 18 for Class B and Class C, but the under-21 restrictions attach to all three classes, not only Class A: for ages 18 to 20 in every class there is no interstate commerce, no transporting hazardous materials and no operating a school bus. Class A at 18 to 20 is reached through New York's Class A Young Adult Training Program, which requires entry-level driver training plus supervised driving time. New York prints code K for CDL intrastate only, and the Department states expressly that K does not remove the federal medical examiner's certificate requirement. Employers will also see New York-specific codes that appear almost nowhere else: A3 for medical certification exempt, applied on excepted self-certification, S1 for school bus only, T1 for transit bus only and V for medical variance. Codes print on the front of the licence after the letter R with the descriptions on the back, so check the reverse of the card. The same state rules apply in New York, Buffalo, Rochester and Albany, so candidates licensed there can work in Syracuse without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Syracuse talent.
The closest metro we cover is Rochester, about 75 miles away, with roughly 4,020 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (1.0 times Syracuse's 4,120). Syracuse pays more than every metro we cover within reach ($61,330 median), which helps when recruiting people in from Scranton at $57,580. Allentown-Bethlehem has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse | – | 4,120 | $61,330 |
| Rochester | 74 mi | 4,020 | $58,920 |
| Scranton | 116 mi | 5,210 | $57,580 |
| Albany | 124 mi | 4,830 | $60,720 |
| Buffalo | 139 mi | 4,710 | $59,440 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem | 172 mi | 6,590 | $60,090 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Syracuse crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Syracuse in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Micron semiconductor fabrication complex$100B (plus $6.1B in federal funding)Broke ground early 2026, now in full vertical construction
The largest private investment in New York State's history - four fabs planned across a 1,300-acre site in Clay, NY, up to 9,000 direct jobs and up to 40,000 additional supply-chain/construction jobs.
- Upstate University Hospital annex$450MDesign phase; construction spanning several years
A new emergency department, burn unit, ICU, and surgery suite, potentially requiring demolition of up to four existing campus buildings.
These are the 2 projects we track in Syracuse. The Syracuse market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Syracuse.
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 Syracuse a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Syracuse carries 4,120 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 2,710 light-truck drivers, 1.5 to one against a 1.8 median, 79th 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 Syracuse.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Syracuse?
BLS puts the Syracuse median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $61,330 a year, 5% above the $58,640 national median. That ranks 21st of 112 metros with published figures, in the top quarter. Most of the market sits between $47,070 and $85,490, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within New York, New York pays more, at $65,040.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Syracuse?
It is about average. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are as common in Syracuse as they are nationally (location quotient 1.04), with about 4,120 in the metro. The 113 general freight trucking companies here average about 18 employees per location. With 20% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Syracuse?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Syracuse, a $104,340 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician at $64,770, 38% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $44,200. Relative to national pay, Logistics Coordinator is the strongest-paying role here (19% above).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Syracuse?
BLS counted 113 general freight trucking companies in Syracuse in 2023, employing about 2,040 people between them. Up from 94 in 2018, a 20% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 18 people per location. They pay an average of $68,155, 4% above the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Syracuse for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Rochester (74 miles, about 4,020, $58,920 median), Scranton (116 miles, about 5,210, $57,580 median) and Albany (124 miles, about 4,830, $60,720 median). Syracuse out-pays Scranton, an advantage when recruiting from there.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
113 general freight trucking companies in Syracuse are drawing on the same 4,120 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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