Regional CDL-A Reefer Driver – Southeast Lane

This full-time company driver role supports temperature-controlled food and beverage supply chains moving from Gulf Coast production and cold storage into Southeast distribution centers.

• Verifies reefer temperature settings before pickup and delivery.
• Manages appointment windows and seal control at food-grade facilities.
• Documents detention and communicates delays to dispatch.
• Completes pre-trip and post-trip inspections on assigned equipment.
• Maintains electronic logs and reports equipment issues promptly.

Mileage pay runs $0.52–$0.58 CPM with typical utilization producing the weekly range shown. Additional activity pay appears on most weeks.

Multi-temperature trailers use Thermo King Precedent S-600 or Carrier Vector units with remote monitoring. Safety systems include collision mitigation, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise. Motive ELD handles logs, messaging and inspections. Fleet support covers preventive maintenance, mobile shop and roadside assistance.

Outbound freight originates mainly from Mobile cold storage, poultry plants and seafood warehouses; reloads come from Atlanta, Birmingham and Gulf Coast suppliers.

• Mobile to Birmingham via I-65 hauling poultry and frozen grocery.
• Mobile to Atlanta via I-65/I-85 for refrigerated grocery and beverage.
• Mobile to Pensacola via I-10 for seafood and short-haul grocery.
• Mobile to New Orleans via I-10 for Gulf seafood and frozen products.
• Mobile to Macon/central Georgia via I-65/I-85 for redistribution loops.
• Approximately 45% drop-and-hook, 35% live unload, 20% live load.

• Valid CDL Class A, minimum age 21
• 6+ months CDL-A experience preferred; reefer preferred
• Clean driving record, no major preventable violations
• Meet DOT physical and medical requirements

• Grocery DC appointment delays during holiday and peak seasons
• Limited dock space at some cold storage facilities
• Gulf Coast weather, tropical systems and heavy rain
• Atlanta metro and I-65 corridor congestion
• Production schedule changes at food processing plants

Mobile’s CDL-A market draws steady demand from the Port of Mobile, chemical and industrial freight, seafood distribution, poultry processing, construction materials and consumer goods. Refrigerated drivers remain particularly sought after because food-grade work adds temperature control, appointment discipline and customer compliance requirements. Competition comes from regional carriers, national fleets, dedicated food distributors and larger Southeast logistics providers. Local drivers typically weigh weekly consistency, home time reliability and equipment condition as heavily as the pay package. The market is competitive yet less saturated than Atlanta or Memphis, so experienced drivers with clean records and any food-grade background stay in demand year-round.

Mobile sits at a natural junction between Gulf Coast production and inland Southeast consumption centers. The Port of Mobile, regional manufacturing, food processing and expanding warehouse activity all generate outbound refrigerated volume. Seafood operations along the coast, poultry plants throughout Alabama, cold-storage facilities and beverage networks create recurring loads bound for Birmingham, Atlanta, Montgomery, Pensacola and other population centers. Primary corridors—I-10 east and west, I-65 north, I-85 toward Georgia and I-59 into Mississippi—link these origins to distribution hubs. Seasonal spikes appear with poultry cycles, summer beverage demand, holiday grocery movement and hurricane preparation periods. While the market is smaller than Atlanta or Memphis, the combination of coastal production and inland demand sustains consistent regional reefer capacity needs throughout the year.