Local Flatbed Position Home Daily
Local CDL-A Building Materials Flatbed Driver — Elizabeth, New Jersey
Hiring Area: Northern & Central New Jersey + occasional NYC/Long Island • Terminal: Elizabeth, NJ
Elizabeth, NJ Local Flatbed 2021–2025 Kenworth
Move steel, rebar, lumber and structural building materials on local flatbed runs out of Elizabeth. Earn $1,450–$2,000 weekly, return home every night, and work 10–11 hour shifts across Northern New Jersey with occasional selected deliveries into New York.
Weekly Gross
$1,450–$2,000
Estimated Annual Gross: $75,400–$104,000
Sign-On Bonus Up to $1,500
Home Time Home Daily
Driver Type Company Driver
Weekly Miles 900–1,300
Freight Type Building Materials Flatbed
Construction sites across Northern New Jersey need steel beams, rebar bundles and lumber delivered the same day they are staged at Elizabeth-area yards and transload facilities. This local flatbed role puts the driver in the middle of that flow—loading under cranes, securing dense freight, navigating urban traffic and positioning the trailer for site unloading.
- Secure steel beams, rebar and lumber with chains, binders, straps and edge protection.
- Coordinate loading with forklifts, overhead cranes or yard equipment at shippers.
- Position the trailer safely on active job sites and stay available during crane unloading.
- Verify BOL details, quantities and obtain delivery signatures.
- Notify local dispatch immediately of site delays, cargo issues or traffic problems.
- Conduct en-route securement checks after hard braking or rough pavement.
Because local construction flatbed work spends significant time on securement, job-site waits and urban traffic, the position is paid hourly rather than by the mile. Weekly earnings vary with scheduled hours, overtime, documented detention and construction demand. Most normal weeks fall inside the advertised $1,450–$2,000 gross range.
Hourly Rate $30–$36 per hour
Weekly Gross Range $1,450–$2,000
Estimated Annual Gross $75,400–$104,000
Typical Mid-Range Week ~50 hours at $33 avg ≈ $1,815 (40 × $33 + 10 OT × $49.50)
Overtime Paid after 40 hours according to company policy and law
Detention Paid when qualifying waits are documented (~1–2 hrs / $50–$100 in busy weeks)
Sign-On Bonus Up to $1,500 ($500 after 30 / 90 / 180 days)
Safety Bonus Up to $1,250 annually (separate from weekly pay)
Referral Bonus $1,000 per qualified referral
Home Time Home daily — return to Elizabeth terminal after final delivery
Work Days Monday–Friday; occasional Saturday during peak construction
Typical Shift 10–11 hours
Report Window Usually 5:00–6:00 AM
Daily Driving Approximately 120–250 miles
Weekly Miles 900–1,300
Operating Area Northern & Central New Jersey; occasional selected NYC / Long Island deliveries
The fleet is a practical mix of late-model day cabs rather than a brand-new-only operation. Drivers normally keep a consistent tractor when maintenance schedules allow.
Tractors Kenworth T680 day cabs, model years roughly 2021–2025
Transmission Automatic
Trailers 48-foot flatbeds (standard and heavier-duty configurations)
ELD / Telematics Samsara
Safety Systems Collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, roll-stability (where equipped)
Securement Equipment Heavy-duty chains, ratchet binders, web straps, edge protectors, winch straps, tarps, corner protection
Driver Gear Reflective apparel, hard hat and required job-site PPE provided
Loads originate at steel distributors, building-material yards, port-adjacent facilities, fabrication shops and transload operations. Dispatch adjusts sequencing daily according to customer readiness, crane availability and traffic.
- Elizabeth-area yards → Jersey City, Newark, Linden, Secaucus
- Elizabeth → Edison, Woodbridge, Piscataway, Union County projects
- Occasional selected deliveries into Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island City based on customer needs and truck-access restrictions
- Primary roads: I-78, I-95 / New Jersey Turnpike, I-280, US-1&9, NJ-21, NJ-24, I-495
- Typical day: 1–3 deliveries; backhauls arranged from nearby distributors when available
- Freight mix: structural steel, rebar bundles, steel beams, lumber, engineered wood, building panels, fabricated components
- Arrive at Elizabeth terminal between 5:00–6:00 AM, review first assignment and finish pre-trip.
- Drive to shipper, check in, confirm load details and wait for forklift or crane loading.
- Complete final securement inspection before leaving the yard.
- Travel to first construction site and check in with superintendent or site logistics contact.
- Position trailer, wait for unloading equipment, finish documentation and report status.
- Accept next pickup or reload, or begin return to terminal if no suitable freight is available.
- Post-trip inspection, note any equipment issues and park at the terminal by end of shift.
About the Carrier
Building-material supply chains serving the Port Newark-Elizabeth complex require reliable short-haul flatbed capacity that can move steel, rebar and lumber from distributors and transload yards to active job sites the same day. A mid-sized regional carrier focuses exclusively on that Northern and Central New Jersey construction freight rather than long-haul van or intermodal work. Local day-cab drivers handle the urban traffic, crane coordination and dense-load securement that the market demands. Dispatch operates from the Elizabeth terminal and prioritizes appointment windows and site readiness over national load boards. The result is a specialized home-daily flatbed niche that keeps commercial and infrastructure projects supplied across the Liberty Corridor.
Health Coverage Medical, dental and vision options for eligible full-time drivers
Retirement 401(k) plan with company match
Paid Time Off PTO after eligibility requirements; paid holidays per company policy
Training & Equipment Paid orientation, securement training, replacement chains/straps/binders, required PPE
Additional Support Paid DOT physical renewal, terminal parking, preventive maintenance, roadside assistance
- Valid Class A CDL and current DOT medical card
- Minimum age 21; must meet all FMCSA and company qualification standards
- Solid prior Class A driving experience; flatbed experience preferred
- Practical knowledge of chains, binders, straps and edge protection strongly preferred
- Acceptable MVR — no recent major violations or serious preventable safety history
- Physical ability to climb on flatbeds, handle securement gear and work outdoors in all weather
- No HazMat or tanker endorsement required for the freight normally assigned
- Morning congestion on I-78, the New Jersey Turnpike and US-1&9
- Bridge, tunnel and borough traffic on selected New York deliveries
- Waiting for crane or forklift availability at active construction sites
- Restricted site access or blocked unloading zones
- Weather-related postponements of outdoor construction work
- Material not staged and ready when the truck arrives at the shipper
1
Application & Recruiter Call
Most qualified applicants hear back within one business day
2
Background & Screening
CDL verification, MVR, employment history, Clearinghouse query, drug screen
3
Road / Securement Evaluation
Practical check or hands-on securement orientation if needed
4
Orientation & First Dispatch
Paid orientation at the Elizabeth terminal; equipment assignment and first load
Q: Is this position paid hourly or by the mile? ▼
Hourly. Local construction flatbed work involves substantial non-driving time for securement, loading coordination and job-site waits, so the company pays by the hour with overtime after 40.
Q: Do I need previous flatbed experience? ▼
Flatbed experience is preferred and practical knowledge of chains, binders and straps is strongly preferred. Drivers with solid Class A experience but limited flatbed background may still be considered if they successfully complete company securement training.
Q: How much overtime can local flatbed drivers expect? ▼
A representative week runs about 50 hours (10 overtime). Heavier construction periods and occasional Saturday work can push hours higher; lighter weeks stay closer to 45.
Q: Are overnight stays ever part of the schedule? ▼
No. The operation is built for daily return to the Elizabeth terminal. Overnight parking is treated as a rare exception caused by extreme delay, not a normal expectation.
Q: Who unloads the freight at construction sites? ▼
Customer or site equipment—usually a crane or forklift—handles unloading. Lumper services are not routine for this type of building-material freight.
Q: How often do drivers tarp loads? ▼
Only when the customer or company procedure requires protection from weather or road debris. Drivers are expected to handle tarps safely and avoid the task in high winds or unsafe conditions.
Q: What happens if a job site is not ready when I arrive? ▼
Report the delay to dispatch immediately. Dispatch can resequence loads, arrange a nearby reload or adjust the remaining day around available hours of service.
Q: Is Saturday work mandatory? ▼
Saturdays appear mainly during peak construction periods or when customers open weekend receiving windows. They are not automatic every week.
Q: How long does the hiring process usually take? ▼
Most local applicants complete the process in 3–7 business days once MVR, employment verification and screening turnaround are finished.
The Elizabeth–Newark–Linden–Kearny strip is one of the most competitive CDL-A hiring areas in the Northeast. Port container drayage, LTL, parcel, dry-van distribution, foodservice, intermodal and specialized local work all draw from the same driver pool. Flatbed and construction-material roles stand out because they require practical securement skill and comfort working around cranes and active job sites—attributes less common than basic local van experience. Hourly pay models are typical for local work that includes substantial non-driving time. Drivers who prefer home-daily schedules can move between port, industrial and construction-supply positions without leaving the region. Demand remains relatively steady year-round because the port complex and ongoing construction rarely shut down completely.
Port Newark-Elizabeth anchors a multimodal network that links ocean cargo, rail, warehousing and the New York metropolitan construction market. Steel products, rebar, lumber, fabricated structural components and other building materials move steadily from port-adjacent yards, transload facilities and distributors into commercial projects across Union, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex and Bergen counties. The Liberty Corridor, recognized by NJDOT as a primary connection between the port, airport, rail yards and regional highways, concentrates truck traffic on I-78, the New Jersey Turnpike, I-280 and US-1&9. Construction volume typically rises in spring and summer while industrial and building-supply freight continues through winter. Bridge clearances, appointment windows and dense urban traffic shape daily routing more than long-distance lane planning. The combination of port volume and continuous development sustains steady short-haul demand for building-material flatbed capacity.