Regional Reefer Position Company Driver

CDL-A Regional Reefer Truck Driver – Jacksonville, FL

Hiring Area: Jacksonville, FL • Terminal: Jacksonville, FL

Jacksonville, FL Regional Southeast 2021–2025 Tractors

Haul refrigerated food products on 53-ft trailers across Florida and the Southeast. Weekly gross typically $1,600–$1,800 with home every 5–7 days. Loads move through Jacksonville cold-storage facilities and regional distribution centers.

Typical Weekly Gross
$1,600–$1,800
Annualized Pay: $83,200–$93,600
Mileage Rate $0.70 / paid mile
Weekly Miles 2,200–2,500
Home Time Every 5–7 days
Sign-On Bonus $1,500
Freight Regional Refrigerated

Daily Responsibilities

Drivers handle temperature-controlled regional freight with scheduled appointments and planned reloads.

  • Verify reefer temperature and fuel level before departure.
  • Run scheduled regional refrigerated loads across Florida and the Southeast.
  • Check seals, BOLs, pallet counts and temperature requirements at pickup and delivery.
  • Monitor reefer operation and report alarms or temperature issues immediately.
  • Document arrival, detention and release times at customer facilities.
  • Coordinate with dispatch when delays affect appointments or the next reload.

Pay Structure

Base pay is calculated on paid miles. Qualifying detention and accessorials bring most weeks into the stated range.

Base Mileage Rate $0.70 per paid mile
Typical Weekly Gross $1,600–$1,800 (including normal accessorial pay)
Annualized Range $83,200–$93,600
Sign-On Bonus $1,500 ($500 after 30, 90 and 180 days)
Detention $25/hour after 2 qualifying hours
Payroll Weekly direct deposit

Home Time & Operating Area

Home Time Every 5–7 days, typically with a 34–48 hour reset
Operating Area Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee
Terminal Base Jacksonville, FL
Weekly Miles 2,200–2,500 paid miles
Dispatch Timing Mostly early to mid-morning; occasional evening or overnight appointments

Tractors & Trailers

Model Years Approximately 2021–2025 mix
Tractor Types Freightliner Cascadia and Volvo VNL sleepers
Transmission Automatic
Safety Systems Collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise on equipped units; ELD and electronic DVIR
Trailers & Assignment 53-ft refrigerated with electronic temperature monitoring and load locks; assigned when available, temporary slip-seat possible during maintenance

Reefer fuel is verified on pre-trip. Maintenance is handled through company shops and approved outside vendors.

Freight & Typical Lanes

Frozen poultry, meat, seafood, dairy, frozen vegetables, refrigerated packaged foods and selected produce move between Jacksonville cold-storage sites and Southeast DCs.

  • Jacksonville, FL → Savannah, GA
  • Jacksonville, FL → Atlanta, GA
  • Jacksonville, FL → Columbia, SC
  • Jacksonville, FL → Charlotte, NC
  • Jacksonville, FL → Raleigh, NC
  • Jacksonville, FL → Orlando, FL or Lakeland, FL
  • Jacksonville, FL → Birmingham, AL or Nashville, TN
  • Primary roads: I-10, I-95, I-75, I-16, I-20, I-26, I-77, I-85, I-4

How a Normal Week Runs

  • Load details usually arrive several hours ahead; the next assignment often appears before the current delivery ends.
  • Most days include one main regional move—roughly 8–10 hours of driving plus dock time, fuel and breaks.
  • A common pattern is Jacksonville to Atlanta, then a Georgia or Carolina reload back toward Florida.
  • Ten-hour breaks are taken at truck stops, approved customer yards or company locations.
  • Trailer swaps can occur if the assigned unit is still unloading or in the shop.
  • Parking away from the terminal is planned early, especially near Atlanta, Orlando and Charlotte.

About the Carrier

This Jacksonville-based regional operation focuses on temperature-controlled food freight moving between refrigerated warehouses, food processors and distribution centers across Florida and the Southeast. Drivers typically work established lanes with planned reloads instead of long-haul coast-to-coast dispatches. Freight includes frozen food, poultry, seafood, dairy and refrigerated packaged products. Dispatch planning is built around appointment times, reefer temperature requirements and available reloads.

Benefits Package

Medical, Dental, Vision Available with employee contribution options
401(k) Company contribution included
Orientation & Training Paid orientation plus reefer temperature-control and documentation training
Additional Support Paid DOT physical renewal, roadside maintenance coordination, electronic toll transponder
Rider / Pet Policy Allowed subject to equipment and insurance limits

Minimum Requirements

  • Valid Class A CDL
  • About 6 months recent tractor-trailer experience preferred
  • Prior reefer experience preferred but not required
  • Acceptable MVR and PSP; current DOT medical card
  • Pass drug screen and Clearinghouse query
  • Ability to inspect reefer equipment and stay within HOS limits

Common Delays

  • Peak traffic around Jacksonville, Atlanta, Orlando and Charlotte regularly shifts appointment times.
  • Summer storms and tropical systems slow travel and can reposition trailers.
  • Refrigerated warehouses lengthen yard waits during grocery and holiday peaks.
  • Assigned reefers may still be unloading or in maintenance when the next load is ready.
  • I-95 construction zones and I-75 congestion remain frequent ETA factors.

Hiring Steps

1
Recruiter Call
Usually within one business day
2
Record Checks
CDL, MVR, PSP and prior employment
3
Screening
DOT drug test and Clearinghouse
4
Orientation
Paid Jacksonville orientation, then first dispatch

Driver Questions

Q: What share of loads are drop-and-hook? ▼
About 50–60 % run as drop-and-hook or preloaded exchanges. The balance is live load or live unload depending on the customer that week.
Q: What if the reefer alarms en route? ▼
Report it at once. Operations works with maintenance and safety; drivers do not continue with a unit that cannot hold temperature.
Q: How often are multi-stop loads assigned? ▼
Occasionally. Most days are built around one primary regional movement rather than multiple local stops.
Q: How is detention tracked? ▼
Record gate/check-in, door assignment and release times. Pay begins after two qualifying hours when the delay is customer-controlled.
Q: Is prior reefer experience required? ▼
Preferred but not mandatory. Solid tractor-trailer experience plus equipment orientation is accepted.
Q: Where can I park overnight away from the terminal? ▼
Approved customer yards, established truck stops and commercial lots near major corridors. Loaded trailers stay in authorized locations only.

Jacksonville CDL-A Market

Jacksonville offers a steady mix of CDL-A openings because port, interstate and warehouse traffic overlap. Drivers can choose among dry-van, dedicated, regional, intermodal, LTL and refrigerated roles. Recent regional and home-weekly postings commonly fall between roughly $1,300 and $1,800 per week. Temperature-controlled jobs tend to be more selective because they add responsibility for reefer settings, seals and product integrity. Carriers that keep consistent miles, clear home-time patterns and reliable equipment usually fill seats faster than those relying mainly on large sign-on bonuses. The overall driver market stays competitive rather than critically short, so qualified applicants still have several viable options at any given time.

Jacksonville Freight Landscape

Jacksonville sits at the junction of I-95, I-10 and access to I-75, making it a practical hub for Southeast temperature-controlled freight. JAXPORT supports container, breakbulk and refrigerated cargo and reports more than 42 million cubic feet of refrigerated space with another 24 million cubic feet planned or under construction, plus 250 reefer plugs at the SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal. Nearby cold-storage facilities handle poultry, seafood, meat, produce and frozen consumer goods. Outbound product moves north into Georgia and the Carolinas, west toward the Gulf and northwest into Alabama and Tennessee. Inbound and export-import volumes help balance the network. Grocery and holiday seasons increase demand, while summer heat places extra importance on reefer reliability. The combination of port capacity, interstate access and concentrated cold-chain assets keeps regional refrigerated work available throughout the year.

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