Home Daily Position Local Terminal Transfer
CDL-A Local Transfer Driver – Philadelphia, PA | Home Daily
Philadelphia Metro • Northeast Freight Network • Afternoon/Evening Shift
Philadelphia, PA Local / Regional Shuttle Automatic Day Cabs
Move loaded and empty dry van trailers between the Philadelphia terminal, satellite yards, and customer facilities across Southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Home daily on scheduled terminal transfers with weekly gross typically $1,500–$1,700.
Typical Weekly Gross
$1,500–$1,700
Annualized at 48 hrs/week: $78,000–$88,000
Hourly Rate $30–$32
Overtime 1.5× after 40
Home Time Home Daily
Sign-On Bonus $1,000
Weekly Miles 900–1,400
Local terminal transfer role supporting dry van movement through the Philadelphia freight network.
- Move loaded and empty 53' dry van trailers between terminals, yards, and customer facilities.
- Run primarily Southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware freight lanes.
- Handle mostly drop-and-hook work with limited live-dock activity.
- Complete pre-trip/post-trip inspections, trailer checks, and transfer documentation.
- Coordinate trailer status, delays, and equipment issues with dispatch.
- Maintain accurate ELD records and operate within FMCSA Hours-of-Service requirements.
$30–$32 per hour plus 1.5× overtime after 40 hours. A typical 48-hour week produces approximately $1,560–$1,664 gross.
Hourly Rate $30–$32
Overtime 1.5× after 40 hours
Typical Weekly Gross $1,500–$1,700
Annualized (48 hrs/week) $78,000–$88,000
Sign-On Bonus $1,000 ($500 after 60 days + $500 after 120 days, subject to active employment and company requirements)
Detention $30/hr after 2 qualifying hours
Safety Bonus $250 quarterly when eligibility requirements are met
Referral Bonus $750 for a qualified referral who completes the required period
Pay Frequency Weekly direct deposit
Home Time Home Daily
Operating Corridor Southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware
Terminal Philadelphia, PA Terminal
Weekly Miles 900–1,400
Typical Hours Approximately 48 per week
Schedule Primarily Monday–Friday; occasional Saturday coverage
Start Window 2:00 PM–6:00 PM
Shift End Evening/night after final transfer
Tractors Freightliner Cascadia 2021–2025 and International LT 2021–2024 day cabs
Trailers 53-foot dry vans, model years 2019–2025
Transmission Automatic
Safety Systems ABS, electronic stability control, forward collision warning/collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise on selected newer units
Other Features Air-ride suspension, ELD, dash cameras
Assignment Assigned when operationally practical; occasional slip seating
Terminal handles routine preventative maintenance, inspections, tire work, and repairs. Roadside breakdowns coordinated through operations with outside vendors when needed.
Palletized consumer products, retail distribution freight, packaged food, paper and forest products, imported merchandise, manufacturing components, and industrial supplies move between terminals, distribution centers, warehouses, and satellite yards. Assignments change with trailer availability and customer appointments.
- Philadelphia → Allentown / Bethlehem via I-95 / I-476 / I-78
- Philadelphia → Newark / Edison, NJ via New Jersey Turnpike
- Philadelphia → Wilmington / New Castle, DE on I-95 south
- Philadelphia → Harrisburg / Carlisle using I-76 and Turnpike options
- Philadelphia → Central New Jersey distribution centers
- Local Philadelphia and Northeast corridor yard transfers
- Check in during the 2:00–6:00 PM window and complete pre-trip inspection.
- Receive first transfer assignment and couple the staged trailer.
- Complete the outbound move; daily mileage varies by assignment.
- Gate in, drop or live-process the trailer, then confirm electronically.
- Accept reload, empty recovery, or repositioning instruction from dispatch.
- Return to the Philadelphia terminal for final equipment check and parking.
About This Local Freight Operation
Continuous trailer transfers keep distribution centers, warehouses, and satellite yards balanced across the dense Northeast corridor. This mid-sized regional operation specializes in dry van shuttle and terminal transfer work, repositioning loaded and empty equipment between the Philadelphia terminal and customer facilities throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. The focus remains scheduled drop-and-hook moves and short-haul reloads rather than long-haul linehaul, supporting retail, grocery, manufacturing, and import-related volume that moves through the Philadelphia freight network every day.
Medical Medical insurance with employee contribution options
Dental & Vision Dental and vision coverage
Retirement 401(k) with company matching subject to plan eligibility
Paid Time Off PTO that increases with tenure; paid company holidays
Additional Support Paid orientation, company-paid DOT physical renewal, terminal parking, roadside assistance, safety training focused on yard backing, driver safety apparel
- Valid Class A CDL and current DOT medical certification
- At least 6 months of verifiable Class A tractor-trailer experience preferred
- Acceptable MVR and employment history
- Ability to pass required DOT drug and alcohol screening
- Ability to safely couple/uncouple trailers and back in confined terminal yards
- Ability to work afternoon/evening schedules and occasional Saturdays
- I-95, I-76, I-476, and New Jersey Turnpike congestion or incidents
- Yard congestion when multiple trailers arrive in the same appointment window
- Live dock waits that can extend beyond 45–90 minutes during peak periods
- Empty trailer shortages that require recovery from another yard
- Seasonal retail volume and winter weather on Pennsylvania Turnpike corridors
1
Application
Submit CDL and employment history
2
Screening
Recruiter call, MVR, and background check
3
Evaluation
Terminal interview and road test
4
Onboarding
Paid orientation then first dispatch
Q: How much can I make each week? ▼
Drivers are paid $30–$32 per hour with overtime after 40 hours. A typical 48-hour week works out to approximately $1,560–$1,664 gross before taxes and other deductions.
Q: Is the freight completely no-touch? ▼
Primarily no-touch. Drivers position trailers and handle paperwork but do not unload freight. Lumper services handle unloading at customer facilities when needed.
Q: How often does the daily sequence change? ▼
Dispatch can reassign the next move based on trailer availability, missed appointments, or network priorities while the driver is still en route.
Q: Are HazMat or Tanker endorsements required? ▼
No. Standard dry van transfer work does not require HazMat, Tanker, or Doubles endorsements.
Q: What happens if a trailer has a defect? ▼
Drivers stop the move and contact operations or maintenance. Equipment with safety issues is removed from service rather than forced into the plan.
Q: Is overnight parking ever required? ▼
Normal operation is home daily with end-of-shift parking at the Philadelphia terminal. Dispatch identifies an approved location if HOS limits prevent completion.
Q: How long does hiring usually take? ▼
Most qualified applicants move from application to orientation in approximately 3–7 business days depending on verification and scheduling.
Philadelphia-area CDL-A drivers compete across local LTL, dedicated, foodservice, intermodal, dry van, port drayage, private fleet, manufacturing shuttle, and regional distribution operations. Local Class A compensation commonly falls in the upper-$20s to mid-$30s per hour depending on equipment, schedule, and specialization. Transfer and shuttle roles sit alongside private fleets and dedicated logistics providers that also offer home-daily schedules. The dense mix of distribution centers, manufacturing, warehouse activity, and port-related volume sustains year-round demand for experienced tractor-trailer drivers who prefer terminal-based work over OTR cycles.
Greater Philadelphia sits at the center of a major Northeast freight corridor linking Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and the New York metro area. I-95 forms the primary north-south spine while I-76, I-476, I-78, I-276, I-295, and the New Jersey Turnpike feed distribution and manufacturing markets. Diversified cargo includes palletized consumer goods, retail replenishment, packaged food, paper products, imported merchandise, and industrial components. South Philadelphia’s PhilaPort facilities connect directly to I-95 and I-76 with warehouse, truck, and rail links, while the airport cargo complex adds year-round air-freight volume. Retail peaks, holiday shipping, and import surges regularly increase trailer demand across the region’s established freight centers.