Regional Reefer Position Company Driver
CDL-A Regional Refrigerated Freight Driver — Fort Worth, TX
Hiring Area: Fort Worth / DFW • Terminal: Fort Worth area
Fort Worth, TX Regional 2021–2024 Tractors
Temperature-controlled food and consumer products move on Texas–Oklahoma–Arkansas regional lanes. Drivers earn $1,600–$1,850 per week and return home weekly after roughly 2–3 nights out.
Weekly Gross
$1,600–$1,850
Estimated Annual: $93,600
Sign-On Bonus $1,500
Home Time Home weekly
Driver Type Company Driver
Weekly Miles 2,200–2,600
Freight Type Refrigerated food
Temperature-controlled truckload freight runs between North Texas distribution facilities and regional customer markets across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Handling stays primarily no-touch.
- Verify trailer condition, reefer operation, fuel level, seals and temperature requirements before departure.
- Pick up temperature-controlled food and consumer freight from DFW-area distribution centers and refrigerated facilities.
- Complete primarily no-touch deliveries with a mix of drop-and-hook and live refrigerated dock appointments.
- Maintain accurate ELD logs, trip records and delivery documentation while operating within federal HOS limits.
- Monitor reefer set points and respond promptly to temperature alarms, fuel issues or equipment problems.
- Communicate appointment changes, detention, delays, seal information and reload status to dispatch.
- Complete pre-trip and post-trip inspections and report tractor or trailer defects before equipment returns to service.
Mileage-based pay is built around $0.70 per paid mile, with additional earnings from qualifying detention and other approved accessorial pay when documented.
Weekly Gross Range $1,600–$1,850
Typical Weekly Gross Approximately $1,800
Estimated Annual Gross $93,600
Base Rate $0.70 per paid mile
Detention $50/hour after 2 hours when properly documented
Sign-On Bonus $1,500 paid $500 at 30 / 90 / 180 days
Payroll Weekly direct deposit
Home Time Home weekly; typically 2–3 nights out
Operating Area Primarily Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas
Terminal Fort Worth area
Weekly Paid Miles 2,200–2,600
Dispatch Pre-planned loads with live updates based on actual release times
Drivers typically spend 2–3 nights out before returning to the DFW area. A 34-hour reset may be taken at home when the weekly dispatch cycle and HOS schedule allow.
Tractor Years 2021–2024
Tractor Makes Freightliner Cascadia / Kenworth T680
Transmission Automatic
Trailers 53-ft refrigerated, generally 2019–2024
Reefer Units Carrier or Thermo King
Safety Systems Forward-facing cameras, collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise on equipped units
Cabin Sleeper tractors; APU/inverter on many units; ELD
Assignment Assigned when available; slip-seating possible during maintenance
Fleet is sized and maintained for a mid-sized regional operation. Drivers perform full pre-trip checks covering reefer operation, doors, seals, tires and lights before departure.
Palletized temperature-controlled food, dairy, produce, frozen products, protein and consumer goods originate from DFW distribution centers, refrigerated warehouses and food manufacturers. Dispatch adjusts outbound and backhaul loads according to customer volume and trailer availability.
- Fort Worth to Oklahoma City via I-35W/I-35 with temperature-controlled food or consumer products.
- Fort Worth to Tulsa on I-35 and I-44, with possible reloads near Tulsa or Oklahoma City.
- Fort Worth to Houston primarily on I-45 supporting two-way food and consumer distribution.
- Fort Worth to San Antonio or Austin on I-35 south, often combined with additional Texas stops.
- Fort Worth to Little Rock via I-30 east, with Arkansas distribution freight providing backhaul options.
- Dallas-side origin loads after eastern DFW deliveries, then reload toward Oklahoma or other Texas markets.
- Multi-stop sequences such as Fort Worth–Waco–Austin when customer appointments align efficiently.
- Load information arrives electronically or by phone before the next departure.
- Start from the Fort Worth terminal, a customer yard or an approved overnight location.
- Check in at the gate or receiving office with appointment number, trailer and seal details.
- Complete live load/unload or drop-and-hook, then document temperature and paperwork.
- Drive the assigned regional lane while monitoring reefer fuel and set point.
- Plan the 10-hour break around the next appointment rather than waiting until the final minutes of available drive time.
- Receive a reload near the final delivery when freight and HOS allow; finish the week at a DFW-area yard.
About the Carrier
Temperature-controlled food and consumer freight moves daily out of North Texas warehouses and logistics parks that supply Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas markets. The operation fills the space between pure local work and multi-week over-the-road cycles by running flexible regional truckload capacity that adjusts to appointment windows, produce peaks and grocery demand. Most freight originates from Fort Worth-area distribution centers and refrigerated facilities. Drivers stay inside a predictable multi-state corridor rather than being locked to fixed dedicated lanes. The focus remains practical coverage of the DFW refrigerated network and the surrounding state corridors that feed it.
Medical / Dental / Vision Options for eligible full-time drivers
401(k) Company match subject to plan terms
Life Insurance Company-sponsored option
Paid Time Off Vacation/PTO by tenure; holiday pay by company policy
Additional Support Paid orientation, DOT physical renewal, referral program, safety recognition, E-ZPass, terminal parking when available
- Valid Class A CDL and current DOT Medical Examiner’s Certificate
- 6 months recent verifiable tractor-trailer experience preferred
- Acceptable MVR and safe driving history
- Pass pre-employment drug screen and FMCSA Clearinghouse query
- Ability to operate automatic-transmission sleeper equipment across state lines
- Comfortable with refrigerated trailer inspections and temperature-control procedures
- Morning and afternoon congestion plus construction on I-35W, I-20 and I-30 affect appointment timing.
- Live dock waits commonly run 45 minutes to two hours and longer during grocery or produce peaks.
- Gate congestion and longer receiving queues appear at refrigerated distribution centers on high-volume days.
- Reefer temperature alarms or fuel interruptions can require a safe stop and maintenance coordination.
- Customer delays frequently force same-day reload or appointment changes.
- Severe thunderstorms, flooding or winter weather on North Texas–Oklahoma corridors slow transit times.
1
Recruiter Contact
Usually within one business day
2
Application & Checks
CDL, MVR, employment verification, drug screen, Clearinghouse
3
Offer & Orientation
Fort Worth terminal; reefer, ELD and customer procedures
4
First Dispatch
After equipment orientation and paperwork complete
Q: How is reefer temperature managed on the road? ▼
Drivers confirm the set point and fuel level before leaving the shipper, follow the load-specific continuous or cycle instructions, and contact dispatch immediately if a temperature alarm appears.
Q: Are lumper fees the driver’s responsibility? ▼
No. When a customer requires a lumper the driver follows the carrier’s established payment and documentation procedure.
Q: What happens if a live unload runs late? ▼
Dispatch reviews remaining HOS and available freight, then may change the next appointment or replace the planned reload.
Q: Is recent reefer experience required? ▼
Preferred but not mandatory. Drivers with solid dry-van or temperature-controlled background and a clean safety record may receive additional equipment instruction before independent dispatch.
Q: Can the tractor be taken home? ▼
Selected drivers may take the tractor home subject to available parking, insurance requirements and management approval.
Q: Where do drivers typically park overnight? ▼
Drivers use approved truck parking near major delivery corridors or designated company and customer yards. Common overnight areas include the Alliance / North Fort Worth area, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and other regional markets depending on the load.
Fort Worth forms part of one of the deepest trucking labor markets in Texas. Drivers compete across the full Dallas–Fort Worth freight network. National carriers, dedicated fleets, LTL operations, private fleets and smaller regional truckload carriers all draw from the same CDL-A pool. Experienced drivers with clean records and dependable reefer experience stay in demand, particularly for home-weekly regional work that combines predictable cycles with enough miles for full-time income. Bulk distribution, logistics and manufacturing continue to support steady hiring volume across local, regional and specialized segments.
Dallas–Fort Worth continues to rank among the most active U.S. industrial markets. First-half 2026 net absorption reached 17.9 million square feet and industrial vacancy stood at 9.3 percent in the second quarter. Distribution, logistics and manufacturing facilities concentrate along I-35W, I-20 and the broader interstate system, with heavy activity in North Fort Worth / Alliance and South Fort Worth. A 1.1-million-square-foot distribution facility at Carter Industrial Park sits directly near I-20 and I-35W. Perishable food, frozen products, dairy, produce, protein and temperature-sensitive consumer goods create recurring refrigerated demand that extends through Dallas, Arlington, Mansfield, Haslet, Roanoke, Alliance and Denton. These corridors feed steady freight movement toward Oklahoma, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Arkansas markets, with volume rising during produce and holiday periods.