Regional CDL-A Position Foodservice Reefer
CDL-A Regional Foodservice Driver – Memphis, TN
Hiring Area: Memphis Metro & Regional • Terminal: Memphis, TN
Memphis, TN Regional Multi-Stop 2021–2025 Volvos
Multi-stop refrigerated foodservice routes from Memphis into Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, western Kentucky and selected Alabama markets. Earn $1,700–$2,300 weekly with several nights home and early-morning restaurant-supply deliveries.
Weekly Gross
$1,700–$2,300
Estimated Annual: $88,400–$119,600
Sign-On Bonus Up to $2,000
Home Time Several nights weekly
Driver Type Regional Foodservice
Weekly Miles 1,600–2,300
Freight Type Reefer / Frozen / Dry
Memphis-based regional work that blends reefer linehaul with multi-stop foodservice delivery serving restaurants, hotels, healthcare facilities, schools and institutional kitchens.
- Confirm reefer settings, seals and case counts prior to departure.
- Operate electric pallet jacks and hand trucks at customer locations.
- Complete electronic PODs and record shortages or damage.
- Work 6–12 mixed pallet and case stops under morning appointment windows.
- Update dispatch on HOS status and any needed route changes.
- Handle individual cases weighing approximately 50 pounds or more.
Hourly rate is $28–$34 with overtime after 40 hours. At a typical $32 rate and 52–55 hours the base calculation lands near $1,856–$2,000; modest productivity pay brings a representative week to approximately $1,950.
Weekly Range $1,700–$2,300
Typical Weekly Gross ≈ $1,950
Estimated Annual Range $88,400–$119,600
Typical Annual ≈ $101,400
Hourly Rate $28–$34
Sign-On Bonus Up to $2,000
Bonus Payout $500 after 30 days • $500 after 90 days • $1,000 after 180 days
Home Time Several nights home each week
Operating Radius 250–350 air miles from Memphis
Weekly Miles 1,600–2,300
Weekly Hours 48–58 (typical 52–55)
Dispatch Window 4:00–6:00 AM
Overnight Pattern 1–2 regional stays most weeks
Tractors Volvo VNL regional sleepers
Model Years Primarily 2021–2025
Transmission Automatic
Trailers 53-ft multi-temperature or conventional reefer
Reefer Units Thermo King with electronic temperature monitoring
Safety Features Collision mitigation, adaptive cruise, lane-departure warning
Assignment Assigned when available; occasional slip-seat during maintenance
Daily equipment also includes electric and manual pallet jacks, two-wheel hand trucks, liftgates, dock plates, load bars and cargo straps.
Outbound loads consist of palletized frozen foods, refrigerated meats, dairy, produce, dry grocery, beverages, paper products and kitchen consumables moving from Memphis distribution facilities to restaurants and institutional accounts.
- Memphis to Nashville on the I-40 corridor for restaurant and institutional stops
- Memphis to Little Rock westbound on I-40 with mixed refrigerated and dry freight
- Memphis to Jackson, MS south on I-55 multi-stop restaurant supply
- Memphis to Birmingham via the I-22 corridor
- Memphis combinations serving Jonesboro, Jackson TN, Tupelo and Oxford
- Common loops such as Jackson TN → Nashville → return to Memphis
- Daily re-sequencing driven by delivery windows and product availability
- Report between 4:00 and 6:00 AM for tractor and reefer pre-trip inspection.
- Verify temperature settings, seals, case counts and route paperwork.
- Leave the Memphis distribution facility for the first tight appointment window.
- Complete 6–12 restaurant or institutional stops using pallet jacks and hand trucks.
- Obtain PODs and note any shortages or exceptions before departing each site.
- Work with dispatch on re-sequencing or possible reloads as the day progresses.
- Return to the Memphis terminal or an approved overnight location for the reset.
About the Carrier
Early-morning replenishment of frozen, refrigerated and dry products keeps Mid-South restaurants and institutional kitchens operating. A mid-sized regional carrier supplies that capacity by connecting Memphis-area distribution centers with multi-stop routes across Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, western Kentucky and parts of Alabama. Emphasis stays on cold-chain integrity and reliable appointment performance rather than pure linehaul volume, producing a blend of regional miles and active customer-facing foodservice work that larger national fleets often treat as separate functions.
Health Coverage Medical, Dental, Vision
Retirement 401(k) with company contribution
Time Off Paid vacation and paid holidays
Life Insurance Company-paid basic plus optional supplemental
Training & Gear Paid orientation, route training, uniforms, safety-apparel allowance
Additional Driver referral program, productivity incentives, terminal parking
- Valid Class A CDL and minimum age of 21
- Approximately 6–12 months CDL-A experience preferred; foodservice or multi-stop background helpful
- Clean MVR consistent with company insurance standards
- Physical ability to handle cases of 50 pounds or more and operate pallet jacks
- No HazMat, tanker or doubles/triples endorsement required
- 30–60 minute dock waits at the Memphis warehouse or customer sites
- Missing cases, product substitutions and pallet-count discrepancies
- Morning congestion on I-40, I-55 and the I-240 loop affecting early windows
- Customer receiving delays during holiday and peak restaurant periods
- Incomplete orders that create short live-load waits before departure
1
Application Review
CDL and employment history check
2
Recruiter Screen
Phone call usually within one business day
3
Qualification & DOT
MVR, background, Clearinghouse query, drug screen
4
Road Test & Offer
Equipment evaluation followed by paid orientation
Q: How physical is the unloading work on a typical day? ▼
Most stops require moving pallets with an electric jack plus handling individual cases that can weigh 50 pounds or more. Restaurant and institutional receiving areas frequently lack full dock height, so hand trucks and occasional liftgate use are routine.
Q: How many stops are typical per day? ▼
Routes generally include 6–12 customer stops mixing palletized freight and loose cases.
Q: Are routes fixed or do they change during the day? ▼
Primary destinations are known before departure, yet stop sequence and occasional reloads adjust based on customer windows, traffic and product availability.
Q: Is previous foodservice experience required? ▼
It is strongly preferred. Drivers with solid safety records and less foodservice background may still be considered after completing company training.
Q: What happens if a customer is not ready when I arrive? ▼
Record arrival time and notify dispatch. Detention is documented through ELD and POD notes; drivers are not expected to exceed legal hours to protect later appointments.
Q: How much overnight driving is expected? ▼
Longer runs to Nashville, Birmingham, Little Rock or multi-stop combinations typically produce 1–2 overnight stays in a normal week.
Q: How are temperature alarms handled on the road? ▼
Drivers monitor the Thermo King units, match settings to the manifest and report any alarms at once so dispatch and maintenance can respond.
Q: Where do drivers park on overnight regional runs? ▼
Approved truck stops along the I-40, I-22 and I-55 corridors are the standard options. Planning begins before HOS becomes restrictive, especially later in the week.
Memphis ranks among the denser CDL-A labor markets in the Mid-South. Intermodal terminals, parcel hubs, LTL networks, food distribution centers, dedicated retail fleets and general freight carriers all draw from the same driver pool. The city’s location on the Mississippi River, its rail-intermodal complex and proximity to Memphis International Airport sustain high freight volume year-round. Foodservice roles compete directly with these segments for experienced Class A talent; the combination of early starts, physical unloading and multi-stop delivery means carriers must offer competitive hourly rates and regular home time to attract and retain drivers who prefer regional work over pure OTR. National foodservice operators maintain continuous recruiting presence alongside smaller regional fleets, keeping openings consistent across seasons.
Memphis sits at the center of a natural Mid-South distribution zone defined by I-40, I-55, I-22 and the I-240 loop. Food manufacturers, grocery warehouses and restaurant-supply facilities cluster here precisely because the same corridors reach Nashville, Little Rock, Jackson MS, Birmingham, Jonesboro, Tupelo, Jackson TN and Oxford within a single operating day. Refrigerated and dry foodservice product therefore moves outbound on predictable replenishment cycles that serve restaurants, hotels, schools and healthcare kitchens across Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, western Kentucky and northern Alabama. Seasonal restaurant demand and holiday volume spikes intensify the flow, while the steady institutional segment keeps baseline volume stable. Geography and existing warehouse infrastructure make the city a logical base for carriers specializing in multi-stop food distribution rather than long-haul dry van alone.