🗺 Location & Routes
- Terminal: Boise, ID (Treasure Valley)
- Primary lanes: Boise to Portland/Seattle metro, Salt Lake City, Spokane, occasional Montana/Wyoming
- Freight type: Frozen foods (processed meats, vegetables, potatoes, dairy, packaged meals)
- Typical schedule: 4-5 days out with 34-48 hour weekend reset
📦 Lane Network & Geography
- Core operations out of Treasure Valley cold storage and processors
- Multi-state loops with backhauls from major Pacific Northwest warehouses
- Urban delivery concentration around Portland and Seattle distribution centers
- Mountain pass exposure during winter months on eastern and northern legs
- Appointment-based but subject to receiver volume shifts
🚛 Fleet Setup You’ll Be Running
- Late-model 2019-2024 Freightliner, Kenworth, Volvo tractors with APUs on most units
- 53' reefer trailers with Thermo King or Carrier units
- Full ELD, GPS, and dash cam coverage
- Well-maintained food-grade equipment mix of company and leased
💰 Earnings Structure Breakdown
- Base: $0.62–$0.68 per mile depending on experience and performance
- Stop pay: $25 per stop after first
- Detention: $25/hour after 2 hours
- Layover: $100 per 24-hour period
- Empty miles: paid at $0.45/mile on most repositioning
- Quarterly safety/performance bonus potential up to $750
📋 What You’ll Actually Be Doing on This Lane
Start your shift with pre-trip inspection and reefer temperature verification, usually early morning or late evening. Pick up pre-loaded reefers or live load at nearby processing plants in the Treasure Valley. Run primarily drop-and-hook (95%+) with occasional live loads. Expect 2-4 stops per load at grocery distribution centers and foodservice warehouses.
Monitor and log reefer temperatures strictly (typically -10°F or below). Handle multi-stop deliveries with handoffs at DCs. Return loads often available from major warehouses back toward Boise. Traffic builds up significantly in Portland and Seattle areas. Winter driving through mountain passes requires extra attention. Average 2,200-2,700 miles per week when consistent.
✅ Minimum Standards From Safety Desk
CDL Class A
Valid CDL-A with current medical card
Experience
At least 1 year recent verifiable OTR or regional experience
Record
Clean MVR with no preventable accidents in last 3 years
Physical
Able to lift up to 50 lbs occasionally for securement/paperwork
Other
Comfortable with reefer management, multi-stops, and temperature logs
🔄 Route Variability Patterns
- Most runs planned in advance but can shift due to freight surges or weather
- Typical 5-6 days out with 1-2 days home in Boise
- Occasional 1-night layovers on longer PNW loops
- Holiday and harvest periods may require extra flexibility
- Dispatch prioritizes predictable lanes when freight allows
🏠 Reset Schedule Reality
- Focus on weekend home time in Boise
- 34-48 hour resets most weeks
- Friday or Saturday arrival home typical
- Occasional Sunday resets during peak demand
🧑✈️ Driver Type Fit
- Best for experienced regional drivers comfortable with temperature-controlled freight and multi-stop work
- Not suited for drivers wanting daily home time or fixed schedules
- Requires tolerance for occasional dock delays and winter mountain conditions
🎁 What Comes With This Position
❓ Real Questions From Drivers
How consistent is the home time?
Most drivers get weekend resets in Boise on a 4-5 day schedule, though occasional variability occurs during peak seasons.
What’s the reefer temperature requirement?
Usually -10°F or below for frozen freight with strict logging and seal checks required.
Are there many live loads?
95%+ drop-and-hook with occasional live loads at processing plants.
How much multi-stop work is there?
Commonly 2-4 stops per load, mostly at distribution centers and large warehouses.
🔗 CDL-A Regional Frozen Food Reefer Driver – Boise, ID
Running frozen reefer freight out of Boise means starting most days with a temperature check on loads of processed meats, vegetables, potatoes and dairy products headed to grocery DCs across the Pacific Northwest and Mountain States. Drivers typically pull out of the Treasure Valley with preloaded trailers or live load at nearby facilities, making 2-4 stops per run in places like Portland, Seattle/Tacoma, Salt Lake City and Spokane. Traffic around the bigger metro areas adds time, especially on deliveries, while winter conditions through the passes demand steady attention. Backhauls from warehouses help keep miles moving toward home. Expect 2,200-2,700 miles weekly when freight flows steady. Pay runs $0.62-$0.68 per mile plus stop, detention and layover compensation for a realistic first-year range of $78k-$96k. Weekend resets in Boise are the target on this 4-5 day regional rotation with some flexibility needed when receiver volumes or weather shift appointments. Late-model tractors with APUs and monitored reefers handle the temperature-sensitive freight. This setup works for drivers who know regional lanes and can manage logs, seals and occasional dock waits without needing daily home time.
🚀 Apply for This CDL-A Position
Complete the form below to apply for CDL-A Regional Frozen Food Reefer Driver in Boise, ID.