Yard Hostler Position Local CDL-A
CDL-A Yard Jockey – Madison, WI Distribution Center
Hiring Area: Madison, WI • Terminal: Madison Distribution Center
Madison, WI Yard Only Dedicated Hostlers
Position 53-ft dry vans and reefers inside a Madison distribution center that handles retail and grocery freight. Weekly pay runs $1,150–$1,600 with home daily after every shift and no regular highway miles.
Weekly Gross
$1,150–$1,600
Estimated Annual: $72,800
Sign-On Bonus $500 after 30 days
Home Time Home Daily
Driver Type Yard Jockey / Hostler
Weekly Miles No regular highway miles
Freight Type Dry Van & Reefer
Accurate trailer placement keeps receiving docks, shipping waves, and outbound staging synchronized at this Madison distribution facility.
- Couple and uncouple loaded and empty 53-ft trailers repeatedly each shift.
- Back units precisely into assigned dock doors and designated staging rows.
- Confirm trailer numbers and movement instructions before relocating any equipment.
- Stay in radio contact with yard supervisors and warehouse personnel.
- Flag air leaks, brake problems, lighting failures, and visible trailer damage.
- Shift equipment promptly when dock priorities change during busy waves.
Compensation is hourly because the work centers on trailer spotting and yard time. A normal week near 48 hours produces roughly $1,400. Weeks that include extra overtime, shift differentials, or applicable incentives can reach the upper end of the advertised range.
Weekly Range $1,150–$1,600
Typical Weekly Gross Approximately $1,400
Base Hourly Rate $25.00–$27.00
Overtime 1.5× after 40 hours
Sign-On Bonus $500 after 30 days
Estimated Annual Approximately $72,800
Home Time Home Daily
Shift Length 8–12 hours
Work Location Madison Distribution Center
Highway Miles No regular highway dispatch
Coverage Needs Nights, weekends, holidays possible
Yard Tractors Ottawa or Kalmar-style terminal tractors
Transmission Automatic
Trailers 53-ft dry vans and refrigerated units
Reefer Systems Thermo King or Carrier
Assignment Shared hostlers across the fleet
Heavy-duty fifth-wheels support frequent coupling. Yard radios, backup alarms, and work lighting cover night shifts. Drivers report air leaks, brake issues, damaged fifth-wheel parts, lighting failures, tire problems, and refrigeration faults so maintenance can pull the unit from service.
The hostler stages equipment that later departs on regional lanes; the driver remains inside the yard.
- Packaged grocery products, shelf-stable goods, retail merchandise, and temperature-sensitive freight.
- Outbound trailers prepare for destinations that include Milwaukee, Janesville, Rockford, and Chicago.
- Additional equipment supports lanes toward Appleton, Green Bay, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Dubuque, and Minneapolis.
- Most yard activity centers on drop-and-hook movements between staging rows and dock doors.
- Live-load and live-unload operations also generate repositioning work throughout the shift.
- Empty, loaded, customer-return, and maintenance-hold trailers occupy the same organized rows.
- Begin with hostler inspection, radio check, and review of current trailer priorities.
- Move inbound units from the entrance area to open dock doors during receiving periods.
- Pull finished trailers from docks and place them in outbound staging rows.
- Deliver empty equipment when warehouse teams call for additional loading capacity.
- Reposition reefers, maintenance holds, or urgent outbound units as priorities update.
- Return the hostler, document defects, and clear outstanding moves before clocking out.
About the Carrier
Retail and grocery distribution centers depend on continuous trailer availability so receiving and shipping waves stay on schedule. A mid-sized regional transportation company meets that need at the Madison facility by assigning dedicated hostlers to private-yard operations. The focus remains on correct placement of dry vans and refrigerated units for warehouse teams, transportation dispatch, and outbound drivers that serve southern Wisconsin and nearby Midwest markets. Precise dock turnover and organized equipment staging drive the service rather than long-haul mileage.
Medical, Dental, Vision After eligibility period
Retirement 401(k) with company match
Time Off Paid holidays and vacation accrual
Incentives Quarterly safety and attendance
Additional Support Uniforms, weather apparel, paid orientation
- Valid Class A CDL and current medical certification, where required
- Approximately 6 months commercial experience preferred
- Acceptable MVR and satisfactory safety record
- Pass background screening, drug test, and Clearinghouse query
- Ability to work outdoor shifts that may include nights and weekends
- Several inbound tractors arriving close together can congest entrances and dock approaches.
- Snow, ice, and frozen landing gear lengthen coupling and backing times in winter.
- Maintenance holds, damaged gear, or missing paperwork leave some trailers unavailable.
- Longer-than-expected warehouse loading shifts dock priorities during the shift.
- Holiday retail peaks raise the number of simultaneous moves and fill staging rows quickly.
1
Recruiter Contact
Phone call within one business day
2
Screening
MVR, background, drug test, Clearinghouse
3
Yard Evaluation
Backing and coupling practical check
4
Orientation
Paid onboarding and supervised familiarization
Q: Does the job include highway driving? ▼
The position is primarily yard-based on private distribution-center property, with no regular OTR or highway dispatch.
Q: How do trailer priorities reach the hostler? ▼
Assignments come by two-way radio and digital yard-management system from the yard supervisor, transportation dispatch, and warehouse leads.
Q: What if a trailer develops a mechanical issue? ▼
Report it at once. Maintenance decides whether the unit remains in service while operations resequences the remaining moves.
Q: Are hostlers assigned permanently? ▼
Drivers usually operate different yard tractors during the week rather than keeping one permanently assigned unit.
Q: How does winter change the work pace? ▼
Snow, ice, and frozen connections extend inspection and coupling times. Drivers reduce speed and report unsafe conditions.
Q: Is prior hostler experience mandatory? ▼
Preferred but not required. Strong backing and coupling ability plus facility-specific training can qualify drivers with general CDL-A experience.
Southern Wisconsin generates ongoing demand for CDL-A drivers through manufacturing, food production, healthcare distribution, retail replenishment, and agricultural commerce. Madison sits between Milwaukee, the state’s manufacturing corridor, and larger Midwest markets, so local and regional openings remain active throughout the year. Employers include regional trucking firms, food distributors, LTL carriers, dedicated retail fleets, and private warehouse operations. Yard-jockey and hostler positions form a distinct segment that prioritizes tight-space backing and outdoor equipment control over highway miles. Distribution centers run around the clock, making reliable attendance especially valuable. Drivers willing to work nights, weekends, and Wisconsin winters find multiple local options that avoid overnight road time.
Madison’s freight volume is shaped by regional distribution, manufacturing, food and beverage activity, and retail replenishment that connect southern Wisconsin with Milwaukee, Chicago, and the broader Midwest. I-90 and I-94, supported by US-151, US-12, US-18, and US-14, carry dry-van and refrigerated trailers between production sites, distribution centers, and store networks. Inbound equipment often arrives from Wisconsin food-production areas or the Milwaukee–Chicago corridor; outbound units stage for store replenishment and customer transfers. Volume rises before major holidays and again during summer construction and agricultural peaks. Winter snow and ice slow yard movement even without highway miles, while spring thaw can create wet pavement and temporary lane adjustments. These patterns keep demand steady for precise trailer positioning inside distribution yards that support the regional supply chain.