Border Intermodal Home Daily

CDL-A Border Intermodal Drayage Driver

Hiring Area: Las Cruces · Santa Teresa · El Paso Borderplex • Base: Las Cruces-area terminal

Las Cruces, NM Regional Intermodal Day Cab

Daily-return container work linking the Santa Teresa rail ramp with El Paso Borderplex customers. Weekly gross $1,400–$2,100, typical $1,800, estimated annual at typical weekly gross $93,600.

Weekly Gross Range
$1,400–$2,100
Estimated Annual at Typical Weekly Gross: $93,600
Sign-On Bonus Not listed
Home Time Daily Return
Driver Type Company Driver
Approx. Weekly Miles 900–1,500
Freight Sealed ISO Containers

Position Overview

This is short-haul intermodal work built around container availability, rail release status and customer appointments inside the Las Cruces–Santa Teresa–El Paso network.

  • Performs full chassis and container inspection before leaving any yard.
  • Matches container number, seal number and dispatch instructions.
  • Handles gate check-in, appointment confirmation and delivery paperwork.
  • Notifies dispatch immediately of equipment defects or holds.
  • Completes 2–5 container turns per shift when conditions allow.
  • Follows rail-terminal rules and individual customer yard procedures.

Pay & Compensation Breakdown

Pay is built from hourly on-duty time plus a separate rate for every completed container move. Overtime after 40 hours and qualifying detention raise the weekly total on busier weeks.

Weekly Gross Range $1,400–$2,100
Typical Weekly Gross $1,800
Estimated Annual at Typical Weekly $93,600
Container Activity Pay $120–$180 per completed move
Detention $50/hour after qualifying delay threshold
How the Range Is Built Hourly base ($28–$30) + activity pay + OT after 40 hrs; strong weeks add extra turns and overtime

Schedule, Home Time & Routes

Home Time Daily return to Las Cruces-area base under normal conditions
Operating Area Southern New Mexico and El Paso Borderplex
Primary Terminal Las Cruces-area operating yard
Approx. Weekly Miles 900–1,500 depending on number of turns and customer locations
Dispatch Window First assignment usually 4:00–7:00 AM; later turns added as containers release

Equipment & Cabin Specs

Tractors Freightliner Cascadia and Kenworth T680 day cabs
Age Mix Newer units 2–5 years old; some older units kept in service after inspection
Transmission Mostly automatic
Safety Technology ELD, forward-facing camera, collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise on equipped units, GPS/telematics
Assignment & Parking Assigned tractor or limited slip-seat; company terminal parking preferred

Chassis are 20-ft and 40-ft (sliding when needed). Drivers check tires, brakes, lights, air and electrical lines, fifth-wheel, kingpin, twist locks and container condition before every departure. Bad equipment is swapped out; drivers do not repair it.

Real Routes

Freight is sealed ISO containers tied to cross-border manufacturing, industrial components, finished goods and distribution freight moving through the Santa Teresa Union Pacific facility.

  • Santa Teresa rail and industrial area to El Paso customer and distribution locations via I-10
  • El Paso back to Santa Teresa with export containers, empties or chassis
  • Short turns into Sunland Park and the Santa Teresa–Sunland Park manufacturing corridor
  • Las Cruces warehouses and industrial customers from Santa Teresa or El Paso
  • Repositioning runs between Las Cruces, Anthony and El Paso along the I-10 corridor
  • Chassis and empty recovery between terminals and staging yards when inventory requires it

Typical Week & Daily Workflow

  • Shift opens with the first container assignment and chassis instructions already set by dispatch.
  • Full pre-trip inspection of chassis and container happens at the rail or staging yard.
  • Loaded container moves to the customer for delivery, drop-and-hook or live placement.
  • Empty or reload instructions arrive; dispatch adds the next available container the same day when possible.
  • Early week tends to carry more import deliveries; mid-week often shifts toward exports and empties.
  • Friday work focuses on clearing customer shipments and positioning equipment for the next cycle.
  • Most days end back at the Las Cruces terminal for parking, fuel and the next plan.

About the Carrier

Manufacturing activity in Ciudad Juárez and the wider Borderplex keeps sealed containers moving between the Union Pacific Santa Teresa intermodal ramp, customs staging areas and industrial or distribution sites on both sides of the border. The operation exists to keep those containers circulating on short turns rather than sitting at the rail facility. It focuses on the daily link between 24/7 rail activity and nearby customers across southern New Mexico and West Texas, where release timing, chassis availability and appointment windows shape every shift.

Benefits & Healthcare Coverage

Health Coverage Medical, dental and vision (employee contribution)
Retirement 401(k) with company match after eligibility period
Training & Orientation Paid orientation; chassis, rail-yard safety and securement training
Extra Support TWIC reimbursement when required for assigned work; safety and referral incentives
Daily Support Company ELD and communication device; terminal parking; roadside assistance; direct deposit

Driver Qualification Requirements

  • Valid Class A CDL and current medical card
  • 6–12 months CDL-A experience preferred; intermodal, chassis or rail-yard background strongly preferred
  • Acceptable MVR with no recent major preventable or disqualifying violations
  • Ability to inspect and couple container chassis and work safely around rail and industrial yards
  • No HazMat endorsement required; TWIC helpful for certain restricted facilities
  • Recent CDL graduates may be considered after an accredited program and successful intermodal orientation

Operational Delays

  • Rail terminal congestion or delayed container release
  • Missing or defective chassis that must be exchanged
  • Customer yard backups and changed appointment windows
  • I-10 and El Paso traffic, especially morning and afternoon peaks
  • Customs-related holds or high gate volume at the border complex
  • Summer heat, wind and dust during outdoor yard work

Hiring Process

1
Application
Submit CDL and employment history
2
Phone Screen
Recruiter reviews experience and schedule fit
3
Compliance
MVR, Clearinghouse, drug screen, background
4
Orientation
Paid intermodal training then first dispatch

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many container moves can I expect in a normal shift? ▼
Most days produce 2–5 completed moves. Gate queues, release timing and customer appointments determine the exact count.
Q: Do I clear customs myself? ▼
No. You follow the carrier’s release and documentation steps. The compliance team handles broker-level customs questions.
Q: What if my assigned container is not released? ▼
Dispatch looks for another available unit or changes the sequence so you are not left waiting the entire shift.
Q: Will I stay out overnight? ▼
The position is built for daily return. Late releases or congestion can stretch a day, but HOS rules come first and most drivers park at the company terminal.
Q: Do I unload the freight? ▼
No. Containers stay sealed. You handle positioning, paperwork and equipment exchange only.
Q: Who fixes a bad chassis? ▼
You report it and swap for another unit. Drivers are not expected to repair intermodal equipment.

CDL Job Market

The Las Cruces–El Paso corridor keeps a consistent need for CDL-A drivers because of intermodal volume, short-haul industrial work and regional distribution tied to cross-border manufacturing. Intermodal and local-regional container positions appear regularly; pure long-haul OTR roles are less common here than in larger Midwest or East Coast markets. Drivers who already know chassis work or rail yards have an advantage because of the continuous container flow through Santa Teresa. Regional dry-van opportunities along I-10 and I-25 also exist, giving experienced drivers several options inside the same geography. Manufacturing cycles and nearshoring activity help keep hiring relatively steady year-round.

Location & Freight Market

Southern New Mexico and the El Paso Borderplex sit at the intersection of Union Pacific intermodal service, the Santa Teresa Port of Entry and large-scale manufacturing in Ciudad Juárez. Containers of industrial components, machinery, electronics-related freight and finished goods move daily between the rail ramp at 9050 Strauss Road, customs staging areas and plants or distribution centers on both sides of the border. I-10 is the main east-west corridor; NM-136 and local industrial roads feed the Santa Teresa Gateway Rail Park. The result is a high volume of short container turns rather than long-haul dry-van traffic. Growth in commercial activity at the Santa Teresa crossing and continued nearshoring support ongoing demand for drivers who can work efficiently inside the rail-to-customer cycle.

Start Your Application