Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Washington, D.C..
Washington, D.C. has about 20,430 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 14th of the 112 we cover, and still 51% fewer per job than the country - so they are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 992 business locations of general freight trucking companies across the metro. We recruit Commercial Trucking talent in Washington, D.C. from a standing, credential-verified pipeline. 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 Washington, D.C..
BLS counts about 48,160 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Washington, D.C. metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 20,430). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.49). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Washington, D.C.: 20,430 employed · $59,820 median, 39th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Washington, D.C.: 16,390 employed · $46,360 median, 24th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Washington, D.C.: 3,540 employed · $57,160 median, 8th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Washington, D.C.: 2,570 employed · $129,050 median, 9th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Washington, D.C.: 13,820 employed · $100,200 median, 6th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Washington, D.C.: 2,910 employed · $72,580 median, 18th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Washington, D.C.: 570 employed · $56,300 median, 29th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Washington, D.C.: 24,450 employed · $100,830 median, 3rd-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Washington, D.C.: 8,430 employed · $67,960 median, 13th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Washington, D.C..
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Washington, D.C. earn a median $59,820, level with the $58,640 national figure, and 39th of 112 metros. Pay runs $44,870 at the tenth percentile to $82,540 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, at $72,580 against $61,770 nationally.
| Role | Washington, D.C. median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $59,820 | $44,870–$82,540 | $58,640 | +2% | 20,430 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $46,360 | $34,980–$76,170 | $44,860 | +3% | 16,390 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $57,160 | $42,260–$83,050 | $50,340 | +14% | 3,540 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $129,050 | $80,840–$205,640 | $107,230 | +20% | 2,570 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $100,200 | $60,710–$148,700 | $80,730 | +24% | 13,820 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $72,580 | $51,200–$97,060 | $61,770 | +18% | 2,910 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $56,300 | $40,190–$76,750 | $52,260 | +8% | 570 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $100,830 | $60,940–$158,940 | $75,940 | +33% | 24,450 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $67,960 | $46,130–$104,020 | $62,890 | +8% | 8,430 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C.'s commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Washington, D.C. rose from 553 in 2018 to 992 in 2023, up 79%, ahead of the 49% national rise. Headcount at those firms went up 25%, to about 5,358 people. Average annual pay there went from $58,929 to $58,165 (−1%), slower than the 23% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 553 | 992 | +79% |
| General freight trucking companies: employment | 4,271 | 5,358 | +25% |
| General freight trucking companies: average annual pay | $58,929 | $58,165 | −1% |
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
Washington, D.C. runs 51% 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 Washington, D.C.'s commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Washington, D.C. ranks 14th for headcount, 36th for median pay and 98th for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. That makes it one of the thinnest commercial trucking labor markets we recruit in.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Washington, D.C., the headline number is misleading. About 20,430 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers work here, one of the larger workforces we cover, but relative to the size of the local economy the trade is thinner than average, so every other employer is drawing on the same people. Local employers are still adding headcount, which keeps competition for experienced people high. Expect to recruit people who are already employed, and to make the case for moving.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Washington, D.C. metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Trucking licensing in District of Columbia.
The District is the strictest jurisdiction in the country on this, and the practical answer is 21. D.C. Code 50-402(6A) bars issuing a CDL below 21 except to a person at least 18 with at least two years of driving experience, and that under-21 licence is expressly not valid for a school bus, a vehicle designed to carry 16 or more people, a vehicle over 26,001 pounds, hazardous materials or interstate operation. The Department's own Obtain an Intrastate CDL page confirms the effect: an 18-year-old applicant is restricted to commercial Class C vehicles only within the District, with no hazardous materials, tank, passenger, school bus or double or triple trailer endorsement. So an under-21 District CDL is of no use for Class A or Class B equipment. The District publishes no intrastate medical waiver programme, and it prints no intrastate restriction code at all - the limitation is expressed by issuing a Class C-only intrastate CDL, so read the class and endorsement fields rather than looking for a K. The Washington, D.C. metro crosses a state line, so check the rules in the neighboring state too for crews that work on both sides.
Licensing authority: District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial trucking search in Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Dispatcher / Service CoordinatorA coordinator used to 80-100 calls a day and 20-30 technicians, placed in twelve days.
- Commercial HVAC TechnicianRooftop units, VAV boxes, air handlers and water source heat pumps - covered in twelve days.
- IT TechnicianEarly-career IT talent with a fresh degree, placed into a technician seat with room to grow.
Nearby markets competing for Washington, D.C. talent.
The closest metro we cover is Baltimore, about 35 miles away, with roughly 15,580 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (0.8 times Washington, D.C.'s 20,430). Pay is close across the region: medians run from $58,190 in Richmond to $61,520 in Harrisburg, against $59,820 here. Philadelphia has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, D.C. | – | 20,430 | $59,820 |
| Baltimore | 36 mi | 15,580 | $59,460 |
| Lancaster | 88 mi | 5,080 | $58,350 |
| Richmond | 95 mi | 11,760 | $58,190 |
| Harrisburg | 96 mi | 6,800 | $61,520 |
| Philadelphia | 124 mi | 32,220 | $59,370 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Washington, D.C. crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Washington, D.C. in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- WMATA Metro infrastructure renewal$3B+Rolling
Station upgrades, signal modernization, tunnel work. Specialty transit MEP.
- Southwest Waterfront / The Wharf (Bridge District)$1.5B plannedThrough 2030
Mixed-use waterfront redevelopment - a distinct, smaller-scope project from the separate ~$3.3B Navy Yard proper build-out and the full 30-year, ~$10B Anacostia Waterfront Initiative; each of those three figures applies to a different geographic scope, not one combined project.
- Northern VA data center expansion (Loudoun + Prince William)$10B+ rollingOngoing through 2030
Northern Virginia is the largest US data center market by far. Adjacent to DC MSA boundary but pulls trades from the entire Capital region.
Showing 3 of 6 projects tracked in this metro. The Washington, D.C. market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Washington, D.C..
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 Washington, D.C. a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Washington, D.C. runs close to even: 20,430 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 16,390 light-truck drivers, 1.2 to one, 100th of 112 on that ratio.
The driving here is mostly last-mile and service, so a Class A search competes for a smaller resident pool than the total implies and often reaches outside 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 Washington, D.C..
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Washington, D.C.?
BLS puts the Washington, D.C. median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $59,820 a year, about the same as the $58,640 national median. That ranks 39th of 112 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $44,870 and $82,540, a 1.8x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Washington, D.C.?
Yes. Washington, D.C. has 51% fewer heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers per job than the country as a whole, roughly 20,430 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 992 general freight trucking companies here average about 5.4 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. With 79% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial trucking roles pay the most in Washington, D.C.?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Washington, D.C., a $129,050 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician at $72,580, 44% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $46,360. Relative to national pay, Driver Recruiter is the strongest-paying role here (33% above).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Washington, D.C.?
BLS counted 992 general freight trucking companies in Washington, D.C. in 2023, employing about 5,358 people between them. Up from 553 in 2018, a 79% increase against 49% growth nationally. That averages 5.4 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $58,165, 11% below the $65,587 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Washington, D.C. for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Baltimore (36 miles, about 15,580, $59,460 median), Lancaster (88 miles, about 5,080, $58,350 median) and Richmond (95 miles, about 11,760, $58,190 median).
Deep pool. Heavily fished.
Washington, D.C. has 20,430 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 14th of the 112 metros we cover, and still 51% fewer per job than the country. The pool is deep and every employer here is fishing it. Let's get to the ones worth moving first.
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