Commercial Trucking recruiters serving Winston-Salem.
At a $51,320 median, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Winston-Salem earn 12% less than nationally; about 3,480 work in the metro. BLS counts 255 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 Winston-Salem.
BLS counts about 7,300 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Winston-Salem metro, the largest group being heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 3,480). Relative to the size of the local economy, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 0.97). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Trucking hub.
CDL-A Truck Driver
Sample job description →Winston-Salem: 3,480 employed · $51,320 median, 95th-highest of 112 metros
CDL-B Truck Driver
Sample job description →Winston-Salem: 2,040 employed · $38,360 median, 106th-highest of 112 metros
Dispatcher / Fleet Coordinator
Winston-Salem: 350 employed · $49,420 median, 55th-highest of 111 metros
Fleet Manager
Winston-Salem: 320 employed · $106,220 median, 44th-highest of 112 metros
Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)
Winston-Salem: 640 employed · $74,980 median, 64th-highest of 112 metros
Diesel Mechanic / Fleet Technician
Winston-Salem: 580 employed · $58,100 median, 94th-highest of 112 metros
Logistics Coordinator
Winston-Salem: 170 employed · $47,120 median, 74th-highest of 96 metros
Driver Recruiter
Winston-Salem: 1,370 employed · $68,540 median, 74th-highest of 112 metros
Terminal Manager
Route / Delivery Supervisor
Winston-Salem: 1,200 employed · $61,590 median, 68th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Trucking roles earn in Winston-Salem.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Winston-Salem earn a median $51,320, 12% under the $58,640 national figure, and 95th of 112 metros. Pay runs $38,300 at the tenth percentile to $75,850 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is first-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, at $61,590 against $62,890 nationally.
| Role | Winston-Salem median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDL-A Truck DriverHeavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers (53-3032) | $51,320 | $38,300–$75,850 | $58,640 | −12% | 3,480 |
| CDL-B Truck DriverLight Truck Drivers (53-3033) | $38,360 | $25,800–$63,620 | $44,860 | −14% | 2,040 |
| Dispatcher / Fleet CoordinatorDispatchers (43-5032) | $49,420 | $34,690–$82,250 | $50,340 | −2% | 350 |
| Fleet Manager · Terminal ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $106,220 | $63,980–$192,300 | $107,230 | −1% | 320 |
| Safety & Compliance Manager (DOT)Compliance Officers (13-1041) | $74,980 | $43,720–$126,850 | $80,730 | −7% | 640 |
| Diesel Mechanic / Fleet TechnicianBus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (49-3031) | $58,100 | $41,450–$73,930 | $61,770 | −6% | 580 |
| Logistics CoordinatorCargo and Freight Agents (43-5011) | $47,120 | $40,410–$68,380 | $52,260 | −10% | 170 |
| Driver RecruiterHuman Resources Specialists (13-1071) | $68,540 | $45,780–$117,840 | $75,940 | −10% | 1,370 |
| Route / Delivery SupervisorFirst-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers (53-1047) | $61,590 | $40,080–$94,540 | $62,890 | −2% | 1,200 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem's commercial trucking market has changed since 2018.
The number of general freight trucking companies in Winston-Salem rose from 145 in 2018 to 255 in 2023, up 76%, ahead of the 49% national rise. Headcount and pay for those firms are withheld in Winston-Salem, so the occupation figures above are the better guide to what hiring costs.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General freight trucking companies: business locations | 145 | 255 | +76% |
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
Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem's commercial trucking market compares
Among the 100 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Winston-Salem ranks 88th for headcount, 86th for median pay and 51st for concentration for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 18,700 | $56,120 | 1.04 | 1,893 |
| Raleigh | 7,210 | $52,110 | 0.73 | 636 |
| Greensboro | 6,480 | $58,480 | 1.34 | 420 |
| Winston-Salem | 3,480 | $51,320 | 0.97 | 255 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 2,130 | $53,280 | 0.47 | 163 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial trucking employers in Winston-Salem, the pool is about the national norm for its size, so difficulty depends on the role more than the market.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Winston-Salem metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Trucking licensing in North Carolina.
North Carolina writes the age rule backwards from most states: G.S. 20-37.13 sets 21 as the standard CDL qualification age and allows issuance at 18 only to an applicant exempt from or not subject to the age requirements of 49 CFR part 391 - in practice an 18-year-old can hold a Class A or Class B CDL for intrastate work only. North Carolina has a real statutory intrastate medical waiver: G.S. 20-37.13A lets a driver who cannot meet 49 CFR 391.41 apply to the Division in writing for a waiver valid for North Carolina operation only, for a maximum of two years, with medical recertification at intervals the Division sets. A licence issued on that basis must carry a restriction showing it is valid for intrastate operation only, and failing any waiver condition triggers an automatic downgrade to a Class C licence; the same downgrade applies if a driver misses the general medical certification requirement and does not cure it within the 60 days the Division must allow. Before dispatching an 18-to-20-year-old or a waiver holder, confirm the load neither originates nor terminates outside North Carolina. The same state rules apply in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Durham-Chapel Hill, so candidates licensed there can work in Winston-Salem without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, a division of the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Winston-Salem talent.
The closest metro we cover is Greensboro, about 25 miles away, with roughly 6,480 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (1.9 times Winston-Salem's 3,480). Greensboro pays the most nearby, a $58,480 median, 14% above Winston-Salem. That is the number any Winston-Salem offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Charlotte has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem | – | 3,480 | $51,320 |
| Greensboro | 25 mi | 6,480 | $58,480 |
| Charlotte | 69 mi | 18,700 | $56,120 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 75 mi | 2,130 | $53,280 |
| Raleigh | 93 mi | 7,210 | $52,110 |
| Greenville | 149 mi | 5,240 | $53,080 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Winston-Salem crews.
Not commercial trucking work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Winston-Salem in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Freischlag Tower~$426M campus expansion (the $619.1M bond issuance also covered refinancing of other system debt, not solely this tower)Opened July 2025
A new care tower on the main Ardmore campus - one of the largest healthcare capital projects in the region's history.
- Innovation Quarter Phase IIUndisclosed (28 acres, 2.5M+ sq ft planned)Multi-year buildout
Eight new buildings between downtown Winston-Salem and U.S. 52, combining retail, scientific/biotech, healthcare, and residential space.
- Downtown amphitheater~$25MGroundbreaking July 2026
A permanent, 5,000-capacity venue - grown from an initial ~$10M modular concept - anchoring downtown's entertainment district.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Winston-Salem market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial trucking, and what kills offers in Winston-Salem.
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 Winston-Salem a linehaul market or a last-mile one?
Winston-Salem carries 3,480 heavy and tractor-trailer drivers against 2,040 light-truck drivers, 1.7 to one against a 1.8 median, 63rd 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 Winston-Salem.
What do heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers earn in Winston-Salem?
BLS puts the Winston-Salem median for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers at $51,320 a year, 12% below the $58,640 national median. That ranks 95th of 112 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $38,300 and $75,850, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within North Carolina, Greensboro pays more, at $58,480.
Is it hard to hire heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Winston-Salem?
It is about average. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are as common in Winston-Salem as they are nationally (location quotient 0.97), with about 3,480 in the metro. 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 Winston-Salem?
Of the roles we recruit for, Fleet Manager pays the most in Winston-Salem, a $106,220 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Route / Delivery Supervisor at $61,590, 42% below it. CDL-B Truck Driver is the lowest-paid field role at $38,360. CDL-B Truck Driver trails national pay the most (14% below).
How many general freight trucking companies operate in Winston-Salem?
BLS counted 255 general freight trucking companies in Winston-Salem in 2023. Up from 145 in 2018, a 76% increase against 49% growth nationally. BLS withholds their combined headcount and pay here, which it does when a category is small enough that the figures could identify individual employers.
Which nearby metros compete with Winston-Salem for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Greensboro (25 miles, about 6,480, $58,480 median), Charlotte (69 miles, about 18,700, $56,120 median) and Durham-Chapel Hill (75 miles, about 2,130, $53,280 median). Greensboro has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Greensboro pays 14% more, which is where Winston-Salem employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
255 general freight trucking companies in Winston-Salem are drawing on the same 3,480 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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