🗺 Corridor Operations
- Terminal base: Madison, WI area
- Primary network: I-90 / I-94 Midwest lanes
- Freight type: General dry van – retail, manufacturing parts, consumer goods
- Typical operations: Mix of drop-and-hook with occasional live loads
📦 Lane Behavior from Dispatch
Drivers out of Madison usually start with pickups at local distribution centers or manufacturers in southern Wisconsin. Loads head east toward Milwaukee and Chicago or northwest to the Twin Cities. Backhauls are common but not guaranteed every leg. Expect 400–800 mile runs with 1–2 night layovers depending on sequencing. Chicago and Twin Cities metro areas bring the usual slowdowns around interchanges and distribution yards.
🚛 Units You'll Run
- Late-model tractors with current ELD and GPS
- 53' dry van trailers in good road condition
- Standard safety package including cameras
- Assigned equipment focused on regional reliability
✅ Driver Qualifications Snapshot
CDL & Experience
Valid Class A CDL with minimum 12 months recent regional or OTR experience
Record
Acceptable MVR and background check required
Operations
Comfortable with metro deliveries and occasional live loads
Other
DOT qualified and available for I-90/I-94 corridor work
📅 Typical Week & Home Time
Most drivers run 5–6 days with returns to the Madison terminal area for weekend reset. Weekend home time is the priority when freight flow allows. Some weeks include a mid-week layover depending on load board and customer appointments. Start times vary but dispatch tries to keep patterns predictable for family schedules. Peak retail periods can push extra volume along the corridor.
💰 How Pay Actually Works Here
- Base: $0.59 – $0.65 per mile depending on experience
- Additional: Stop pay, detention, and accessorials
- Safety bonus: Up to $800 per year
- Referral bonus available
- Annual range for steady runners: $70k–$90k
🔄 Day-to-Day Load Flow
- Mostly pre-booked lanes with some same-day adjustments
- Distribution center pickups common in Madison area
- Deliveries to retail warehouses and stores across the Midwest
- Dock appointments help but delays still happen at busy facilities
📝 Position Details – Madison Regional Dry Van
Central Wisconsin Freight runs consistent regional dry van freight out of the Madison area along the I-90 and I-94 corridors. Drivers handle retail merchandise, manufacturing components, and packaged consumer goods moving between distribution centers in southern Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis, and points in Iowa and Indiana. Most loads are drop-and-hook but you will see occasional live loads at manufacturing sites.
Pay runs $0.59–$0.65 per mile with stop, detention, and accessorial pay on top. Consistent drivers average $1,400–$1,800 weekly. The operation emphasizes weekend home time most weeks with 5–6 day runs and returns to the Madison terminal. Traffic around Chicago and the Twin Cities is part of the job – expect congestion and plan your drive times accordingly. Late model tractors and 53' vans stay on regional routes with full ELD compliance.
This is a solid regional seat for drivers who know Midwest corridors and don’t mind occasional metro work or weather-related variability during winter months along I-94.
🎁 What the Company Provides
❓ Questions Drivers Usually Ask
How often do I get home?
Most weekends, with occasional mid-week layovers depending on load sequencing.
Is this all drop and hook?
Mostly drop-and-hook, but expect some live loads especially at manufacturing facilities.
What about Chicago traffic?
It’s part of the lanes. Dispatch plans around peak times but delays around the city are normal.
How is the equipment?
Late model tractors and well-maintained 53' dry vans assigned to regional work.
📝 Getting Started
🚀 Apply Now
Complete the form below to apply for the CDL-A Regional Dry Van Driver position based in Madison, WI.