Regional Dry Van Company Driver
CDL-A Regional Dry Van Driver – Cleveland, OH
Hiring Area: Northeast Ohio • Weekly Home Time
Cleveland, OH Regional No-Touch Freight
Cleveland-based regional dry-van work hauling palletized industrial components, packaging materials, consumer products and retail freight between Northeast Ohio, Ohio, western Pennsylvania, Michigan and western New York. Most freight is no-touch with a mix of drop-and-hook and scheduled live unloads.
Typical Weekly Gross
$1,500–$1,800
Typical Annual: $88,400
Typical Weekly $1,700
Base Rate $0.70 CPM
Home Time Weekly 34-hr reset
Weekly Miles 2,100–2,500
Freight No-touch dry van
This regional seat supports Cleveland-area manufacturing and distribution accounts. The driver moves finished, palletized freight between plants, warehouses and customer distribution centers rather than running general OTR freight.
- Hauls boxed automotive components, packaging, paper products and general industrial freight.
- Runs Cleveland-to-Midwest regional lanes with weekly home time.
- Handles mostly no-touch freight with regular drop-and-hook appointments.
- Checks seals, trailer condition, BOLs and appointment information before departure.
- Reports dock delays, missed appointments and equipment issues to dispatch.
- Uses ELD/HOS planning to manage multi-stop regional trips safely.
- Returns to the Cleveland area for the scheduled weekly 34-hour home reset.
Mileage pay is built around a $0.70 CPM base. Weekly earnings normally combine 2,100–2,500 paid miles with eligible detention, stop or other accessorial pay.
Weekly Gross Range $1,500–$1,800
Typical Weekly $1,700
Typical Annual $88,400
Base CPM $0.70 per paid mile
Detention $50/hour after 2 qualifying hours
Extra Stop $40 per qualifying stop
Sign-On Bonus $1,000 with eligibility terms
Pay Frequency Weekly direct deposit
Example: 2,400 paid miles at $0.70 CPM = $1,680 before qualifying accessorial pay.
Home Time Weekly 34-hour reset
Typical Week 4–5 nights out
Weekly Miles 2,100–2,500 paid miles
Operating Radius Approximately 250–450 miles from Cleveland
Typical Hours 45–55 hours on duty/driving combined
Start Times Usually 4:00 AM–8:00 AM
Tractors Freightliner Cascadia 2021–2025 / Kenworth T680 2020–2024
Configuration Regional sleeper tractor
Transmission Automatic
Trailers 53-ft dry vans, air-ride, swing or roll-up doors
Trailer Equipment Logistics posts, load bars and standard securement equipment
Safety Systems ELD, forward-facing camera, collision mitigation and lane-departure warning on equipped units
Assignment Assigned tractor when available; temporary slip-seat during maintenance
Preventive maintenance is handled through the Cleveland-area shop network and approved roadside vendors.
Freight is built around Cleveland's manufacturing and distribution corridor rather than random long-haul dispatches.
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Cleveland / Akron area to Columbus and central Ohio via I-71.
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Cleveland to Toledo and northwest Ohio using I-90 and the Ohio Turnpike.
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Cleveland to Detroit-area customers through Toledo and the I-75 corridor.
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Cleveland to Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania using I-80/I-76.
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Cleveland to Erie and Buffalo through the I-90 Great Lakes corridor.
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Youngstown and northeastern Ohio turns commonly use I-480, I-271 and I-80.
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Freight is typically palletized industrial, automotive-related, packaging, paper or retail replenishment product.
- Monday: Cleveland-area pickup, then a scheduled delivery toward Columbus or Toledo. Reload normally comes from the same industrial/distribution market.
- Tuesday: Regional turn toward Detroit or western Pennsylvania with a pre-booked delivery appointment.
- Wednesday: Cleveland–Pittsburgh or Cleveland–Buffalo freight depending on available customer volume.
- Thursday: Reload near the destination and reposition toward Northeast Ohio rather than deadheading back empty.
- Friday: Final Cleveland-area delivery, trailer drop or reload, followed by return to the terminal or approved parking.
- Every day: Pre-trip, seal verification, appointment check-in, BOL/POD handling, ELD compliance and communication with dispatch.
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Overnight parking is normally at approved truck stops, customer yards that permit parking, or designated carrier locations.
About the Carrier
This Cleveland-area operation is structured as a mid-sized regional dry-van fleet serving manufacturing plants, distribution warehouses and recurring commercial accounts throughout the Great Lakes and Midwest. The freight base is intentionally diversified: automotive-related components, packaged industrial products, paper and packaging, consumer goods and retail replenishment move through the same regional network. Drivers are dispatched around existing customer lanes rather than being assigned a fixed city pair every day. The Cleveland terminal position allows equipment to reach I-71, I-77, I-90 and the Ohio Turnpike quickly, making weekly home time practical while still producing 2,100–2,500 paid miles. Dispatch works one or two loads ahead so the driver knows the next destination without turning the job into a rigid dedicated route.
Health Coverage Medical, dental and vision options
Retirement 401(k) with company contribution
Paid Time Off Vacation/PTO based on tenure plus company holidays
Insurance Company-paid basic life coverage
Driver Support Paid orientation, safety equipment, ELD support and roadside assistance
Additional Rider program after eligibility, pet policy subject to equipment rules and terminal parking
- Valid Class A CDL.
- 6–12 months recent tractor-trailer experience preferred.
- Recent regional dry-van experience preferred but not mandatory for otherwise qualified drivers.
- Acceptable MVR and company/insurance safety review.
- Must pass DOT physical, drug screen and Clearinghouse requirements.
- Ability to back a 53-ft trailer, operate an ELD and handle dock paperwork.
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Manufacturing dock congestion and appointment changes.
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I-71, I-77, I-90 and I-480 construction or rush-hour traffic.
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Ohio Turnpike traffic during peak freight periods.
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Lake-effect snow and winter conditions east of Cleveland.
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Retail and distribution-center volume spikes before holidays.
1
Recruiter Call
Basic CDL, experience and home-time review
2
Qualification
MVR, employment, CDL and Clearinghouse review
3
DOT Screening
Drug screen, physical and onboarding
4
Dispatch
Equipment assignment and first regional load
Q: Is this OTR or regional work? ▼
This is regional work based in Cleveland. Drivers normally spend 4–5 nights out and return to the Cleveland area for a weekly 34-hour home reset.
Q: What freight will I actually haul? ▼
The freight is primarily palletized industrial and consumer product: automotive-related components, packaging materials, paper products, finished goods and retail replenishment. HazMat freight is not part of the normal operation.
Q: How much driving is typical each week? ▼
Most weeks produce approximately 2,100–2,500 paid miles. Actual mileage changes with customer volume, reload availability and traffic.
Q: Is the freight no-touch? ▼
Yes. Most freight is no-touch. Drivers are responsible for trailer inspection, seals, paperwork and backing into docks, but warehouse personnel normally load and unload the freight.
Q: What happens during a long dock delay? ▼
The driver records arrival and release times and contacts dispatch. Qualifying detention is paid at $50 per hour after the applicable two-hour threshold.
Q: Are additional endorsements required? ▼
No HazMat, tanker or passenger endorsement is required for the normal dry-van freight mix.
Cleveland's CDL-A market is supported by a broad manufacturing, warehouse and distribution base rather than a single freight segment. Regional dry-van positions commonly connect Northeast Ohio with Columbus, Toledo, Detroit, Pittsburgh and western New York. Current Cleveland-area postings show regional dry-van compensation around $0.70 CPM with weekly home-time programs, while other regional offers can vary by experience, mileage and accessorial structure. The local industrial base includes automotive-related manufacturing, packaging, consumer products and warehouse distribution, giving dry-van carriers several recurring freight sources. The Port of Cleveland also connects highway, rail and Great Lakes freight into the regional network. For a company driver, the practical distinction is not simply the CPM advertised but how many paid miles are produced, how often the truck returns home and how much additional compensation is available for detention or extra stops.
Cleveland sits inside a dense Great Lakes freight network where manufacturing, distribution and multimodal transportation overlap. I-90 runs east-west through the city, while I-71 and I-77 connect Cleveland with Columbus and the southern Ohio markets; I-480 and the Ohio Turnpike provide access around the metro and toward western Ohio. The Port of Cleveland has direct highway access to SR-2 and I-90, with I-77 and I-71 only minutes away, reinforcing the city's role as a regional distribution point. Cleveland's industrial submarkets also include warehouse activity around Cuyahoga Heights, Garfield Heights and the southern industrial corridor. For dry-van drivers, that creates practical short-to-medium regional loops: Cleveland to Columbus, Toledo, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Erie and Buffalo, with reload opportunities positioned around manufacturing and distribution centers rather than relying exclusively on long-haul freight.