Home-Daily Refrigerated Delivery Seafood & Foodservice
CDL-A Local Seafood Distribution Driver
Hiring Area: Greater New Orleans & Gulf Coast • Terminal: Jefferson Parish / New Orleans East
New Orleans, LA Local / Short-Haul Multi-Stop 2021–2024 Day Cabs
Early-morning refrigerated runs deliver fresh and frozen seafood plus specialty proteins to restaurants, hotels, and markets across Greater New Orleans and selected Gulf Coast points. Home daily with typical weekly earnings near $1,600.
Weekly Gross Range
$1,450–$1,800
Typical Weekly ≈ $1,600 · Est. Annual at Typical: $83,200
Sign-On Bonus $2,000
Home Time Home Daily
Driver Type Local / Short-Haul
Weekly Miles 900–1,400
Freight Type Fresh & Frozen Seafood
Drivers move temperature-controlled seafood and mixed specialty proteins from local cold facilities straight into restaurant, hotel, and market receiving areas on multi-stop sequences.
- Matches case and pallet counts to delivery tickets at every stop.
- Uses hand truck or pallet jack for restaurant and market unloads.
- Records shortages, refusals, or temperature issues on the spot.
- Returns empty totes and pallets before leaving each customer.
- Updates dispatch on dock delays and remaining appointments.
- Manages trailer door time to protect cold-chain product.
Compensation runs on an hourly base with overtime and activity pay. Weekly gross varies with scheduled hours, qualifying delivery activity, and occasional detention.
Base Rate $31.00–$33.00 per hour
Weekly Gross Range $1,450–$1,800
Typical Weekly Earnings Approximately $1,600
Estimated Annual at Typical $83,200
Overtime 1.5× after 40 hours
Delivery Activity Pay $10–$15 on qualifying multi-stop routes
Detention $32 per hour after 90 minutes documented wait
Sign-On Bonus $2,000 paid in scheduled installments during the first year
Pay Frequency Weekly direct deposit
Home Time Home daily
Operating Area Greater New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, St. Bernard, Northshore, selected Mississippi Gulf Coast
Weekly Hours Approximately 44–48
Weekly Miles 900–1,400
Start Window 3:00–5:00 AM
Work Pattern Monday–Friday with rotating Saturday coverage in higher-volume periods
Tractors 2021–2024 Freightliner Cascadia or Kenworth T680 day cabs
Transmission Automated
Trailers 48' or 53' refrigerated (Thermo King or Carrier units)
Safety Systems ABS, collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise on selected units
Technology ELD, GPS/telematics, electronic DVIR, trailer temperature monitoring, refrigeration alarm notification
Assignment Assigned tractor when scheduling permits; slip-seating occurs during service or route changes
Trailer temperature and refrigeration setpoint are verified before departure. Drivers report alarms, door-seal damage, floor issues, or temperature deviations before leaving the yard. Maintenance is coordinated through the local shop network and dispatch.
Fresh Gulf shrimp, oysters, crab products, finfish, frozen seafood, and mixed specialty proteins originate from refrigerated facilities in Jefferson Parish, Elmwood, Harahan, New Orleans East, and the Port NOLA cold-storage network. Loads are commonly pre-staged before departure; customer deliveries are primarily live unloads.
- Metro core: Jefferson → New Orleans restaurant and hotel kitchens
- Metro core: Harahan → Metairie and New Orleans foodservice accounts
- Metro core: Elmwood → New Orleans East and Slidell markets
- Extended: New Orleans → Covington and Northshore points
- Extended: New Orleans → Baton Rouge short-hauls
- Extended: New Orleans → Houma, Gulfport, and Biloxi runs
- Primary corridors: I-10, I-12, I-310, I-610, US-90 and US-90 Business
- Arrive early, complete pre-trip inspection and refrigeration setpoint check.
- Confirm trailer assignment, load counts, and customer sequence.
- Take pre-staged trailer or complete live load at refrigerated warehouse.
- Work 8–14 stops mixing larger accounts and tight restaurant receiving areas.
- Obtain signatures, collect empty equipment, document any exceptions.
- Return to terminal or designated yard; no routine 34-hour reset required.
About the Carrier
The operation centers on refrigerated foodservice deliveries rather than long-haul truckload. Drivers report to a local terminal, verify a pre-staged refrigerated trailer, and work assigned customer sequences across the New Orleans metro and selected Gulf Coast markets. Early starts align with restaurant receiving windows. Local maintenance and dispatch handle equipment issues, temperature alarms, and same-day route adjustments so product remains under continuous cold-chain control from warehouse to final delivery door.
Medical / Dental / Vision Employee contribution options
401(k) Company match
Paid Time Off After eligibility requirements are met
Uniforms & Footwear Work shirts after introductory period; safety boot reimbursement
Training Paid orientation, refrigerated cold-chain handling, pallet-jack and hand-truck safety
Additional Support Referral program, terminal parking, dispatch-coordinated roadside assistance
- Valid Class A CDL and current DOT medical card
- Six months CDL-A experience preferred; less experience considered with strong safety record and recent training
- Acceptable MVR and PSP under company standards
- Ability to meet FMCSA drug and alcohol testing requirements
- Ability to operate hand truck or electric pallet jack and repeatedly handle food cases and totes
- Ability to perform repeated cab entry and exit throughout multi-stop delivery routes
- I-10 and major bridge approaches during morning traffic peaks
- Thunderstorms and heavy rain slowing access to low-lying customer sites
- Warehouse dock congestion or incomplete order staging
- Limited parking and informal receiving at smaller restaurants
- Hurricane-season closures and temporary customer schedule changes
1
Recruiter Call
Usually within one business day
2
Document Check
CDL, MVR, PSP, employment history
3
Screening
DOT drug screen and Clearinghouse query
4
Orientation
Paid local terminal onboarding, typically 3–7 days
Q: How much unloading work is involved? ▼
Most restaurant and market stops require the driver to unload with a hand truck or pallet jack. Larger foodservice accounts may offer dock access, but the route is not limited to dock-to-dock freight.
Q: Are routes mostly restaurants or larger accounts? ▼
Daily sequences mix independent seafood restaurants, hotel kitchens, restaurant groups, seafood markets, and occasional retail or institutional stops. Stop count and size vary by day.
Q: What happens when a customer rejects product? ▼
The driver documents the reason and notifies dispatch or customer service. Independent substitution or disposal is not permitted.
Q: How flexible is the daily stop order? ▼
Dispatch may resequence stops for traffic, product availability, late inbound seafood, or customer requests. Final sequence can change after early-morning updates.
Q: Is previous seafood experience required? ▼
No. Local multi-stop or refrigerated food-delivery experience is more relevant than prior seafood work.
Q: Can tractors be taken home overnight? ▼
Occasional home parking is allowed when company policy and local conditions permit. Terminal or designated yard return is the normal expectation.
The New Orleans metro and adjacent Gulf Coast corridors support a consistent mix of local multi-stop, short-haul refrigerated, port-related, and regional positions. Foodservice and temperature-controlled distribution form a durable segment because restaurant density and seafood processing create daily replenishment demand. Port activity and intermodal moves add further openings for drivers who prefer container or chassis work. Local carriers and mid-sized regional operators regularly seek drivers who can handle early starts, customer interaction, and physical delivery tasks. Drivers transitioning from long-haul often find home-daily refrigerated or food-distribution roles a practical alternative. Overall hiring remains steady across the year, with seasonal increases tied to tourism and hospitality volume.
Greater New Orleans combines Gulf seafood production, deep-water port capacity, and a large hospitality economy. Refrigerated warehouses concentrated in Jefferson Parish, Elmwood, Harahan, and New Orleans East receive both local catch and inbound frozen product, then support daily deliveries to restaurants, hotels, and markets. Port NOLA’s cold-cargo infrastructure feeds the same network. Tourism, festivals, and year-round dining generate recurring demand for fresh and frozen proteins. Corridors along I-10, I-12, and US-90 connect these facilities to Baton Rouge, the Northshore, Houma, and Mississippi Gulf Coast destinations. Volume rises around holidays and major events, yet the underlying restaurant and foodservice base keeps refrigerated freight active throughout the year. Production, import, and consumption together sustain continuous temperature-controlled distribution across the region.