Yard Hostler Position Night Shift

CDL-A Yard Jockey – Night Shift | Mobile, AL

Hiring Area: Mobile / Theodore • Dedicated Yard • Home Daily

Mobile, AL Dedicated Yard Home Daily

Run a dedicated overnight yard operation supporting Mobile-area distribution and port-connected freight. Move 53-foot trailers between dock doors, staging rows and trailer pools with no regular OTR or highway driving. Earn $1,300–$1,450 weekly with a $26.50/hr base rate, $2/hr night differential and overtime after 40 hours.

Typical Weekly Gross
$1,300–$1,450
Estimated Annual: $70,200
Sign-On Bonus $750
Home Time Home Daily
Driver Type Yard Jockey
Weekly Hours 45–48 hrs
Freight Type Dry Van / Distribution

Overnight Yard Control Role

This dedicated night operation positions trailers inside controlled distribution yards so warehouse crews and outbound drivers keep moving without waiting on equipment.

  • Move 53-foot dry vans between dock doors, staging rows, trailer pools and designated parking areas throughout the night.
  • Couple and uncouple trailers repeatedly, including air lines, electrical connections, fifth-wheel checks and landing-gear verification.
  • Back trailers into tight dock positions where accuracy matters more than road mileage.
  • Check trailer numbers, seal condition, door assignments and yard locations before each move.
  • Work from a yard board, radio dispatch or terminal system to keep outbound trailers staged for early-morning linehaul and local departures.
  • Perform pre-trip and post-trip inspections and report brake, tire, lighting, air-line or trailer damage issues before equipment is released.
  • Coordinate with warehouse personnel, dispatchers and other yard drivers when doors are blocked, freight is not released or trailer inventory changes during the shift.

Hourly Pay Structure

$26.50 per hour base plus $2.00 night differential on qualifying overnight hours. Overtime is paid at 1.5× the base rate after 40 hours in the workweek.

Typical Weekly Gross $1,300–$1,450
Typical Weekly ~$1,350
Estimated Annual $70,200
Base Hourly $26.50
Night Differential $2.00 / hour
Overtime 1.5× base after 40 hrs
Sign-On Bonus $750 after 90 days
Pay Frequency Weekly

Night Schedule & Home Daily

Home Time Home Daily
Operating Area Mobile / Theodore distribution yards
Shift Window 6:00 PM – 4:30 AM
Typical Hours 45–48 hours per week
Dispatch Window Approximately 5:30–7:00 PM

Yard Tractors & Trailer Fleet

Equipment Age 2020–2025 mixed fleet
Tractors Freightliner Cascadia and Kenworth day cabs, plus terminal tractors / yard goats depending on facility
Transmission Automated manual standard; some automatic
Safety & Comms ELD on road tractors, electronic DVIR, backup camera, collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, two-way radio
Assignment Assigned when practical; shared or slip-seat possible on busy nights

Primary trailers are 53-foot dry vans, generally 2019–2025 with some older units kept by maintenance condition. Container chassis may appear when the account interfaces with port or transload freight. Local maintenance services yard equipment; mobile support is used when a unit cannot safely return to the shop.

Freight Supported by the Yard

The overnight yard supports freight moving through Mobile’s port, warehouse and intermodal network. Most work stays inside the assigned distribution facility rather than on public roads.

  • Imported retail merchandise, paper and forest products, manufacturing components and packaged consumer goods.
  • Freight moving between distribution facilities and the port-area logistics network.
  • Pulling loaded trailers from staging, spotting empties at doors and positioning sealed outbound equipment for morning departures.
  • Repositioning equipment when warehouse priorities change during the night.
  • Primary local corridors feeding the network: I-10, I-65, US-90 and industrial roads around the port and Theodore freight areas.
  • Drop-and-hook dominates; live dock activity mainly affects release timing.

Night Shift Workflow

  • Report before the main overnight shipping cycle and review the yard board or priority list.
  • Locate the assigned trailer, complete inspection, couple and confirm air and electrical connections.
  • Move at controlled speed to the designated door or staging row; set brakes and verify landing gear.
  • Update status and receive the next assignment while still on the current move.
  • Priorities change when doors stay occupied, empties run short or outbound freight releases early.
  • Stage outbound trailers for morning drivers, then return the tractor to designated parking.
  • Flag blocked lanes, defects or inventory mismatches to the supervisor immediately.

About the Carrier

Overnight trailer positioning at distribution facilities keeps warehouse docks supplied and outbound equipment ready for early dispatch across Mobile’s multimodal network. A mid-sized regional carrier runs this dedicated yard function to support continuous receiving and loading so daytime transportation can pull staged trailers without delay. The work stays focused on controlled yard movement rather than highway runs, matching the steady flow of port-linked, warehouse and intermodal freight that moves through the Mobile market.

Benefits Package

Health Coverage Medical, dental & vision (employee contribution)
Retirement 401(k) with company match
Paid Time Off Accrued per company policy
Orientation & Training Paid orientation and yard-equipment familiarization
Additional High-vis vest, required PPE, local maintenance access, employee referral program

Qualification Requirements

  • Valid Class A CDL
  • 6 months CDL-A experience preferred; recent graduates considered with strong backing ability
  • Acceptable MVR and driving history
  • Meet DOT physical and drug/alcohol testing requirements
  • Ability to back 53-ft trailers in confined spaces and work nights, including occasional weekend or holiday coverage
  • No HazMat endorsement required for the normal yard position

Common Yard Delays

  • Door occupied longer than expected or trailer not released by warehouse.
  • Empty trailer shortage or loaded trailer awaiting paperwork.
  • Trailer located in a different row than the yard system indicates.
  • Congestion around dock doors during outbound waves.
  • Heavy Gulf Coast rain reducing visibility and increasing stopping distance.
  • Regional driver delays on I-10 or I-65 leaving expected equipment unavailable.

Hiring Steps

1
Recruiter Call
Usually within one business day
2
Record Checks
CDL, MVR, Clearinghouse, drug screen
3
Yard Evaluation
Backing, coupling and positioning focus
4
Orientation
Paid; typically 3–7 business days total

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I leave the yard for public-road runs? ▼
Short transfers between adjacent company yards can be assigned. The normal job stays inside the controlled facility. Highway mileage is not the basis of pay.
Q: How many trailer moves happen on a typical night? ▼
Volume varies by night and by customer. Busy outbound windows require frequent moves between doors, staging rows and trailer pools. Slower periods are used for checks, inventory positioning and morning staging.
Q: Is weekend or holiday coverage required? ▼
Occasional weekend or holiday work occurs when the customer schedule requires it. Night-shift schedules are published in advance when customer staffing allows.
Q: What if a trailer has a seal discrepancy or visible damage? ▼
Notify the yard supervisor or dispatch right away. The trailer is not moved and left unresolved.
Q: Are terminal tractors or conventional day cabs used? ▼
Both. Depending on the account you may operate a yard goat/terminal tractor or a conventional day cab for the shift.
Q: How are HOS and ELD handled for yard moves? ▼
Yard moves are recorded according to the carrier’s ELD and HOS procedures. When operating entirely within a qualifying private yard, the move may be recorded as Yard Move / On Duty Not Driving rather than driving time. Any movement onto public roads follows applicable HOS rules.

CDL Job Market in Mobile

Mobile’s CDL-A market is shaped by port operations, intermodal transfer, distribution warehouses and regional truckload carriers. Yard and hostler roles, port drayage, dedicated distribution, LTL and overnight warehouse positions form a distinct part of local hiring because marine, rail and warehouse activity does not stop at the end of the day shift. Regional dry-van and short-haul opportunities also appear regularly. The combination of national carriers, regional fleets and facility-based hostler jobs keeps openings active year-round, with volume often rising alongside container and retail shipping cycles.

Mobile Freight Market

The Port of Mobile operates as a multimodal gateway linking marine, rail and highway freight for Southeast and inland markets. APM Terminals runs the container terminal and an adjacent intermodal container transfer facility with access to five Class I railroads, supporting movements toward Memphis, Chicago, Detroit and other inland points. The harbor has been deepened to 50 feet, and a new 1,300-foot container berth is advancing with construction expected to begin in 2026, raising berth capacity by roughly 50 percent and targeting 1.4 million TEU annual capacity. Ongoing yard expansion and rail upgrades, including a flyover for on-dock access, further increase throughput. I-10 carries east-west volume while I-65 feeds northbound lanes; industrial roads around the port and Theodore support local movements. Retail distribution, manufacturing components, paper products and imported consumer goods keep warehouses active overnight, creating continuous demand for reliable yard capacity that keeps docks supplied and outbound equipment staged.

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