CDL-A Port Drayage Driver – Fontana, CA

Work centers on moving sealed containers through the Southern California port-to-warehouse network. No cargo unloading is required.

• Confirm container number, seal and chassis lock status before every gate exit.
• Handle 2–5 completed turns per shift when terminal and warehouse conditions allow.
• Record accurate arrival and release times for any qualifying detention.
• Stop and report chassis or tractor defects before entering a terminal.
• Follow each terminal’s specific gate, interchange and appointment rules.
• Keep dispatch updated on appointment shifts, chassis rejections or traffic delays.

Earnings are built from completed loads, not miles. A normal week of roughly three turns per shift at mid-range rates produces about $2,000. Higher weeks appear when four or more turns, higher-value moves, night-gate differential and chassis-split pay line up during strong import periods. The $2,650 figure is the upper end of potential, not a guaranteed weekly average.

Tractors may be assigned or drawn from a pool when units are in maintenance. All equipment meets current port emissions standards.

Sealed containers move retail goods, furniture, electronics, apparel, household products and auto parts from the waterfront into Inland Empire distribution and transload facilities.

• Long Beach → Fontana (I-710 → I-10)
• Los Angeles → Ontario (I-110 → I-10)
• Wilmington → Fontana (I-710 → I-10)
• Long Beach → Rialto (I-710 → I-10 → I-210 connectors)
• Los Angeles → San Bernardino (I-110 → I-10)
• Carson → Fontana and Long Beach → Rancho Cucamonga
• Ontario empty return → Long Beach (I-10 → I-710)

• Valid Class A CDL, age 21+, current DOT medical certification
• 18+ months CDL-A experience; prior port or chassis experience preferred
• Valid TWIC card required for regular terminal access
• Acceptable MVR with no recent serious preventable violations
• Physical ability to climb chassis steps, inspect locks and handle air lines
• HazMat endorsement preferred but not required for standard freight

• Gate queues and containers not yet grounded
• Chassis shortages or appointment mismatches
• Warehouse door congestion and receiving back-ups
• Incidents or construction on I-710, I-10 or I-15
• Last-minute changes to empty-return locations

The Inland Empire remains one of the busiest hiring corridors for Class A drivers on the West Coast. Port drayage, regional dry van, LTL, dedicated retail, warehouse shuttle, food distribution, intermodal and construction accounts all recruit simultaneously. Continuous container volume from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach plus the dense warehouse campuses surrounding Fontana keep demand steady. Drivers who already hold a TWIC and can work night windows typically see the widest set of local options.

The San Pedro Bay port complex is one of the largest container gateways in the United States. Furniture, electronics, apparel, plastics and auto parts leave the waterfront and travel east into the warehouse and transload campuses of Fontana, Ontario, Rialto, Rancho Cucamonga and San Bernardino. I-710 feeds the terminals while I-10 and I-15 form the primary inland arteries. Even short distances consume significant time because of gate processing, chassis availability and freeway congestion. Retail inventory cycles and vessel bunching create peaks, yet the baseline volume supports year-round local container work.