How to hire a company driver

How to hire a company driver, step by step

Here's a step-by-step company driver hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a company driver job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new company driver
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a company driver do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a company driver, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a company driver to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a company driver that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of company drivers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Company Driver	Description	Hourly rate
   Company Driver	Heavy and tractor–trailer truck drivers transport goods from one location to another. Most tractor–trailer drivers are long-haul drivers and operate trucks with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) capacity—that is, the combined weight of the vehicle, passengers, and cargo—exceeds 26,000 pounds... Show more	$21-44
   Truck Driver-Over-The-Road	A truck driver-over-the-road (OTR) is a professional driver who specializes in hauling items such as heavy freight, machinery, or construction materials from a home terminal to delivery points. OTR truck drivers usually spend more time on the road due to the long distances they are required to reach... Show more	$24-45
   Driver Trainer	Driver trainers are instructors who teach their clients how to drive. They are often considered experts in driving, and they are credible enough to impart their driving knowledge to clients... Show more	$14-33

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CDL
   • OTR
   • PET
   • Hazmat
   • Customer Locations
   • Customer Service
   • DOT Regulations
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • FMCSA
   • Vehicle Inspections
   • Commodities
   • Pickup
   • Delta
   • Electronic Logs

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Experience in semi driving, logging, managing bills of lading, light maintenance, vehicle inspections.
   • Ensure the safe transportation of HAZMAT shipments.
   • Load and unload trailers with propane fork lift.
   • Move, position, connect and disconnect converter dollies.
   • Work as a certify CDL instructor and trainer for new drivers.
   • Team driver on a dedicate LTL account hauling double trailer configurations.

   More company driver duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your company driver job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A company driver salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, company drivers' average salary in florida is 24% less than in north dakota.
   • Seniority. Entry-level company drivers earn 52% less than senior-level company drivers.
   • Certifications. A company driver with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a company driver's salary.

   Average company driver salary

   $65,430yearly

   $31.46 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level company driver salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average company driver salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$78,540	$38
   2	New Jersey	$77,503	$37
   3	Connecticut	$77,441	$37
   4	Massachusetts	$76,145	$37
   5	Pennsylvania	$76,118	$37
   6	Delaware	$75,454	$36
   7	Wisconsin	$74,996	$36
   8	Minnesota	$74,992	$36
   9	Michigan	$74,169	$36
   10	Maryland	$74,084	$36
   11	Illinois	$74,074	$36
   12	Nebraska	$72,690	$35
   13	Indiana	$72,159	$35
   14	Kentucky	$72,072	$35
   15	Ohio	$71,381	$34
   16	Georgia	$71,310	$34
   17	Tennessee	$70,616	$34
   18	Oklahoma	$70,263	$34
   19	Virginia	$70,183	$34
   20	Colorado	$70,054	$34

   Average company driver salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Air Products	$89,886	$43.21
   2	BLITZ	$81,679	$39.27	1
   3	Bruce Transportation Group	$79,448	$38.20
   4	Transportation Services, Inc. (tsi)	$79,147	$38.05
   5	FIRST	$78,019	$37.51
   6	Sysco	$75,657	$36.37	316
   7	Bob's Discount Furniture	$75,490	$36.29	3
   8	Lentz Milling	$75,400	$36.25
   9	Dollar General	$74,313	$35.73	265
   10	The Dart Network	$74,142	$35.65	7
   11	Hub Group	$72,875	$35.04	172
   12	The Great Lakes Group	$72,256	$34.74
   13	Sherwin-Williams	$71,098	$34.18	19
   14	Alliance Transportation Group	$70,820	$34.05
   15	Forward Air	$70,548	$33.92
   16	Papa John's International	$70,389	$33.84	14
   17	Werner Enterprises	$69,590	$33.46	4
   18	McLane	$69,215	$33.28	123
   19	Ace Hardware	$68,824	$33.09	18
   20	Carvana	$68,478	$32.92	101

4. Writing a company driver job description

   A job description for a company driver role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a company driver job description:

   Company driver job description example

   1 year experience required.

   Hub Group is Hiring Home Daily CDL-A Drivers | Earn $80K - $90K!.

   The Way Ahead starts with you.

   We know trucking is a tough job. At Hub Group, we want to give drivers the opportunity and resources to succeed on the road. Our goal is to provide more balance in your life — that’s why our wages for company drivers are among the most competitive in the industry, ­allowing you to work a full day and still get home to your family.

   
   What’s in It For You?

   What good is a job without great benefits to reward your hard work? We've got rewarding benefits tailored to your needs.

   • Earn $80,000 - $90,000 Annually with Home Daily Routes
   • Dedicated and Intermodal Company Driver positions available
   • Home Daily or Shorter Regional Routes
   • Flexible shifts with morning and afternoon start times
   • New Equipment; average age of fleet is 2 years
   • Guaranteed Pay Program to provide new drivers with a minimum pay guarantee the first 6 weeks until you get up to speed
   • Paid time off including vacation pay and holiday pay
   • Paid orientation and training
   • Medical, dental, & vision insurance after 30 days
   • Critical illness plan with lump sum cash benefits for employee and family
   • 401k retirement plan with annual match
   • And much more!

   
   

   Drivers must have a minimum of one year professional driving experience and a valid Class A CDL license.

   
   

   "There is nothing I value more than the balance between work and life . Hub Group has given me that and more and I couldn’t thank them enough!” - Sam Miller, Hub Group Company Driver

   
   

   Who we are

   For over fifty years, we’ve been providing the best of the best for our customers and paving the way in the industry. We are defined by our core values: Service, integrity, and innovation. Our pride is in our services as well as our valued employees, and we want you to come aboard and be part of what makes us an elite trucking team.

   
   

   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right company driver for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your company driver job on Zippia to find and recruit company driver candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with company driver candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new company driver

   Once you've decided on a perfect company driver candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a company driver?