Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Tucson.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are scarcer in Tucson than in most of the country, 26% fewer per job, so the roughly 3,820 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 159 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 Tucson.
BLS counts about 7,860 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Tucson metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 3,820). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.74). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Tucson: 3,820 employed · $56,640 median, 78th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Tucson: 2,270 employed · $43,260 median, 59th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Tucson: 510 employed · $46,000 median, 93rd-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Tucson: 460 employed · $92,580 median, 105th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Tucson: 1,460 employed · $70,550 median, 87th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Tucson: 580 employed · $60,370 median, 76th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Tucson: 100 employed · $46,340 median, 81st-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Tucson: 2,130 employed · $63,950 median, 98th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Tucson: 1,190 employed · $58,540 median, 102nd-highest of 112 metros
Hiring the same trade in another market? We recruit it in Charlotte, NC too.
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Tucson.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Tucson earn a median $56,640, 3% under the $58,640 national figure, and 78th of 112 metros. Pay runs $39,300 at the tenth percentile to $72,960 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, at $60,370 against $61,770 nationally.
| Role | Tucson median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $56,640 | $39,300–$72,960 | $58,640 | −3% | 3,820 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $43,260 | $33,500–$72,430 | $44,860 | −4% | 2,270 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $46,000 | $35,710–$63,650 | $50,340 | −9% | 510 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $92,580 | $63,800–$159,760 | $107,230 | −14% | 460 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $70,550 | $46,640–$119,180 | $80,730 | −13% | 1,460 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $60,370 | $41,500–$79,530 | $61,770 | −2% | 580 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $46,340 | $34,350–$58,880 | $52,260 | −11% | 100 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $63,950 | $45,840–$105,840 | $75,940 | −16% | 2,130 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $58,540 | $39,930–$79,410 | $62,890 | −7% | 1,190 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Tucson 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 Tucson's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Tucson rose from 75 in 2018 to 159 in 2023, up 112%, ahead of the 49% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 26%, to about 1,484 people. Average annual pay there went from $49,489 to $59,139 (+19%), slower than the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 75 | 159 | +112% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 1,181 | 1,484 | +26% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $49,489 | $59,139 | +19% |
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
Tucson runs 26% 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 Tucson's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Tucson ranks 86th for headcount, 71st for median pay and 76th 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 Tucson, the local pool is thin but growing. Expect a mix of local candidates and people recruited in from nearby metros, and budget for relocation on senior roles.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Tucson 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 Phoenix, so candidates licensed there can work in Tucson without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Tucson talent.
The closest metro we cover is Phoenix, about 110 miles away, with roughly 30,480 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (8.0 times Tucson's 3,820). Phoenix pays the most nearby, a $59,770 median, 6% above Tucson. That is the number any Tucson offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Phoenix has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
What else is competing for Tucson crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Tucson in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Tucson Electric Power solar farm$150M, 100MWConstruction 18-24 months, full operations expected late 2026
A utility-scale solar facility sized to power roughly 25,000 homes, including grid-interconnection upgrades. Hundreds of construction jobs during the build phase, concentrated in electrical and heavy-civil trades.
This is the only project we track in Tucson. The Tucson market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Tucson.
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 Tucson a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Tucson carries 3,820 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 2,270 light-truck drivers, 1.7 to one against a 1.8 median, 66th 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 Tucson.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Tucson?
BLS puts the Tucson median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $56,640 a year, 3% below the $58,640 national median. That ranks 78th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $39,300 and $72,960, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Arizona, Phoenix pays more, at $59,770.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Tucson?
Yes. Tucson has 26% fewer heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 3,820 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 159 general freight trucking companies here average about 9.3 employees per location. With 112% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Tucson?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Tucson, a $92,580 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician at $60,370, 35% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $43,260. Driver Recruiter trails national pay the most (16% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Tucson?
BLS counted 159 general freight trucking companies in Tucson in 2023, employing about 1,484 people between them. Up from 75 in 2018, a 112% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 9.3 people per location. They pay an average of $59,139, 10% below the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Tucson for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Phoenix (108 miles, about 30,480, $59,770 median) and El Paso (262 miles, about 7,850, $49,270 median). Phoenix has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Phoenix pays 6% more, which is where Tucson employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers this scarce in Tucson, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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