Local CDL-A Position Food Distribution
Local CDL-A Foodservice Delivery Driver — Elizabeth, NJ
Hiring Area: Northern & Central New Jersey + selected New York metro points • Terminal: Elizabeth, NJ
Elizabeth, NJ Local Multi-Stop Day Cab Operation
Early-morning multi-stop foodservice runs from Elizabeth deliver frozen, refrigerated, produce, dry grocery and beverage products to restaurants, hotels, schools and institutional kitchens across North Jersey and selected New York metro points. Drivers earn $1,450–$1,900 weekly ($75,400–$98,800 annual range) and return home daily.
Weekly Gross Range
$1,450–$1,900
Annual Range: $75,400–$98,800
~$91,000 at typical weekly gross
Sign-On Bonus Up to $1,250
Home Time Home Daily
Driver Type Company Driver
Weekly Miles 600–1,250
Freight Type Foodservice (Frozen / Reefer / Dry)
Customer-facing multi-stop work that combines driving with case-level delivery into restaurant, hotel, school and healthcare receiving areas.
- Unloads cases by hand truck or pallet jack into customer receiving zones.
- Confirms counts, notes shortages or damage, and secures proof-of-delivery signatures.
- Collects returns, empty pallets and reusable containers before departure.
- Reports traffic, dock holds and HOS status so local dispatch can adjust the sequence.
- Performs pre-trip, post-trip and reefer temperature verification.
- Observes site-specific receiving rules and food-handling requirements.
Hourly pay covers both road time and the unloading, check-in and paperwork that fill most of the shift. Overtime begins after 40 hours. Weekly earnings move with actual hours, stop volume and route length rather than a fixed guarantee.
Hourly Rate $30–$34
Weekly Gross $1,450–$1,900
Typical Week ~$1,650–$1,750 (40 regular + 5–10 OT hours)
Annual Range $75,400–$98,800 (≈$91,000 at typical weekly gross)
Sign-On Bonus Up to $1,250 — $500 at 30 days, $375 at 90 days, $375 at 180 days
Pay Frequency Weekly electronic payroll
Home Time Home daily — equipment returns to Elizabeth terminal
Work Week Monday–Friday with occasional Saturday rotation for seasonal or high-volume coverage
Dispatch Window Approximately 3:00 AM–6:00 AM
Shift Length 9–12 hours
Stops per Shift 8–15
Weekly Miles 600–1,250
Tractors Freightliner M2 day cabs, model years approximately 2021–2025
Transmission Automatic
Trailers 48–53 ft refrigerated units with Thermo King systems
Delivery Equipment Hydraulic or tuck-under liftgates, two-wheel hand trucks, manual and selected electric pallet jacks
Cabin & Safety Air-ride suspension, A/C, power steering, ELD, Geotab telematics, forward-facing cameras, electronic stability and collision-warning features on newer units
Tractor assignment can reflect seniority and route needs; the exact unit is not guaranteed each day. Tractor, reefer and liftgate maintenance run through the company shop and approved outside vendors.
Loads are built from customer-specific orders that combine frozen foods, refrigerated products, produce, dairy-related items, dry grocery, canned goods, sauces, beverages, paper products and other kitchen supplies. Stop order follows receiving windows rather than pure geography.
- Elizabeth outbound through Newark and Jersey City for dense restaurant and hotel stops.
- Union and Springfield corridor covering Union County accounts.
- Paramus–Hackensack runs serving Bergen County.
- Edison–New Brunswick coverage across Middlesex County.
- Selected New York metro points including Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island.
- Northern extensions toward Yonkers and White Plains when volume requires.
- Primary corridors: New Jersey Turnpike, I-95, Route 1&9, I-278, I-280, I-78 and Garden State Parkway.
- Arrive between 3:00 and 6:00 AM, receive the day’s stop sequence and verify reefer temperature.
- Inspect tractor, trailer, liftgate and delivery gear before leaving the yard.
- Work the planned multi-stop route of roughly 8–15 deliveries.
- At each stop: check in, position the truck, unload required cases, collect signature and any returns.
- Notify dispatch of delays or traffic so remaining stops can be reordered if needed.
- Return equipment, empties and returns to the Elizabeth terminal after the final delivery.
- Finish post-trip inspection and paperwork before clocking out.
About the Carrier
Restaurants, hotels, schools and healthcare kitchens across the North Jersey and New York metro area need early-morning replenishment of temperature-controlled and dry foodservice products. Mid-sized regional operators stage those customer-specific loads from warehouses in the Elizabeth logistics corridor, sending multi-stop trucks out before most businesses open. The model stays inside a short operating radius that links food-grade facilities near the port complex with dense institutional and hospitality accounts, allowing drivers to complete the cycle and return the same afternoon. Local dispatch keeps receiving windows, traffic and trailer availability in balance so the daily pattern remains predictable.
Health Coverage Medical, dental and vision options for eligible full-time employees
Retirement 401(k) with company contribution or match according to plan terms
Time Off Paid time off accrued under company policy plus paid holidays
Safety & Gear Annual safety incentive up to $1,000; company uniforms after introductory period; safety-footwear reimbursement
Training & Support Paid orientation and route familiarization; liftgate and pallet-jack instruction; paid DOT physical renewal
- Valid CDL Class A; minimum age 21.
- 6–12 months CDL-A experience preferred; foodservice, grocery, reefer, LTL P&D or other multi-stop work strongly preferred.
- Clean and acceptable MVR with no major disqualifying violations.
- Current DOT physical and medical certification; pass pre-employment drug screen, background check and FMCSA Clearinghouse query.
- Ability to repeatedly lift and move cases up to approximately 75 lbs, operate hand truck, pallet jack and liftgate, and work in refrigerated or frozen environments.
- No HazMat or Tanker endorsement required for the standard freight mix.
- Morning congestion on approaches into Elizabeth, Newark, Jersey City and New York bridge or tunnel corridors.
- Receiving backlogs when several suppliers arrive at the same account.
- Construction, incidents or weather that force alternate routing.
- Holiday and summer volume spikes that raise case counts and stop density.
- Occasional reefer or liftgate service that temporarily removes units from the pool.
1
Application
Submit CDL-A application with license and employment history
2
Recruiter Screen
Initial call within one business day covering schedule and physical demands
3
Qualification & Screens
MVR review, employment verification, drug screen, Clearinghouse query
4
Road Test & Offer
Equipment evaluation if needed, then paid orientation schedule
Complete process usually takes 3–7 business days. Orientation covers safety procedures, ELD use, reefer operation and route expectations.
Q: How physical is the unloading portion of the job? ▼
Routes heavy with small restaurants require repeated hand-truck moves across curbs, ramps and narrow service entrances. Individual cases can weigh up to about 75 lbs. Larger institutional accounts more often have docks or forklifts.
Q: Is prior foodservice experience mandatory? ▼
Preferred, not required. Candidates with solid multi-stop, grocery, LTL or reefer experience plus urban driving comfort are considered.
Q: What if a customer delay pushes me against HOS limits? ▼
Contact dispatch at once. They can resequence remaining stops or arrange a relief solution so legal hours are not exceeded.
Q: Do most stops use lumper services? ▼
It depends on the customer. Some facilities require lumpers; at others the driver performs the unload.
Q: Am I expected to take a loaded trailer home overnight? ▼
Drivers normally return equipment to the Elizabeth terminal and are not expected to keep loaded foodservice trailers overnight. Dispatch will coordinate if an unusual situation arises.
Q: How do New York metro routes compare with pure New Jersey runs? ▼
Miles may be similar or lower, but clock time is longer because of tunnel, bridge and dense urban traffic. Dispatch builds the stop list with that extra time in mind.
Q: How often is Saturday work required? ▼
Saturday rotation is occasional rather than weekly. It appears mainly during holiday peaks or periods of unusually high foodservice volume.
The Elizabeth–Newark industrial corridor offers one of the densest concentrations of CDL-A openings in New Jersey. Drivers can move among port-area container work, LTL terminals, grocery and foodservice fleets, parcel operations, regional dry-van runs and local shuttle assignments. Warehouse density and short customer radii keep hiring active throughout the year. Foodservice multi-stop roles compete with higher national hourly rates, so carriers that cannot match the top of the market stress consistent local schedules, home-daily returns and dependable equipment. Drivers who already know liftgates, pallet jacks and urban traffic remain the hardest segment to fill. Holiday protein demand and summer hospitality volume tighten the market further, giving experienced candidates multiple concurrent options across Union, Essex, Hudson, Bergen and Middlesex counties.
The North Jersey logistics complex around Elizabeth and Newark supports ocean freight, food-grade warehousing, retail replenishment and industrial distribution within a few miles of one another. That same network feeds dense restaurant, hotel, school and healthcare accounts throughout Union, Essex, Hudson, Bergen and Middlesex counties plus adjacent New York City boroughs. Because most customers sit inside a short operating radius, daily multi-stop foodservice cycles remain practical without overnight travel. Major arteries—the New Jersey Turnpike, I-95, Route 1&9, I-278, I-280, I-78 and the Garden State Parkway—carry the bulk of the volume, yet morning congestion and bridge or tunnel restrictions regularly force sequence changes. Seasonal shifts in produce, beverage and holiday protein demand create peaks, while the underlying concentration of commercial and institutional kitchens keeps foodservice freight moving steadily year-round.