Local CDL-A Position Reefer Position
CDL-A Local Reefer Produce Driver – Fresno, CA
Hiring Area: Fresno & Central San Joaquin Valley • Terminal: Fresno, CA
Fresno, CA Local / Home Daily 2020–2024 Tractors
Home-daily reefer runs moving palletized fresh produce through the Central Valley. Hourly pay $31–$34 plus overtime, typical weekly gross around $1,750 with a normal range of $1,500–$1,950.
Typical Weekly Gross
$1,500–$1,950
Typical Week: ~$1,750
Hourly Pay $31–$34/hr + OT
Home Time Home Daily
Schedule 45–52 hrs/week
Sign-On Bonus $1,500
Estimated Annual ~$91,000
Local refrigerated produce work centered on packing houses, cold storage and regional receivers across the San Joaquin Valley.
- Complete pre-trip inspection on tractor and reefer unit.
- Verify temperature set point and trailer readiness before loading.
- Pick up palletized produce from packing houses or cold storage.
- Deliver to grocery, foodservice and wholesale receivers.
- Handle BOL, seal numbers and signed POD documentation.
- Manage live-load, live-unload and drop-and-hook appointments.
- Report delays, temperature alarms and dock issues to dispatch.
Pay is hourly at $31–$34 with overtime at 1.5× after 40 hours. Weekly gross depends on total hours, overtime and route volume. Detention is paid separately after two hours of documented customer delay and is not included in typical figures.
Hourly Rate $31–$34
Typical Weekly Gross ~$1,750
Normal Weekly Range $1,500–$1,950
Estimated Annual Gross ~$91,000
Overtime 1.5× after 40 hours
Detention $30/hour after 2 hours (approved)
Sign-On Bonus $1,500 ($500 at 30/90/180 days)
Pay Frequency Weekly direct deposit
Home Time Home daily (normal schedule)
Typical Hours 45–52 per week, generally 5 days
Dispatch Window 3:00–6:00 AM starts common
Operating Area Fresno, Clovis, Sanger, Selma, Parlier, Kingsburg, Madera, Hanford and selected Central Valley points
Saturday Work More frequent during harvest peaks
Overnight Stays Not planned; only safety or operational exceptions
Tractors 2020–2024 Freightliner Cascadia and Kenworth T680; some newer units in rotation
Transmission Automatic
Cab Configuration Mostly day cabs; limited sleepers for longer California turns
Trailers 48- and 53-ft reefer, generally 3–7 years old, Thermo King or Carrier
Safety Systems ELD, electronic DVIR, forward-facing cameras, collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise on newer units
Assignment Assigned when available; limited slip-seating for maintenance
Routine maintenance is handled through the Fresno-area shop network. Defects are reported via ELD/DVIR; roadside failures are coordinated through operations.
Palletized chilled produce—table grapes, peaches, nectarines, citrus, tomatoes, garlic, leafy vegetables and mixed perishables—moves from packing houses and cold storage to grocery and wholesale receivers.
- Fresno → Sacramento / Stockton / Modesto turns
- Fresno → Bakersfield and southern Valley destinations
- Selma / Kingsburg / Madera → Fresno cold-storage short hauls
- Fresno → Tracy / Oakland / Bay Area receivers when volume requires
- Fresno → Los Angeles on higher-volume outbound days
- CA-99 handles most north-south Valley positioning
- I-5, I-580 and I-205 used for longer California or Bay Area legs
- First load is usually assigned before the early start.
- Pre-trip covers tractor, reefer unit and temperature checks.
- Time at packing houses varies with live load versus pre-hooked trailers.
- Mid-week days mix short local moves with Central Valley turns.
- Next assignment is planned while the current delivery is finishing.
- Friday freight often stays closer to Fresno or moves north for weekend demand.
- Harvest weeks bring later packing-house loads and same-day resequencing.
About the Carrier
Pre-cooled produce leaving packing houses needs refrigerated capacity that stays inside the Central Valley rather than stretching into long-haul cycles. A mid-sized refrigerated carrier focuses on local and short-regional temperature-controlled moves between growers, cold-storage facilities and produce distributors. Equipment and dispatch remain centered in the Fresno area so drivers can protect product condition across daily cycles. Seasonal harvest surges create additional demand for outbound reefer capacity, while established cold-storage and grocery patterns supply baseline volume the rest of the year.
Medical Employee contribution after eligibility
Dental & Vision Available
401(k) Modest company match after eligibility
Orientation & Training Paid orientation, reefer and cold-chain training
Additional Paid DOT physical renewal, safety vest & PPE, terminal parking, local dispatch, driver referral program
- Valid Class A CDL with interstate eligibility
- 6 months verifiable tractor-trailer experience preferred
- Reefer or produce experience preferred but not required
- Clean MVR consistent with company insurance standards
- Pass DOT physical and pre-employment drug/alcohol testing
- Ability to work early mornings and occasional Saturdays
- Comfort entering packing houses and cold-storage yards
- Recent CDL graduates considered with strong school record and MVR
- Harvest peaks create longer waits at packing-house doors
- CA-99 and I-5 congestion during commuting or construction periods
- Winter rain slows farm access roads and packing operations
- Reefer trailer shortages when multiple shippers move product at once
- Appointment windows shift when product readiness changes
1
Recruiter Call
Within one business day
2
Document Review
CDL, MVR, employment, Clearinghouse
3
Drug Screen & Physical
DOT testing completed
4
Orientation
One day at Fresno terminal, paid
Q: How much of the work is drop-and-hook versus live load? ▼
Most weeks combine preloaded or drop-and-hook trailers with live loading at packing houses and live unloading at receivers. Harvest periods generally mean more live activity and longer waits.
Q: What happens if a packing house runs late? ▼
Dispatch resequences the next stop or substitutes another reload. HOS remains the hard limit.
Q: Are overnight stays part of the normal schedule? ▼
No. Home daily is the normal schedule. Overnight stays are not planned and would only occur as a safety or operational exception, with parking directed to a secured customer yard or company facility.
Q: Is a HazMat endorsement required? ▼
No. Standard fresh-produce accounts do not require HazMat.
Q: How are temperature issues handled on the road? ▼
Drivers monitor box temperature and reefer alarms through the onboard system and report problems promptly so maintenance or dispatch can intervene.
Q: Can recent CDL graduates apply? ▼
Yes, when the school record, MVR and safety profile meet company standards. A structured training period is used.
Fresno drivers see a mix of produce, refrigerated food, dairy, dry van and regional distribution work, with agricultural freight creating especially strong demand around packing and harvest seasons. Local Class A openings commonly involve early starts, refrigerated equipment and seasonal volume swings at packing houses and cold-storage facilities. Hourly rates for local food and reefer work currently range from the mid-$20s into the low-$30s depending on segment and experience. Foodservice fleets, LTL carriers and independent refrigerated operators all compete for the same local driver pool. Harvest and shipping peaks generate the strongest short-term hiring pressure, while established grocery and cold-storage patterns support baseline demand the rest of the year.
Fresno sits at the center of California’s San Joaquin Valley and functions as a major agricultural production, packing and distribution point. More than 1.88 million acres of farmland and over 350 crops generate a continuous flow of perishable products that must move under temperature control. County agricultural production exceeded $9 billion in 2024, with table grapes, stone fruit, citrus, tomatoes, garlic and leafy vegetables forming the bulk of outbound refrigerated freight. CA-99 serves as the primary north-south spine while I-5, I-580 and I-205 link the valley to Bay Area and southern California markets. Packing houses pre-cool, palletize and stage product for refrigerated trailers headed to grocery chains and wholesale distributors. Seasonal harvest surges increase loading volume and tighten equipment availability, while the rest of the year relies on steady cold-storage and distribution patterns that keep refrigerated capacity in demand.