Local CDL-A Position Home Daily

CDL-A Local River Terminal Freight Driver – Little Rock, AR Industrial Cargo Operations

Operating Area: Central Arkansas • Terminal: Port of Little Rock industrial district

Little Rock, AR Industrial Drayage 2020–2025 Day Cabs

Local industrial runs connecting the Port of Little Rock river terminal with plants and warehouses across Central Arkansas. Steel, cement, fertilizer and breakbulk cargo, home daily, typical weekly gross around $1,500.

Typical Weekly Gross
$1,500
Weekly Range: $1,400–$1,800
Typical Annual: $78,000
Base Pay $32/hr + OT after 40
Home Time Home Daily
Schedule Mon–Fri (occasional Sat)
Sign-On $1,500 (installments)
Miles 800–1,200 / week
Freight Steel / Bulk / Industrial

What the Day Actually Looks Like

Most of the work sits between river-terminal staging and short industrial deliveries rather than multi-stop city P&D.

  • Check in at terminal gates, confirm load numbers, seals and shipping paperwork.
  • Scale the loaded combination and correct axle weights before leaving the yard.
  • Follow site-specific PPE and traffic rules at plants and warehouses.
  • Secure steel or packaged freight with straps, chains or binders when the load requires it.
  • Report delays, detention time and HOS status to local dispatch as they happen.
  • Complete pre-trip and post-trip inspections through the ELD system.
  • Return to the Port-area terminal or company yard after the final move most days.

Pay & Compensation Breakdown

The position pays hourly because terminal waits, scale time and live loading make up a real part of every week.

Base Rate $32 per hour
Overtime $48 per hour after 40
Typical Weekly Gross $1,500
Weekly Range $1,400–$1,800
Typical Annual $78,000
Detention $32/hour after 2 hours documented
Sign-On Bonus $1,500 paid at 30 / 90 / 180 days
Payroll Weekly

Most weeks land near 45 hours. Straight hourly math sits around $1,520 before any detention or accessorial pay.

Schedule, Home Time & Operating Area

Home Time Home daily
Work Days Monday–Friday; occasional Saturday when volume requires it
Typical Start Between 5:00 and 7:00 AM
Operating Radius Mostly 75–125 air miles from Little Rock
Weekly Miles Usually 800–1,200
Hours Around 45 most weeks

Equipment & Cabin Specs

Tractors Freightliner Cascadia (2021–2025) and Kenworth T680 (2020–2024) day cabs
Transmission Automatic
Safety Systems Engine brake, collision mitigation, lane-departure warning; adaptive cruise on selected units
Cab Features ELD, air-ride, sliding fifth-wheel, forward dash camera, telematics
Trailers 48–53 ft dry vans, flatbeds, industrial drop trailers
Securement Gear Load bars, straps, chains, binders, corner protection
Assignment Assigned when available; slip seating during maintenance cycles

Drivers are not expected to run cranes or forklifts. Maintenance is coordinated through the company network and approved Little Rock shops.

Freight & Real Routes

Loads start at the Port of Little Rock, rail-served plants or nearby warehouses and move to manufacturing and distribution customers around Central Arkansas.

  • Steel products, pipe, aluminum, cement, fertilizer, rock, sand, aggregates, bagged goods, paper, pulp, lumber and machinery components.
  • Short transfers between Little Rock and North Little Rock across the Arkansas River.
  • Pine Bluff runs via I-30 / I-530 for steel and construction materials.
  • Conway lanes on I-40 for manufacturing and distribution freight.
  • Benton and Malvern moves along the I-30 corridor.
  • Occasional longer turns toward Memphis on I-40 when a reload fits the day.
  • Most days involve one to three substantial moves rather than a long string of retail stops.

Typical Week & Daily Workflow

  • First load is usually planned the night before; driver finishes pre-trip and pulls the assignment from the ELD.
  • Morning often begins with a terminal pickup, then a plant or warehouse delivery.
  • After unload, dispatch may already have a nearby reload ready instead of an empty return.
  • Mid-week order of work shifts with barge arrivals, rail activity and customer production.
  • Friday volume depends on how much freight customers want staged before the weekend.
  • Most days end back at the Port-area terminal or company yard.
  • Local dispatch stays in touch by ELD message and phone when something changes quickly.

About the Carrier

Short-haul capacity that can move freight between river terminals, rail-served plants and industrial warehouses is the core of this operation. The carrier runs a mid-sized regional fleet based near the Port of Little Rock, focusing on terminal-to-plant and terminal-to-warehouse work rather than long-haul dry van. Tractors stay local so drivers can respond to changing barge and rail schedules without multi-day cycles. The majority of volume comes from industrial accounts—steel, cement, fertilizer and packaged manufacturing materials—producing a steady mix of pre-staged trailers and live-load work inside Central Arkansas. Maintenance is handled through the company network and approved local shops; dispatch stays local.

Benefits & Healthcare Coverage

Medical / Dental / Vision Options for eligible employees
401(k) Plan with company contribution or match
Orientation & Training Paid
Equipment Support ELD, PPE, securement gear, terminal parking
Maintenance Preventive service and roadside coordination
DOT Physical Paid renewal where company policy applies

Driver Qualification Requirements

  • Valid Class A CDL
  • 6–12 months verifiable tractor-trailer experience preferred
  • Acceptable MVR; no serious recent moving violations
  • Must pass DOT physical and drug screening
  • Industrial, terminal or short-haul experience is helpful
  • Ability to work outdoors and handle basic securement equipment

Operational Delays

  • Barge unloading or rail switching can hold a trailer even after it is staged.
  • Morning traffic on I-30, I-40 and I-440 sometimes compresses appointment windows.
  • Thunderstorms or flooding-related restrictions occasionally force detours.
  • Busy industrial weeks can change the second assignment when several customers need the same trailers.
  • Live industrial loads usually take longer than drop-and-hook because of weighing and inspection.

Hiring Process

1
Recruiter Call
Usually within one business day
2
Verification
CDL, MVR, Clearinghouse, drug screen
3
Orientation
Little Rock terminal, typically 3–7 days
4
First Dispatch
Tractor assignment and start

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much of the work is drop-and-hook versus live load? ▼
Most weeks mix pre-staged or drop-and-hook freight with live loading and unloading. The balance changes with barge arrivals, plant schedules and customer volume.
Q: Do I need a HazMat endorsement for this job? ▼
No. Standard freight does not require it. Loads that need extra credentials are assigned only to drivers already qualified.
Q: Will I operate loading equipment? ▼
No. Cranes, forklifts and bulk-handling gear stay with terminal or customer personnel unless you are separately trained and authorized.
Q: What if the scale shows an illegal axle weight? ▼
You scale after loading and go back to the loading area for repositioning before entering the highway.
Q: Can I leave a loaded trailer overnight at a customer? ▼
Only when both the customer and dispatch approve it. Terminal parking is the normal end-of-day location.
Q: How often is Saturday work required? ▼
Occasionally—usually tied to barge unloading, plant production or seasonal industrial demand. It is not a fixed six-day schedule.

CDL Job Market in Little Rock

Little Rock maintains a diverse CDL-A market that includes interstate freight, regional distribution, manufacturing support, LTL, food distribution, construction materials, private fleets and river/rail industrial work. Manufacturing and logistics remain steady sources of demand, while the Port of Little Rock keeps multimodal positions open throughout the year. Basic local delivery roles draw from a larger driver pool and often start near $25 per hour. Positions that require industrial-terminal experience, heavy-cargo handling or specialized LTL P&D skills usually pay higher because fewer drivers bring the needed yard and backing experience. Competition is therefore uneven: general city runs fill faster than jobs that combine terminal traffic, scale discipline and industrial securement. Drivers comfortable with short-haul industrial moves continue to find openings across Central Arkansas.

Location & Freight Market

The Port of Little Rock sits on the Arkansas River with direct highway access via I-440, I-30 and I-40, creating an unusual concentration of truck, rail and barge activity inside one industrial district. Advanced metals, machinery manufacturing and food products generate major cargo streams; companies such as Welspun, Ryerson, Boyd Metals and Hormel Foods operate in or near the port zone. Arkansas’s broader steel base feeds inbound raw materials and outbound finished pipe and fabricated products that move by barge, rail and truck. The terminal handles cement, rock, sand, steel coils, aluminum shapes, fertilizer, wire rod and other bulk and breakbulk commodities, supported by truck and rail scales, outside storage and warehouse space. Construction cycles, agricultural shipments and year-end industrial production create seasonal swings, yet the multimodal infrastructure keeps freight moving through Central Arkansas year-round.

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