Local CDL-A Position Port Drayage Position
CDL-A Cross-Border Container Drayage Driver
Hiring Area: El Paso, TX & Santa Teresa, NM • Terminal: El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas Local Shuttle 2021–2025 Day Cabs
Home-daily container shuttle work along the El Paso–Ciudad Juárez corridor. Short turns between ports, yards and warehouses. Weekly gross $1,300–$1,900 with estimated annual earnings of $67,600–$98,800.
Weekly Gross
$1,300–$1,900
Estimated Annual: $67,600–$98,800
Sign-On Bonus Up to $1,500
Home Time Home Daily
Driver Type Company Driver
Weekly Miles 650–1,150
Freight Type Dry Containers
This local role centers on moving dry containers through commercial border facilities, yards and industrial sites that support the region’s manufacturing flow.
- Confirm container, chassis and seal numbers before moving equipment.
- Perform full tractor and chassis inspections at the start of each shift.
- Follow the assigned commercial gate and border procedures.
- Record arrival and release times accurately for detention review.
- Stop and notify dispatch on any equipment damage or number mismatch.
- Keep local dispatch updated on container availability issues.
Drivers receive a base hourly rate plus activity pay for each completed qualifying container movement. The $1,300–$1,900 weekly range reflects scheduled hours, completed movements and qualifying overtime; not every component is earned on every week. Qualifying detention is paid separately.
Weekly Gross Range $1,300–$1,900
Estimated Annual Gross $67,600–$98,800
Sign-On Bonus Up to $1,500 ($500 after 30 / 90 / 180 days)
Base Hourly Rate $25 per hour
Overtime $38 per hour after 40 hours
Container Activity Pay $25–$45 per completed movement
Pay Frequency Weekly
Home Time Home Daily
Operating Area El Paso, Santa Teresa and the Ysleta-Zaragoza corridor
Terminal / Yard El Paso terminal or designated company yard
Weekly Miles 650–1,150
Typical Hours Approximately 40–48 per week
Completed Movements Approximately 12–18 per week, depending on gate congestion, appointments, customs status and available containers
Tractor Models Freightliner Cascadia day cabs, primarily 2021–2025
Transmission Primarily automatic
Safety Systems Forward-facing dash camera, collision mitigation, lane-departure warning; adaptive cruise on selected newer units
Chassis 20', 40' and 45' container chassis; equipment varies by customer and freight assignment
Assignment Assigned or semi-assigned; rotational pool used during high demand or maintenance
Air-ride suspension, standard fifth-wheel and ELD-equipped. Drivers check tires, lights, brakes, air lines, electrical connections, landing gear, twist locks and visible container damage before accepting equipment. Local maintenance and approved roadside vendors handle repairs.
Most freight is dry and non-temperature-controlled manufacturing product—automotive components, electrical equipment, electronics, wire harnesses, industrial machinery, plastics and related goods—moving on short positioning runs.
- Ysleta-Zaragoza Port of Entry ↔ East El Paso Container Yard
- Ysleta-Zaragoza → El Paso Industrial Warehouse District
- El Paso Industrial District ↔ Santa Teresa, NM
- Santa Teresa Intermodal Area → El Paso Warehouse District
- El Paso ↔ Las Cruces, NM
- Primary corridors: I-10, Loop 375, US-54, US-62/180, NM-136
- Begin at the El Paso terminal or designated yard with pre-trip and ELD login.
- Receive the first dispatch and head to the assigned chassis or container location.
- Verify numbers, complete inspections and clear the required gate procedures.
- Deliver to the warehouse, transload or staging site and collect release paperwork.
- Take the next available move based on customs status, appointments and remaining hours.
- Return the tractor to the terminal or approved yard at the end of the scheduled shift.
About the Carrier
Continuous manufacturing output from the Juárez side creates a steady need for short-haul container capacity on the U.S. side of the border. The carrier specializes in these local shuttle moves, coordinating chassis pools, commercial gate access and customs-related handoffs so equipment keeps circulating between ports of entry, yards and industrial warehouses. The focus stays on rapid turns rather than long highway miles, supporting the electrical, automotive and industrial freight that defines the El Paso corridor.
Health Coverage Medical, dental and vision insurance
Retirement 401(k) with company match (subject to plan eligibility)
Paid Time Off PTO after applicable waiting period; paid holidays
Border Credentials FAST credential assistance and documentation reimbursement where company policy permits
Additional Paid orientation, referral incentive and safety recognition program
- Valid Class A CDL required
- One year verifiable CDL-A experience preferred; prior intermodal, container, chassis or cross-border work strongly preferred
- Acceptable MVR with no recent major preventable violations or serious safety disqualifications
- Current DOT medical card; ability to pass drug screen and Clearinghouse query
- FAST Card preferred for qualifying cross-border assignments; TWIC may be required for specific secure facilities
- Ability to climb in and out of the tractor, couple and uncouple, walk equipment inspections and operate landing gear outdoors
- Commercial gate congestion and customs holds
- Chassis shortages or containers not yet released
- Warehouse appointment changes and dock congestion
- Traffic on I-10 and Loop 375
- Summer heat requiring extra attention to tires and cooling systems; wind in open yards
1
Application
Submit the online CDL-A application
2
Screening
Recruiter review of history and local availability
3
Verification
CDL, MVR, employment, DOT medical and Clearinghouse
4
Orientation & First Dispatch
Local safety training and initial container assignment
Q: How many containers can a driver realistically complete in a day? ▼
A strong day can produce four completed movements. Congested conditions often limit the total to two. Weekly volume depends on gate congestion, appointments, customs status and available containers.
Q: Will I be unloading freight at the warehouse? ▼
No. The work is limited to coupling, uncoupling, inspections, documentation and gate procedures. Drivers do not manually unload freight.
Q: What should I do if the container or chassis numbers do not match the dispatch? ▼
Stop immediately and contact operations. Do not attempt to resolve documentation discrepancies on your own.
Q: Do all border crossings keep the same commercial hours? ▼
No. Ysleta-Zaragoza, Bridge of the Americas, Santa Teresa and Tornillo operate on different commercial schedules. Dispatch plans around those differences.
Q: Is overnight parking ever part of the job? ▼
This is a home-daily position. Tractors return to the terminal or approved company yard. Only an unusually long duty day would require dispatch to arrange approved parking.
Q: How long does hiring usually take for a local applicant? ▼
Most qualified local candidates complete the process in three to seven business days, depending on verification and any border-access requirements.
El Paso’s CDL-A market is driven by its position on one of the busiest commercial stretches of the U.S.–Mexico border. Openings appear regularly in cross-border drayage, intermodal, regional dry van, dedicated manufacturing support, LTL, fuel, local distribution and warehouse shuttle work. While general tractor-trailer positions are reasonably available, carriers place higher value on drivers who already understand chassis operations, commercial gates, customs-related delays and border documentation. Daily commercial traffic through Ysleta-Zaragoza, Bridge of the Americas, Santa Teresa and Tornillo keeps demand steady for drivers who prefer short-haul complexity over pure highway miles. Specialized border experience therefore stands out in local recruiting.
The El Paso–Ciudad Juárez corridor ranks among the densest binational manufacturing zones in North America. Electrical equipment, automotive components, electronics, machinery and related industrial goods make up a large share of the freight moving through Ysleta and the surrounding ports of entry. In 2024 the Ysleta port alone handled roughly $86.7 billion in international trade—about 79 percent of the El Paso region’s total. Mexican production schedules generate ongoing container volume that must be positioned quickly on the U.S. side between commercial crossings, container yards, warehouses and intermodal facilities. I-10 forms the main east-west spine while Loop 375 and secondary routes feed local industrial districts and Santa Teresa. The mix of maquiladora output, customs infrastructure and proximity to both Mexican plants and U.S. distribution networks sustains consistent demand for short-haul container capacity year-round.