CDL-A Local Grocery Yard Shuttle Driver – Home Daily in Memphis, TN

This local Class A position supports refrigerated grocery distribution. Most shifts involve yard moves and short facility transfers, not store-to-store delivery routes.

• Move loaded and empty 53-foot trailers between assigned doors and yard locations.
• Check trailer condition, refrigeration status and seals before movement.
• Coordinate trailer assignments with dispatch, warehouse staff and yard control.
• Complete coupling checks, pre-trip inspections and electronic logs.
• Make occasional short shuttle runs between nearby distribution facilities.
• Report equipment defects, blocked doors, delays and unsafe yard conditions.
• Follow customer speed limits, designated traffic lanes and dock procedures.

Pay is hourly because yard work includes coupling, backing, inspections and waiting for trailer assignments. Overtime applies after 40 hours in a workweek for eligible hours.

Annual pay is an estimate based on a typical 50-hour week at $24 per hour, including 10 overtime hours. Actual earnings depend on the assigned rate, hours worked and shift availability. Bonus payments are separate.

Start times depend on warehouse coverage. Some shifts include nights, weekends or holiday rotations. Daily home time means returning after the assigned shift, subject to operational changes.

The fleet consists of maintained working tractors rather than premium show equipment. Drivers use assigned or available units, with substitutions during maintenance or busy periods.

Most assignments stay on distribution property. Short public-road transfers are used when nearby facilities need trailer capacity.

• Primary freight: frozen foods, dairy, packaged groceries, meat and produce.
• Local moves: warehouse doors, refrigerated staging areas and overflow yards.
• Nearby facilities: Olive Branch, Southaven and Horn Lake, Mississippi.
• Additional transfers: West Memphis, Arkansas, and selected Memphis-area sites.
• Common road connections: I-40, I-55, I-240 and I-69, depending on the assignment.
• Work mix: predominantly drop-and-hook and yard repositioning, with occasional live-dock coordination.

Specific facilities and transfer frequency vary by customer requirements. This is not a guaranteed fixed-lane route.

• Check in with the yard coordinator and review the initial move list.
• Inspect the tractor, couple safely and verify trailer identification.
• Move loaded trailers to receiving doors or outbound staging positions.
• Return empties, reposition trailers and respond to priority changes.
• Report reefer alarms, damaged equipment, seal issues or blocked lanes.
• Finish assigned moves, complete post-trip checks and close out logs.

• Valid Class A commercial driver's license.
• Current DOT medical qualification.
• Recent tractor-trailer experience; yard experience preferred.
• Acceptable motor vehicle record and employment history.
• Successful completion of required DOT drug testing and Clearinghouse review.
• Ability to back 53-foot trailers and repeatedly enter and exit the cab.
• Availability for assigned day, evening, overnight or weekend shifts.

Reefer experience is helpful but not mandatory. No HazMat endorsement is required for standard grocery trailer movements.

• Waiting for warehouse doors, released trailers or updated move instructions.
• Congestion during grocery replenishment peaks and holiday shipping periods.
• Short-transfer traffic and roadwork around Memphis and DeSoto County.
• Rain, summer heat and winter weather affecting yard safety and equipment checks.
• Changes to shift priorities when outbound loads are delayed or moved forward.

Memphis offers a broad CDL-A employment market covering warehouse shuttle, yard hostler, local delivery, intermodal, LTL and regional trucking. Yard-driver pay varies with shift, overtime, customer requirements and prior tractor-trailer experience. Local listings include hourly positions around the low-to-upper $20s, making overtime and reliable weekly hours important when comparing offers. Grocery distribution creates a distinct opportunity for drivers who prefer short movements and daily home time over long-haul mileage. Candidates should compare base rates, guaranteed hours, weekend coverage, benefits and bonus conditions before choosing a local CDL-A position.

Memphis is a major Mid-South freight center with connections along I-40, I-55, I-240 and I-69. Warehouses, cold-storage buildings and grocery distribution facilities support regular movement of frozen foods, dairy, packaged products and other temperature-controlled freight. Nearby Southaven, Olive Branch and Horn Lake extend the distribution network into northern Mississippi, while West Memphis provides access across the Mississippi River into Arkansas. Yard shuttle drivers help maintain dock availability by repositioning loaded and empty trailers as warehouse priorities change. Local assignments can involve repeated backing, close-quarters maneuvering and occasional short highway transfers.

Apply for the Memphis CDL-A Yard Shuttle Position

Review the shift, hourly rate and bonus terms with the recruiter before accepting an assignment.