Intermodal Position Regional CDL-A

Regional Intermodal CDL-A Truck Driver — Lexington, KY (Home Daily)

Hiring Area: Lexington & Central Kentucky • Primary Rail: Georgetown NS Terminal

Lexington, KY Regional Drayage Day Cab Fleet

Pull intermodal containers from the Georgetown rail terminal to central Kentucky manufacturing and warehouse sites, with daily home returns and a pay model combining hourly wages plus activity pay for completed moves.

Weekly Gross Range
$1,600–$1,950
Model-based annual at typical week: $93,600
Base Rate $29/hour
Home Time Home Daily
Sign-On $1,500 (3 × $500)
Typical Moves ~8 qualifying / week
Employment Company Driver

How the Work Runs

Containers move from rail release at Georgetown to industrial and warehouse receivers; the driver’s day mixes gate work, short hauls, and equipment exchanges rather than continuous highway miles.

  • Verify container number, locking pins, and chassis before leaving the terminal.
  • Complete gate transactions and follow designated terminal lanes.
  • Deliver within customer appointment windows and follow site instructions.
  • Record timestamps for eligible detention claims.
  • Return empties only to the authorized depot or pool.
  • Report defects and stop movement if equipment fails inspection.

Pay Structure (Model Offer)

Compensation combines hourly pay for on-duty time with $25 activity pay for each qualifying completed container move. Overtime treatment follows the written plan and applicable rules; the figures below illustrate the source calculation, not a guaranteed weekly total.

Advertised Weekly Range $1,600–$1,950
Typical-Week Example 50 hrs (40 × $29 + 10 × $43.50) + 8 moves × $25 = ~$1,795
Lower-Volume Example 42 hrs + 5 moves ≈ $1,400–$1,420
Base Hourly $29
Overtime Rate $43.50 after 40 hours (per written plan)
Activity Pay $25 per qualifying completed move
Detention $25/hr after 60 min documented customer wait (conditional)
Sign-On Bonus $1,500 paid $500 after 30, 90, and 180 days (eligibility & safety requirements apply)
Annual at Typical Week $1,800 × 52 = $93,600 (excludes bonus & unguaranteed detention)

Daily Schedule & Operating Window

Home Time Home daily on normal account schedule
Start Window Approximately 5:00–8:00 AM (rail release & first appointment)
Workdays Usually five; occasional Saturday when volume requires
Shift Length 8–10 hours on shorter days; longer when terminal or live-unload delays occur
Primary Lanes Georgetown rail to Lexington-area customers via I-75
Secondary I-64 toward Louisville; I-71 for selected northern moves

Tractors, Chassis & Technology

Tractors Mixed 2021–2025 Freightliner Cascadia and Kenworth T680 day cabs (older maintained units possible)
Transmission Automatic common; manual units may remain
Chassis 20-, 40-, 53-ft intermodal; sliding/adjustable where available
On-Board ELD, GPS dispatch visibility, electronic inspections, forward-facing cameras
Safety Features Collision mitigation & lane-departure depend on specific tractor
Assignment Assigned when fleet allows; shared during peaks or maintenance

Drivers report defects; no unauthorized repairs. Maintenance is scheduled through carrier or approved vendors.

Freight & Service Lanes

General freight in containers—boxed consumer goods, packaged industrial supplies, retail inventory, automotive components, machinery parts—moves between the rail facility and regional receivers. No dedicated hazmat or reefer operation is described.

  • Georgetown NS terminal → Lexington industrial and distribution sites (core local work)
  • Georgetown → Nicholasville manufacturing and warehouse deliveries
  • Georgetown → Winchester regional industrial freight
  • Georgetown → Richmond customer facilities
  • Georgetown → Louisville longer regional moves when assigned
  • Georgetown → Cincinnati / northern Kentucky freight subject to appointment and authorization
  • Occasional Louisville–Lexington repositioning or customer-directed moves
  • Rare longer Georgetown–Knoxville assignments only when demand and remaining hours make a same-day return practical

What a Productive Week Looks Like

  • First assignment and equipment status confirmed before the driver leaves home base.
  • Gate time at Georgetown typically 15–30 minutes when equipment is ready; longer during busy periods or release delays.
  • Local Lexington-area trips allow multiple container cycles; a Louisville or Cincinnati run can consume most of one shift.
  • Typical modeled week assumes roughly eight qualifying moves across ~50 paid hours.
  • Mid-week (Tue–Thu) often sees the heaviest overlap of rail releases and customer receiving windows.
  • After customer release the driver receives the next loaded move, empty return, or reposition order.
  • Day closes with interchange paperwork and confirmation of the approved parking location.

About the Carrier

Short-haul intermodal capacity is required to move containers from the Norfolk Southern terminal north of Lexington to manufacturing plants, distribution centers, and warehouses across central Kentucky. The operation is organized around recurring customer relationships and rail availability rather than fixed city pairs. Dispatch sequences work according to container release status, chassis condition, and receiver appointment windows, adjusting the day when a gate delay or equipment exception appears. Terminal queues and live-unload times are treated as normal variables; the carrier coordinates replacement equipment or revised instructions when a chassis fails inspection or a container is held.

Benefits Package (As Described)

Medical Options under company eligibility and enrollment rules
Dental & Vision Where included in the selected plan
401(k) Plan with any employer match per written terms
Paid Time Off Accrual, eligibility, and scheduling per company policy
Orientation Paid; includes rail-terminal, chassis, and interchange training
Operational Support Detention documentation help, TWIC reimbursement when required, safety-apparel support, maintenance coordination

Minimum Qualifications

  • Valid Class A CDL
  • ~6 months CDL-A experience preferred; strong training record may be considered
  • Acceptable MVR under company and insurer standards
  • DOT medical card and required drug/alcohol testing & Clearinghouse query
  • Ability to inspect chassis, locking pins, and visible container damage
  • Ability to operate mobile dispatch app and complete interchange records
  • Preferred: prior intermodal, rail-yard, or terminal-gate experience

Common Delays on This Account

  • Container not yet released or required chassis unavailable
  • Gate queues during peak terminal periods (can exceed one hour)
  • I-75 congestion, local construction, or winter weather
  • Customer door occupied or warehouse labor not ready for live unload
  • Equipment exchange required after a failed chassis inspection

Hiring Steps (5–10 Business Days Typical)

1
Apply
CDL info & recent work history
2
Screen
Recruiter contact usually within 1 day
3
Qualify
MVR, background, DOT drug test
4
Orient & Dispatch
Terminal/chassis training then first load

Practical Questions

Q: How many container moves can fit in a normal day? ▼
Local Georgetown–Lexington cycles leave room for several moves. A longer Louisville or Cincinnati assignment often limits the day to one or two cycles because of travel and possible live-unload time.
Q: What if the chassis fails inspection at the terminal? ▼
Movement stops. The driver reports the defect and waits for dispatch to arrange an exchange or revised instructions. Improvised substitutions are not allowed.
Q: Are drop-and-hook containers the norm? ▼
Some receivers accept a drop and release the driver after paperwork. Others require the equipment to remain until unloading is finished.
Q: Where do empty containers go? ▼
Only to the depot or equipment pool designated by dispatch. Incorrect returns create extra charges and delay the next assignment.
Q: Is overnight parking at home allowed? ▼
Only when company policy, insurance, and local parking rules permit. Standard practice is return to the designated Lexington-area yard.
Q: When is a TWIC card needed? ▼
Only for specific customer sites that require it. Reimbursement is available when the account and company policy authorize the cost.

CDL-A Employment Picture in Lexington

Lexington’s CDL-A market is moderate in size and spread across several employer types. National and regional carriers compete with local trucking companies and private fleets that run dedicated manufacturing or distribution routes. LTL terminals and regional dry-van operations attract drivers who want predictable daily schedules. Intermodal and rail-connected work forms a smaller but distinct segment centered on the Georgetown terminal and, to a greater extent, the larger Louisville intermodal complex. Construction-related hauling and automotive-supply moves add further openings. Both experienced Class A drivers and those moving from local delivery or dry-van roles find opportunities. Demand stays relatively steady because manufacturing, retail replenishment, and rail-linked freight continue year-round, though volume fluctuates with production cycles and seasonal shipping peaks.

Why Freight Moves Through Central Kentucky

Manufacturing plants, automotive suppliers, retail distribution centers, and general industrial sites around Lexington generate ongoing inbound and outbound freight. Many of those facilities sit within a short drive of the Norfolk Southern intermodal terminal in Georgetown, making rail-to-truck container delivery the practical link between long-haul rail service and local receivers. Containers therefore routinely travel the short corridors from Georgetown into Lexington, Nicholasville, Winchester, and Richmond. Longer assignments toward Louisville or the Cincinnati area appear when customer contracts and equipment availability support them. I-75 carries the bulk of north–south traffic; I-64 provides the east–west connection to Louisville. Seasonal retail peaks and production changes raise or lower daily container counts, but the underlying mix of manufacturing and distribution keeps a base level of short-haul intermodal demand in place throughout the year.

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