🗺 Location & Routes
- Base city: Lakeland, Florida
- Route type: Local Yard / Shunt Operations
- Freight: 53' refrigerated & dry van trailer spotting, yard staging, dock moves
- Schedule: Night shift rotation, 5–6 days/week, 24/7 DC flow support
📋 Job Description
- Pre-trip & post-trip inspections per DOT Part 396 yard safety rules
- Yard trailer spotting between docks, staging lanes, and cold storage doors
- ELD yard-mode compliance using dispatch tracking systems
- Tandem axle positioning for safe dock backing and weight distribution
- Liftgate coordination and pallet jack support during dock congestion periods
- Constant radio dispatch communication during peak grocery inbound waves
✅ Requirements
CDL Class A
Valid CDL-A license required
Experience
6+ months yard or local driving preferred
Age
Minimum 21 years old
MVR
Clean record, no major safety violations
Physical
Frequent climbing in/out of yard tractors, dock coordination work
Endorsements
None required
🚛 Equipment & Fleet
- Truck assignment: Slip-seat yard tractors (Ottawa / Kalmar / TICO) assigned by dispatch rotation
- Fleet average age: 2021–2024 mixed terminal fleet
- Features: collision mitigation systems, lane departure alerts, forward-facing dash cams, automatic transmissions, yard radio dispatch systems
🏠 Home Time
- Home daily after shift completion
- Dispatch-dependent rotation during peak grocery inbound/outbound waves may extend shift by 1–2 hours
📍 Real Routes Our Drivers Take
- Lakeland, FL → Orlando, FL via I-4 (high-frequency DC shuttle, tight grocery replenishment cycle, heavy metro congestion)
- Lakeland, FL → Jacksonville, FL via I-4 / I-95 (northbound retail distribution staging, appointment-driven dock timing pressure)
- Lakeland, FL → Miami, FL via I-4 / I-95 (south Florida cold-chain redistribution, traffic congestion impact on yard return cycles)
🎁 Benefits & Bonus Structure
📝 Hiring Process
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is the truck governed?
Yard tractors are typically governed around 15–25 mph for facility safety. This is strictly controlled due to tight dock traffic and pedestrian zones inside the DC yard.
Are driver-facing cameras used?
No driver-facing cameras in yard tractors, but forward-facing dash cams are active for safety events, dock incidents, and equipment damage review.
Is dispatch forced or assigned?
Moves are assigned through yard dispatch based on dock congestion, inbound arrivals, and outbound grocery waves. During peak cycles, assignments can be continuous with limited downtime.
What is the detention pay structure?
Detention-style delays in yard operations are tracked after 2 hours of documented wait time and require dispatch approval. Payment is processed in the next payroll cycle, not instant.
Are pets allowed?
Not applicable to yard operations. Slip-seat yard tractors remain in facility rotation and are not assigned for personal use.
Is home time reliable under real traffic conditions?
Home time is consistent after shift completion, but outbound trailer surges, dock congestion, and late inbound arrivals can extend end-of-shift timing during peak grocery cycles.
💼 Career Opportunities
Lakeland DC yard operations sit inside one of Florida’s highest-volume grocery distribution networks, where trailer flow never fully stops. Yard jockeys move into lead yard coordinator roles, dispatch support, or safety compliance positions after consistent performance and attendance. Some drivers transition into regional shuttle or dedicated store delivery routes as freight experience builds. Seniority affects assignment priority during peak inbound cycles, especially around holiday grocery surges. Workload increases during seasonal spikes, and tighter dock windows require faster turnaround decisions. Despite pressure, steady yard experience creates a long-term path into fleet operations, planning, or specialized cold-chain logistics roles within the network.
🔗 CDL-A Local Yard Jockey / Shunt Driver – Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland’s Publix DC operates as a continuous cold-chain freight hub with nonstop inbound agricultural and retail deliveries across Central Florida. Yard jockeys manage high-frequency trailer movement between docks, staging lanes, and refrigerated zones tied to strict appointment cycles. Interstate corridors like I-4 and I-95 feed constant distribution pressure from Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, and South Florida. This role stays inside the facility but directly impacts regional grocery delivery timing, especially during peak retail demand cycles and overnight loading waves.
🚀 Apply for This CDL-A Position
Complete the form below to apply for CDL-A Local Yard Jockey / Shunt Driver – Publix Lakeland DC Night Operations in Lakeland, Florida.
