Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Virginia Beach.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are scarcer in Virginia Beach than in most of the country, 26% fewer per job, so the roughly 7,460 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 437 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 Virginia Beach.
BLS counts about 17,320 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Virginia Beach metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 7,460). 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 →Virginia Beach: 7,460 employed · $50,460 median, 99th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Virginia Beach: 5,040 employed · $41,600 median, 80th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Virginia Beach: 1,090 employed · $48,160 median, 73rd-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Virginia Beach: 630 employed · $108,430 median, 37th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Virginia Beach: 2,320 employed · $78,330 median, 50th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Virginia Beach: 1,360 employed · $59,200 median, 87th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Virginia Beach: 410 employed · $49,490 median, 55th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Virginia Beach: 4,290 employed · $76,240 median, 35th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Virginia Beach: 3,460 employed · $61,140 median, 75th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Virginia Beach.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Virginia Beach earn a median $50,460, 14% under the $58,640 national figure, and 99th of 112 metros. Pay runs $38,180 at the tenth percentile to $71,930 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, at $61,140 against $62,890 nationally.
| Role | Virginia Beach median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $50,460 | $38,180–$71,930 | $58,640 | −14% | 7,460 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $41,600 | $28,640–$62,930 | $44,860 | −7% | 5,040 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $48,160 | $38,090–$64,620 | $50,340 | −4% | 1,090 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $108,430 | $73,780–$175,120 | $107,230 | +1% | 630 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $78,330 | $47,550–$119,190 | $80,730 | −3% | 2,320 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $59,200 | $43,720–$73,800 | $61,770 | −4% | 1,360 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $49,490 | $38,420–$82,530 | $52,260 | −5% | 410 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $76,240 | $47,210–$120,530 | $75,940 | 0% | 4,290 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $61,140 | $40,310–$89,990 | $62,890 | −3% | 3,460 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Virginia Beach rose from 249 in 2018 to 437 in 2023, up 76%, ahead of the 49% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 51%, to about 3,255 people. Average annual pay there went from $50,634 to $59,087 (+17%), slower than the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 249 | 437 | +76% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 2,150 | 3,255 | +51% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $50,634 | $59,087 | +17% |
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
Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Virginia Beach ranks 53rd for headcount, 90th for median pay and 76th for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | 11,760 | $58,190 | 1.34 | 421 |
| Virginia Beach | 7,460 | $50,460 | 0.74 | 437 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Virginia Beach, 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, Virginia Beach metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Trucking licensing in Virginia.
Virginia's minimum age to hold a CDL is 18, and the Department states that 21 is required to drive across state lines, to transport hazardous materials, or to carry interstate freight such as mail even on a trip entirely inside Virginia - that last point catches employers who assume an in-state route makes an under-21 driver lawful. A driver under 21 is issued a CDL with a K restriction limiting privileges to Virginia, and Virginia requires that restriction on the licence or permit of any driver who self-certifies to either intrastate category, not just the under-21s. Virginia's medical route is unusual in its paperwork: a non-excepted driver must either have a valid medical examiner's certificate on file or hold a Virginia state approval letter, which is the document to ask for if a driver cannot meet the federal standards; the Department also applies a V restriction where a variance, waiver or Skill Performance Evaluation has been granted. Since May 5, 2025 Virginia no longer accepts certificates directly from drivers - the examiner must submit electronically, and an application without it is denied. The same state rules apply in Richmond, so candidates licensed there can work in Virginia Beach without re-qualifying. The Virginia Beach metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Virginia Beach talent.
The closest metro we cover is Richmond, about 95 miles away, with roughly 11,760 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (1.6 times Virginia Beach's 7,460). Washington, D.C. pays the most nearby, a $59,820 median, 19% above Virginia Beach. That is the number any Virginia Beach offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Washington, D.C. has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach | – | 7,460 | $50,460 |
| Richmond | 95 mi | 11,760 | $58,190 |
| Washington, D.C. | 152 mi | 20,430 | $59,820 |
| Raleigh | 166 mi | 7,210 | $52,110 |
| Baltimore | 172 mi | 15,580 | $59,460 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 173 mi | 2,130 | $53,280 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Virginia Beach crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Virginia Beach in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- FY2026 Navy shipbuilding program$47.4BFY2026, largest single-year US shipbuilding investment since the Cold War
Triggers major construction and outfitting activity at public shipyards, with a distributed manufacturing model spanning 11 states. Newport News Shipbuilding, Virginia's largest industrial employer, is a primary beneficiary.
- Virginia-class and Columbia-class submarine contracts (combined)~$76.6B combinedMulti-year build program
HII's own reporting cites this as one combined figure across both concurrent submarine programs (Virginia-class: 9 boats plus material for a 10th; Columbia-class: 5 boats) rather than a per-class split. Sustained, large-scale demand for structural and pipe welders, marine pipefitters, and industrial electricians at Newport News Shipbuilding.
- HII shipbuilding work outsourcing2.5M+ hours in 2026 (+30% YoY)2026, across 25 locations in 11 states
Newport News Shipbuilding's parent company is outsourcing a record volume of shipbuilding work, signaling the regional labor pool cannot keep pace with the Navy's build schedule on its own.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Virginia Beach market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Virginia Beach.
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 Virginia Beach a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Virginia Beach carries 7,460 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 5,040 light-truck drivers, 1.5 to one against a 1.8 median, 82nd 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 Virginia Beach.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Virginia Beach?
BLS puts the Virginia Beach median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $50,460 a year, 14% below the $58,640 national median. That ranks 99th of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $38,180 and $71,930, a 1.9x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Virginia, Richmond pays more, at $58,190.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Virginia Beach?
Yes. Virginia Beach has 26% fewer heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 7,460 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 437 general freight trucking companies here average about 7.4 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 76% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Virginia Beach?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Virginia Beach, a $108,430 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Route / Delivery Supervisor at $61,140, 44% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $41,600. CDL-A Truck Driver trails national pay the most (14% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Virginia Beach?
BLS counted 437 general freight trucking companies in Virginia Beach in 2023, employing about 3,255 people between them. Up from 249 in 2018, a 76% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 7.4 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $59,087, 10% below the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Virginia Beach for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Richmond (95 miles, about 11,760, $58,190 median), Washington, D.C. (152 miles, about 20,430, $59,820 median) and Raleigh (166 miles, about 7,210, $52,110 median). Richmond has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Richmond pays 15% more, which is where Virginia Beach employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers this scarce in Virginia Beach, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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