🗺 Location & Routes
- Terminal: Albuquerque distribution center
- Service area: Central and northern New Mexico including Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, Los Lunas, Bernalillo, Belen, Española and surrounding communities
- Route style: Multi-stop local deliveries (8–16 stops typical)
- Start times: 1:00 AM – 4:00 AM depending on route
📦 What the Run Actually Looks Like
Trailers are preloaded at the warehouse. You complete pre-trip, verify temps, and roll out before most of the city wakes up. Deliveries go to restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools, and institutional kitchens. Expect a mix of dock doors, liftgate work, curbside, and hand-trucking product inside through service entrances. Palletized loads with electric jacks and hand trucks. Return empties and paperwork at the end of the shift.
Daily mileage stays between 120-240. Physical work is the main difference from dry van — repeated lifting up to 75 lbs and maneuvering in tight back-of-house spaces. Routes are planned for early receiving windows before customer lunch rushes.
❄️ Temperature-Controlled Delivery Cycle
- Reefer units must maintain proper temps from departure through final stop
- Product mix includes fresh produce, frozen items, dairy, meat, and dry goods
- Strict attention to door management and load integrity on multi-stop routes
- Return any rejected or damaged product same day
✅ Driver Qualification Snapshot
License
Valid CDL-A with clean or acceptable MVR
Experience
Minimum 12 months recent verifiable CDL-A driving
Physical
Able to lift up to 75 lbs repeatedly and operate pallet jacks, liftgates, hand trucks
Other
Current DOT medical card, early morning availability, customer service mindset
🚛 Fleet You’ll Pull From
- Primarily 2021–2025 Freightliner Cascadias and 2022–2024 International LTs
- Automatic transmissions standard
- 48' and 53' refrigerated trailers with Thermo King units
- Liftgate trailers assigned based on route needs
- In-house maintenance shop keeps equipment on schedule
⏰ Shift Timing & Daily Flow
Most days run 10–12 hours. You know your route a few days out but expect occasional adjustments for volume or coverage. Peak seasons around holidays mean more stops and overtime. Traffic is lighter early but picks up in downtown Santa Fe and Albuquerque later in the morning. Communication with dispatch is key when receiving windows tighten.
📋 Operations Desk View of the Position
Drivers handle scheduled multi-stop refrigerated and frozen food deliveries across central and northern New Mexico. Product is palletized and roll-carts. You will use electric jacks, liftgates, and hand trucks at customer locations. Return to the Albuquerque terminal each night with empty pallets, totes, and completed electronic paperwork.
🏪 Customer Site Realities
- Restaurants and hotels often have tight back entrances
- Healthcare and school locations have specific receiving protocols
- Some docks, many require liftgate and manual movement
- Professional interaction with kitchen staff and receivers expected
🎁 What Supports the Position
❓ Questions Drivers Ask Operations
How early do I really start?
Between 1 AM and 4 AM depending on the specific route assigned that week.
Is this all no-touch?
No. Expect physical deliveries with pallet jacks and liftgates on most stops.
Do I get the same route every day?
You usually know routes a few days ahead but flexibility is needed for volume changes.
What about overtime?
Paid after 40 hours. Holiday periods often provide additional opportunities.
🔗 CDL-A Local Foodservice Delivery Driver – Albuquerque, NM
Albuquerque-based drivers on these local foodservice routes pull preloaded refrigerated trailers out early and work their way through 8-16 stops delivering fresh produce, frozen foods, dairy, meat, poultry and restaurant supplies across central and northern New Mexico. Routes serve restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools and institutional kitchens in areas like Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, Los Lunas and Española. Daily home time means you’re back at the terminal each night after handling liftgates, pallet jacks and product movement at customer sites. Pay starts at $31.10 per hour with overtime after 40 hours plus stop and detention pay, putting experienced drivers in the $1,650–$2,020 weekly range depending on volume and stops. The operation runs year-round with consistent freight but sees higher demand around major holidays. Equipment is late-model Cascadias and Internationals pulling Thermo King reefers. This is hands-on local work for drivers comfortable with early starts, physical deliveries, and tight customer locations rather than highway no-touch runs.
🚀 Apply for This Position
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