Local Reefer Position Home Daily
CDL-A Local Cold Storage & Grocery Transfer Driver — Nashville, TN
Home Daily • Nashville / La Vergne area terminal
Nashville, TN Local Dedicated 2020–2025 Day Cabs
Pull 53-ft refrigerated trailers between cold-storage warehouses and grocery distribution centers across Middle Tennessee and nearby Kentucky and Alabama. Earn $1,550–$1,900 per week with consistent home-daily schedules.
Typical Weekly Gross
$1,550–$1,900
Typical Week: ~$1,700
Base Rate $32/hr
Overtime $48/hr after 40
Sign-On Bonus $1,500
Home Time Home Daily
Schedule Mon–Fri / occasional Sat
Freight Refrigerated grocery
Pull 53-ft refrigerated trailers between cold-storage warehouses, grocery DCs, and transfer yards on scheduled Middle Tennessee routes.
- Start with pre-trip, reefer setpoint and fuel check, seal verification, and ELD review.
- Run scheduled transfers primarily around Nashville, Lebanon, Murfreesboro, La Vergne, and Clarksville.
- Handle mostly drop-and-hook freight with some live loading and unloading.
- Complete BOL, POD, seal, temperature, and trailer-condition documentation.
- Back into refrigerated docks and maneuver in active warehouse yards.
- Communicate delays, reefer alarms, trailer issues, and appointment changes to dispatch.
- Manage HOS around traffic and appointment windows on Middle Tennessee corridors.
$32 per hour base rate. Overtime at $48 per hour begins after 40 hours. Detention is paid at the same hourly rate once free time is exceeded and documented. Typical weekly gross runs about $1,700 on 44–52 hours.
Weekly Range $1,550–$1,900
Typical Week ~$1,700
Base Rate $32/hr
Overtime $48/hr after 40
Sign-On Bonus $1,500 paid in installments after qualification and retention milestones
Detention $32/hr after free time
Payroll Weekly direct deposit
Home Time Home Daily
Operating Area Primarily Middle Tennessee with occasional turns into Kentucky and Alabama
Terminal Nashville / La Vergne area
Typical Hours 44–52 per week
Shift Pattern Mon–Fri with rotating early/evening starts; occasional Saturday during volume peaks
Tractors 2020–2025 Freightliner Cascadia and Kenworth T680 day cabs
Transmission Automatic
Safety & Systems ELD + electronic DVIR, forward dash cam, collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise
Assignment Mix of assigned and limited slip-seat
53-ft refrigerated trailers (generally 2019–2024) equipped with Carrier units and electronic temperature monitoring. Selected accounts use multi-temperature reefers. Local maintenance handles preventive work around dispatch needs; roadside support runs through the carrier network.
Palletized frozen and refrigerated grocery product moves between cold-storage warehouses, grocery DCs, food manufacturers, and regional transfer yards under appointment windows.
- Frozen vegetables, prepared foods, dairy, refrigerated meat, packaged produce, and bakery products form the core freight.
- Nashville ↔ Lebanon / Mt. Juliet on the I-40 corridor are common short transfers.
- Nashville ↔ La Vergne / Smyrna / Murfreesboro via I-24 serve the southern corridor.
- Clarksville, Bowling Green KY, Chattanooga, and Franklin appear regularly within same-day reach.
- Occasional longer turns reach Memphis, Birmingham AL, or Louisville KY when volume requires.
- Most transfers are drop-and-hook, with live loading or unloading on selected accounts.
- Dispatch resequences around trailer availability, warehouse congestion, and backhaul needs during the shift.
- Shift often starts 4:00–6:00 AM with ELD check, pre-trip, and reefer verification at the Nashville-area terminal or assigned yard.
- First assignment is usually a short Middle Tennessee transfer; the next move is often issued while still at the customer.
- Tuesday–Thursday carry the highest volume—two shorter transfers or one longer run plus reload are typical.
- Friday length depends on warehouse inventory needs; some weeks finish early, others stretch for weekend replenishment.
- Approximately 30–90 minutes covers a normal appointment; busy receiving windows can push waits to 1–2 hours.
- Return to the Nashville-area terminal or designated customer yard ends the day; overnight road parking is rare.
About the Carrier
This is a mid-sized regional carrier focused on dedicated and recurring freight rather than nationwide OTR volume. The Nashville fleet supports grocery and temperature-controlled customers across Middle Tennessee, with dispatch built around scheduled transfers, trailer availability, and same-day equipment turns. Local maintenance and dispatch keep equipment and appointments aligned so product continues moving through the cold chain without long-haul cycles.
Health Coverage Medical, dental, and vision options for employee and family
Retirement 401(k) with company match
Time Off Paid vacation and company holidays by tenure
Training & Gear Paid orientation, reefer/cold-chain training, uniforms after probation, safety apparel
Additional Terminal parking, roadside assistance, driver referral, optional rider program
- Valid Class A CDL
- 6 months recent CDL-A experience preferred; recent graduates considered with training
- Clean, insurable MVR and acceptable employment history
- Pass DOT physical, drug screen, and Clearinghouse query
- Ability to operate automatic tractors in crowded yards and inspect reefer equipment
- No HazMat endorsement required for normal grocery transfer work
- I-24, I-40, and I-65 congestion during peak periods can compress appointment windows.
- Warehouse yard congestion rises when multiple trailers arrive in the same receiving window.
- Dock delays can extend the workday when receiving windows stack up; documented detention is paid after the applicable free time.
- Grocery volume spikes around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and major promotions extend live-load times.
- Trailer availability tightens when customer inventory shifts faster than yard turns.
- Thunderstorms, winter icing, or flooding in Middle Tennessee slow traffic and yard movements.
1
Recruiter Call
Within one business day
2
CDL / MVR / History Check
Insurance eligibility review
3
DOT Screen & Clearinghouse
Drug test and query
4
Orientation & Evaluation
Local terminal; 3–7 business days typical
Q: How much live loading versus drop-and-hook should I expect? ▼
Most routine transfers are drop-and-hook, although some customers require live loading or unloading depending on trailer availability and receiving procedures.
Q: Are weekend shifts required every week? ▼
No. Occasional Saturday coverage appears during holiday periods or high-volume grocery weeks, not as a fixed weekly requirement.
Q: What happens if a warehouse delay threatens the next appointment? ▼
Dispatch resequences the route rather than leaving the driver to absorb the delay. Communication through the electronic system and phone support is expected.
Q: Do I handle product temperature settings myself? ▼
Setpoint and product requirements come from warehouse or customer documentation. The driver verifies the unit is operating correctly and reports alarms or faults immediately.
Q: Is overnight parking on the road common? ▼
Rare. Drivers normally return to the Nashville-area terminal or designated yard. Dispatch coordinates approved parking only for HOS, weather, or delay exceptions.
Q: How long does the hiring process usually take? ▼
Most qualified candidates finish in approximately 3–7 business days, depending on MVR, employment verification, and medical scheduling.
Nashville supports a large CDL-A labor market built around I-24, I-40, and I-65, with freight concentrated around distribution, manufacturing, retail replenishment, and temperature-controlled storage. Local drivers compete across home-daily, dedicated, and regional operations, while reefer work adds demand around cold-storage and grocery distribution corridors in Lebanon, Murfreesboro, La Vergne, and surrounding Middle Tennessee markets.
Middle Tennessee’s freight volume is driven by distribution, retail replenishment, healthcare, automotive, manufacturing, and consumer-goods warehousing. Three interstates—I-24 toward Clarksville and Chattanooga, I-40 toward Memphis and Knoxville, and I-65 toward Louisville and Birmingham—plus the I-840 bypass funnel traffic around the metro. Refrigerated grocery corridors concentrate along Lebanon/Mt. Juliet on I-40, La Vergne/Smyrna and Murfreesboro on I-24, and the Franklin/Cool Springs stretch of I-65. Temperature-controlled facilities in Murfreesboro and Lebanon support cross-docking, freezer/cooler storage, and regional product transfers. Grocery peaks around major holidays and promotional periods raise volume, while the region’s role as a Southeast and central U.S. distribution point sustains year-round demand for short-haul and regional transfer capacity.