Regional CDL-A Position Dry Van

CDL-A Regional Dry Van Driver – Southeast Freight Lanes

Hiring Area: Savannah, GA • Terminal: Savannah-area

Savannah, GA Regional 2020–2025 Tractors

Run regional dry van loads of palletized general freight out of Savannah warehouses across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama and Tennessee. Weekly home time, $1,450–$1,750 typical gross and roughly $85,800 annual based on consistent miles.

Typical Weekly Gross
$1,450–$1,750
Estimated Annual: $85,800
Sign-On Bonus $1,500
Home Time Weekly (1–2 nights away)
Driver Type Company Driver
Weekly Miles 2,100–2,450
Freight Type Palletized Dry Van

Position Overview

Appointment-based truckload work moves palletized merchandise from Savannah-area distribution centers and manufacturing sites along the Pooler, Bloomingdale, Port Wentworth and I-16 corridors. The operation stays domestic dry van—no chassis or marine terminal work.

  • Checks seals, confirms BOL information and secures signed POD paperwork.
  • Notifies dispatch early when traffic, warehouse delays or HOS limits threaten the next appointment.
  • Completes thorough pre-trip and post-trip inspections each day.
  • Plans fuel and legal parking around remaining hours rather than at the end of the shift.
  • Works primarily no-touch freight; live loading or unloading occurs at certain facilities.

Pay & Compensation Breakdown

Pay runs at $0.68 per mile. A normal 2,350-mile week yields about $1,598; adding typical detention of roughly $50 brings the gross near $1,650. Lower-volume weeks sit around $1,450. Higher-mileage weeks reach the upper end of the range when detention or other qualifying accessorial pay is added. The advertised range reflects normal operating weeks; unusually high-volume periods may vary. Sign-on bonus is $1,500, paid in three $500 installments after 60, 120 and 180 days of active employment and acceptable safety performance.

Weekly Gross Range $1,450–$1,750
Typical Weekly Gross $1,650
Estimated Annual Gross $85,800
Sign-On Bonus $1,500 (three installments)
Detention $25/hour after two qualifying hours
Payroll Weekly with direct-deposit option

Schedule, Home Time & Routes

Home Time Weekly, normally 1–2 nights away with 34-hour reset
Operating Area Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and selected nearby lanes
Terminal Savannah-area
Weekly Paid Miles 2,100–2,450
Dispatch Phone or electronic; next load often planned before current delivery finishes

Equipment & Cabin Specs

Tractor Models Freightliner Cascadia 2021–2025, Kenworth T680 2020–2024
Transmission Automatic
Trailers 53-ft dry vans roughly 2019–2025 with logistics posts and load bars
Safety Systems ELD, electronic stability and traction control, collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise on selected units, driver- and road-facing cameras where equipped
Assignment Assigned tractor when fleet allows; temporary swaps during maintenance are normal

The fleet mixes newer and proven sleeper tractors set up for regional work. Maintenance runs through the carrier’s network and approved shops; roadside issues are coordinated by operations rather than left solely to the driver.

Real Routes

Palletized consumer goods, packaged products, paper and packaging, industrial components, retail inventory and building materials leave Savannah-area warehouses and manufacturing plants. Most work is drop-and-hook; live loads and unloads still appear at manufacturing sites and some distribution centers. No permanent daily lane is assigned—dispatch matches the truck’s next practical position.

  • Savannah / Pooler / Bloomingdale outbound to Columbia, SC
  • Savannah to Charlotte, NC with reload options in Gastonia, Spartanburg or Greenville
  • Savannah to Jacksonville, FL then possible continuation toward Orlando or Atlanta
  • Savannah to Atlanta or Macon, GA via I-16
  • Savannah to Birmingham, AL or Greenville, SC
  • Primary corridors: I-16, I-95, I-26, I-20, I-75 and I-85

Typical Week & Daily Workflow

  • Receives the first assignment before or shortly after arriving at the terminal or customer yard.
  • Picks up in Pooler or Bloomingdale and heads toward a Southeast delivery.
  • Gets the next load while still finishing the current one; changes remain routine.
  • Delivers, then reloads from the destination market or a nearby warehouse cluster.
  • Completes a second or third regional move before positioning back toward Savannah.
  • Takes the weekly 34-hour reset; the exact return day can shift with freight volume or remaining hours.
  • Plans overnight parking along major interstate truck-stop corridors early rather than late.

About the Carrier

Coastal Georgia distribution centers and manufacturing plants generate a steady flow of palletized consumer goods, packaging materials and industrial components that need to reach inland Southeast markets on appointment schedules. A mid-sized carrier focused on conventional 53-foot dry van work fills that need by matching outbound Savannah-area loads with practical reloads across Georgia, the Carolinas, Florida, Alabama and Tennessee. The operation stays with domestic warehouse and plant freight rather than marine terminal or chassis work, which keeps weekly cycles predictable for drivers who want regular home time. Dispatch balances customer appointments, trailer availability and remaining hours across the overlapping interstate corridors that serve the region’s retail and industrial demand.

Benefits & Healthcare Coverage

Medical, Dental & Vision Plans may be available to eligible company drivers
401(k) Participation may be available subject to plan eligibility
Life Insurance Basic coverage may be offered
PTO / Vacation Accrues according to company tenure and policy
Additional Support Paid orientation, terminal parking, EZPass/toll transponder where required, referral program, rider program after eligibility, safety and compliance training

Driver Qualification Requirements

  • Valid Class A CDL
  • Approximately 6 months recent tractor-trailer experience preferred; recent CDL-A graduates may be considered if they meet the carrier’s training and safety requirements
  • Clean, verifiable driving history meeting company and insurance standards; acceptable MVR and employment history
  • Ability to pass DOT physical and drug screening plus the required FMCSA Clearinghouse query
  • Ability to operate a 53-ft dry van safely in interstate and urban environments and to comply with HOS and ELD rules

Operational Delays

  • Warehouse appointment congestion during morning receiving windows, month-end pushes and holiday retail volume
  • Live-load waits of 45–90 minutes; busy periods can stretch beyond two hours
  • Construction slowdowns on I-16 and I-95 plus peak-hour traffic approaching Atlanta, Charlotte and Jacksonville
  • Southeast thunderstorms, tropical systems and occasional hurricane-related freight repositioning
  • Temporary tight trailer availability when outbound volume rises sharply

Hiring Process

1
Initial Call
Recruiter contact within one business day
2
Verification
CDL, MVR, employment history, drug screen and Clearinghouse
3
Conditional Offer
Issued once qualifications clear
4
Orientation & Onboarding
Completed before first dispatch; length depends on experience and carrier procedures

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is TWIC or port gate work required? ▼
No. This is domestic regional dry van, not container drayage. Drivers may handle freight that originated through port-area warehouses but do not perform chassis work or marine terminal appointments.
Q: How often are live loads versus drop-and-hook? ▼
Most loads are drop-and-hook. Live loading or unloading depends on the customer facility and is more common at manufacturing sites and certain distribution centers.
Q: Can the return day for the weekly reset change? ▼
Yes. Freight volume, remaining hours, weather and appointment changes can shift the return day. Occasional weeks may finish outside Savannah if positioning makes an immediate return impractical.
Q: Are weekends required? ▼
Occasional weekend work can occur when freight volume and customer needs require it, especially during retail peak periods. The normal goal remains weekly home time.
Q: How is overnight parking handled? ▼
Drivers plan 10-hour breaks around major interstate truck-stop corridors. Terminal parking is available when returning to the Savannah area but space is not unlimited during busy periods.
Q: Who handles lumper fees? ▼
When a lumper is required, dispatch provides instructions and the carrier processes the approved payment according to the customer agreement.

CDL Job Market

Savannah offers experienced CDL-A drivers a range of choices rather than a single dominant model. Regional dry van, dedicated accounts, port and drayage work, LTL, local and specialized freight all compete for the same pool of drivers. Port-driven volume and continued industrial growth along the Pooler, Bloomingdale and I-16 corridors keep demand steady. Typical regional dry van offers fall in the mid-$1,300 to mid-$1,600 weekly range; stronger dedicated or higher-mileage accounts can push higher depending on miles and operating model. Drivers who prefer weekly home time and Southeast interstate work therefore evaluate regional dry van against dedicated and port options that trade different combinations of miles, home time and specialization.

Location & Freight Market

The Port of Savannah, Garden City Terminal and Ocean Terminal create a continuous flow of import and export freight that feeds nearby distribution warehouses. That volume intersects with domestic truckload demand from retail replenishment, manufacturing and industrial customers concentrated along Highway 21, the Port Corridor, Pooler/Bloomingdale and I-16 West. The expanding Hyundai manufacturing ecosystem adds further industrial freight activity in the same corridor. Recent freight-infrastructure improvements around the Garden City Terminal have also improved truck access between port facilities and the broader interstate network. Together these factors keep palletized consumer goods, packaging, industrial components and retail inventory moving through Savannah-area facilities year-round, with seasonal retail peaks producing temporary surges.

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