CDL-A Position Regional Foodservice
CDL-A Regional Foodservice Delivery Driver — Tacoma, WA
Hiring Area: Tacoma, WA • Terminal: Tacoma/Fife area
Tacoma, WA Multi-Stop Regional Reefer Foodservice
Deliver palletized refrigerated, frozen, and dry foodservice products from the Tacoma/Fife area across Western Washington. Typical weekly gross $1,650–$1,950, annualized around $91,000, home most nights with 1–2 overnights.
Typical Weekly Gross
$1,650–$1,950
Annualized: ~$91,000
Base / OT $34.50/hr + $51.75 OT
Home Time Most nights + 1–2 overnights/week
Sign-On $2,500
Route Type 6–14 stops • Regional Reefer
This is a touch-freight regional position that combines tractor-trailer driving with direct multi-stop deliveries of refrigerated, frozen, and dry foodservice products to restaurants, hotels, schools, healthcare facilities, and institutional accounts.
- Run regional foodservice deliveries from the Tacoma/Fife distribution area.
- Deliver refrigerated, frozen, and dry products to restaurants, hotels, schools, healthcare, and institutional accounts.
- Handle 6–14 stops on typical multi-stop routes.
- Unload product using pallet jacks and hand trucks at customer locations.
- Verify BOLs, pallet counts, shortages, damages, and electronic PODs.
- Monitor reefer temperatures and report equipment or product issues to dispatch.
- Communicate delays, detention, traffic problems, and route changes throughout the day.
Compensation is hourly with overtime after 40 hours. A solid week typically falls in the $1,650–$1,950 range, annualizing near $91,000 for consistent full-time work.
Base Rate $34.50 per hour
Overtime Rate $51.75 per hour after 40 hours
Typical Weekly Gross $1,650–$1,950
Annualized ~$91,000
Sign-On Bonus $2,500 ($500/30 days, $1,000/90, $1,000/180)
Payroll Weekly direct deposit
Home Time Home most nights; 1–2 overnights per week
Operating Area Western Washington with selected runs into Oregon and Eastern Washington
Terminal Tacoma/Fife area
Start Window 3:00–5:00 AM typical
Tractors Freightliner Cascadia and Volvo VNL, primarily 2020–2024, mix of day cabs and regional sleepers
Transmission Automatic
Safety Systems ELD, electronic DVIR, forward-facing camera, collision mitigation and lane-departure warning on equipped units
Trailers 48- and 53-foot multi-temperature reefers with electronic temperature monitoring
Handling Equipment Electric pallet jacks (where permitted), manual pallet jacks, hand trucks, load bars
Assignment based on availability; temporary slip-seating possible during maintenance. Preventive maintenance handled through Tacoma-area shops and approved regional facilities.
Primary freight is wholesale foodservice product—refrigerated produce, dairy, meat and seafood, frozen foods, prepared foods, beverages, dry grocery, paper products, and kitchen supplies—moving from Tacoma–Fife–Seattle distribution centers to commercial accounts.
- Common lanes: Tacoma, WA → Seattle, WA; Tacoma, WA → Everett, WA; Tacoma, WA → Olympia, WA; Tacoma, WA → Bellingham, WA; Tacoma, WA → Portland, OR; Tacoma, WA → Yakima, WA.
- Fife warehouse loads serve Tacoma, Seattle, Everett, Olympia, and Bellingham accounts.
- I-5 is the main north-south corridor; WA-16, WA-512, I-90, and WA-18 support cross-market moves.
- Periodic runs reach Portland OR, Vancouver WA, Mount Vernon, and Yakima. Occasional work into Kitsap County when needed.
- Routes average 6–14 stops depending on case volume and geographic density.
- Backhauls sought from beverage, grocery, produce, or packaging customers when practical; some days return empty.
- Dispatch resequences stops for appointments, inventory changes, and HOS limits throughout the day.
- Pre-trip tractor and reefer check, confirm temperature settings and load assignment at Tacoma/Fife facility.
- Depart with preloaded multi-temperature trailer; first stop often Tacoma, Olympia, or Seattle.
- Work through a sequence of restaurant, hotel, institutional, and wholesale deliveries using pallet jack or hand truck.
- Collect signatures and resolve shortages before leaving each account; reload or swap trailers as needed.
- Tuesday–Thursday patterns are most predictable; Friday volume shifts with weekend replenishment needs.
- Occasional overnight toward Portland, Bellingham, or Yakima; return to terminal or designated drop yard.
- Most shifts combine highway driving with frequent customer deliveries, unloading, paperwork, and receiver waits.
About the Carrier
This regional foodservice carrier operates from the Tacoma/Fife area, moving multi-temperature wholesale product to restaurants, hotels, schools, healthcare facilities, and institutional kitchens across Western Washington. The fleet is built for last-mile and short-haul foodservice work rather than long-haul OTR. Drivers work from a local terminal with dispatch and maintenance support, covering dense Puget Sound routes while handling both highway driving and customer-facing deliveries.
Health Coverage Medical, dental, and vision with employee and company contribution options
Retirement 401(k) with company matching after eligibility
Paid Time Off Accrued under company policy; holiday scheduling per regional operations
Training & Support Paid orientation, foodservice route training, pallet-jack and reefer procedure training
Additional Company uniforms after initial period; paid DOT physical renewal; driver referral program; terminal parking; roadside assistance coordinated through dispatch
- Valid Class A CDL
- 6–12 months CDL-A experience preferred; foodservice, grocery, reefer, LTL, or multi-stop preferred
- Acceptable MVR and driving history; pass Clearinghouse query and employment verification
- Meet DOT physical and drug/alcohol testing requirements
- Ability to lift and position product with hand truck or pallet jack; safely operate in urban and regional traffic
- Recent graduates considered selectively with structured training
- I-5 congestion around Tacoma, Federal Way, Seattle, and Kent Valley compresses appointment windows.
- Construction, heavy rain, winter conditions, and incidents on I-5 or WA-16 alter travel times between stops.
- Restaurant and institutional accounts may require 30–90 minute waits for receivers.
- Dock congestion at distribution centers increases during holiday and high-volume periods.
- Limited receiving space at some restaurants and hotels slows unloading.
1
Recruiter Call
Within one business day
2
CDL, MVR & History Check
Clearinghouse and background review
3
DOT Drug Screen
5–10 business days total process
4
Paid Orientation
Tacoma terminal; route training follows
Q: How many stops does a typical day include? ▼
Most days run 6–14 delivery stops. Actual count depends on case volume and how tightly the accounts are clustered.
Q: How much unloading is required? ▼
Drivers handle unloading at restaurants and most institutional accounts using pallet jacks and hand trucks. Lumper help is available only at selected larger facilities.
Q: What is the home time? ▼
Home most nights with 1–2 overnights per week on longer runs toward Portland, Bellingham, or Yakima.
Q: What equipment is used? ▼
Freightliner Cascadia and Volvo VNL tractors (primarily 2020–2024), mix of day cabs and regional sleepers, automatic transmission, multi-temperature reefer trailers, and pallet jacks/hand trucks.
Q: How does overtime work? ▼
Base rate is $34.50 per hour with overtime at $51.75 per hour after 40 hours. Typical weekly gross falls in the $1,650–$1,950 range.
The Tacoma–Seattle corridor is one of the more active CDL-A markets in the Pacific Northwest. Foodservice distribution, grocery replenishment, port-related container moves, and regional dry-van work create steady demand for Class A drivers year-round. Local and regional positions dominate hiring, especially roles that require multi-stop delivery experience or temperature-controlled equipment. Institutional and restaurant supply chains keep foodservice carriers actively recruiting, while larger distributors and third-party fleets compete for drivers comfortable with early starts and customer-facing work. Seasonal peaks around holidays and summer tourism further increase openings for experienced regional operators. Drivers with reefer, LTL, or grocery backgrounds find consistent opportunities across Western Washington.
Tacoma sits at the center of a major Pacific Northwest logistics corridor anchored by the Port of Tacoma, the I-5 spine, and a dense network of food distribution centers in Fife, Kent, and Seattle. Restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools, and institutional kitchens create continuous demand for refrigerated, frozen, and dry wholesale product. Large operators such as US Foods and Sysco maintain substantial facilities in the area, while produce, beverage, and specialty food suppliers add further volume. Geography forces most freight onto I-5, WA-16, and connecting state routes, concentrating both long-haul and short-haul activity within the Puget Sound basin. Seasonal restaurant surges, holiday volume, and year-round institutional needs keep temperature-controlled trailers moving between warehouses and commercial accounts throughout Western Washington and into adjacent Oregon and Cascade markets.