Port & Intermodal Owner Operator
Owner Operator CDL-A Port & Inland Intermodal Driver
Hiring Area: San Bernardino / Inland Empire • Base: San Bernardino, CA
San Bernardino, CA Local Port & Rail Home Daily
Short-haul container turns linking LA/LB ports, Inland Empire warehouses and 24/7 rail ramps. Typical weekly gross $3,500–$4,250 with home daily returns.
Typical Weekly Gross
$3,500–$4,250
Typical Settlement: $3,750–$4,000
Sign-On Bonus $1,500
Home Time Home Daily
Work Type Local Port & Intermodal
Weekly Volume 9–11 Container Moves
Freight Import/Export Containers
Gross settlement before fuel, insurance, maintenance, truck payment and other owner-operator expenses. Actual weekly settlement varies with freight volume, completed moves, detention and operating schedule.
Efficient container-turn management connects marine terminals, rail ramps and Inland Empire distribution facilities in a single local operating cycle.
- Inspect chassis and container condition before accepting interchange.
- Confirm seals, container numbers and appointment references at every gate.
- Follow port, rail and warehouse check-in and outgate procedures.
- Record arrival, door assignment and release times for detention claims.
- Report delays, equipment defects and terminal issues to dispatch promptly.
- Perform pre-trip and post-trip inspections on tractor and chassis.
Compensation is based on completed container moves. Higher weeks occur when volume and approved detention support additional revenue. Exact rates and settlement details are provided during the lease-on process.
Typical Weekly Gross $3,500–$4,250
Typical Settlement $3,750–$4,000
Linehaul 70% of applicable revenue
Fuel Surcharge 100% passed through
Detention $100/hour after threshold
Sign-On Bonus $1,500 ($500 at 30/90/180 days)
Settlement Frequency Weekly direct deposit
Bonus requires active lease-on status, acceptable safety performance and completion of required documentation. All figures are gross settlement before fuel, insurance, maintenance, truck payment, taxes and other owner-operator expenses.
Home Time Home daily; occasional late return possible
Operating Radius Generally within 125 miles of San Bernardino
Primary Corridor Inland Empire + LA/LB freight corridor
Dispatch Window Early starts common; most work completed same day
Weekly Volume Approximately 9–11 completed container moves
Tractor Preference Kenworth T880 or Peterbilt 579
Configuration 6x4 day-cab or short local
Transmission Automated manual preferred
Chassis Support 20', 40' and 53' via carrier network
Required Systems ELD, air-ride suspension
Owner supplies the tractor. Carrier provides access to compatible chassis. Equipment must meet current California drayage, emissions and terminal-access requirements. Eligibility is verified before lease-on. Collision mitigation, lane-departure warning and adaptive cruise are common where equipped. In-cab mobile dispatch is standard.
Primary freight consists of import/export containers and domestic intermodal equipment moving retail merchandise, consumer products and warehouse replenishment. Most work is no-touch containerized.
- Long Beach → San Bernardino import containers for Inland Empire distribution
- Long Beach → Fontana port-to-warehouse retail and consumer freight
- Los Angeles → Ontario import feeding Inland Empire warehouses
- Los Angeles → Rialto containerized retail and warehouse freight
- San Bernardino → Long Beach export or repositioned loaded containers
- Fontana → Long Beach outbound export movements
- Bloomington → Los Angeles rail/intermodal repositioning
- Dispatch provides the first assignment the evening before or early morning.
- Depart approved San Bernardino-area parking toward port, rail or pre-loaded yard.
- Complete gate, appointment and interchange procedures at the terminal or ramp.
- Deliver to Inland Empire warehouse for drop-and-hook or live receiving.
- Dispatch sequences the next available move around current delivery and terminal status.
- Reposition empty or loaded equipment according to live updates.
- Return the tractor to approved Inland Empire parking at the end of the day.
About the Carrier
Local port and intermodal container work in Southern California depends on reliable short-haul capacity between the Los Angeles/Long Beach marine terminals, Inland Empire warehouses and continuous rail facilities. This San Bernardino-area operation focuses on import/export containers and domestic intermodal equipment moving through appointment-based dispatch. The position is built around efficient container turns and home-daily returns rather than long-haul mileage, supporting retail, consumer products and warehouse replenishment accounts across the region.
Fuel Program Company-supported fuel card available
Chassis Access Compatible network chassis provided
Maintenance Support Vendor coordination and breakdown assistance
Dispatch Support Live updates, detention documentation help
Settlement Weekly direct deposit
- Valid CDL-A
- Tractor meeting current California drayage, emissions and terminal-access requirements
- TWIC for unescorted maritime access where required
- Experience with container, chassis and terminal procedures
- UIIA participation preferred
- Clean Truck Check compliant status for applicable facilities
- Port gate congestion and last-minute appointment changes
- Rail container availability and cut-off timing
- Chassis shortages or non-roadable equipment at interchange
- Warehouse receiving delays during peak windows
- Traffic incidents on I-710, I-10, I-215 and I-15 corridors
1
Application
Submit owner-operator packet
2
Equipment Review
Safety and compliance verification
3
Lease-On
Complete documentation and orientation
4
First Dispatch
Begin assigned container work
Q: How are container moves sequenced during the day? ▼
Dispatch sequences the next available move around the driver’s current delivery, appointment window and terminal status. Changes occur when a container is unavailable or chassis is not ready.
Q: Is most work drop-and-hook or live unload? ▼
The mix varies by customer. Many moves involve pre-staged or drop-and-hook equipment, while others require live warehouse receiving or terminal interchange procedures.
Q: Where does the tractor park overnight? ▼
At an approved San Bernardino or Inland Empire yard or designated owner-operator location. Loaded equipment remains only at customer, carrier or terminal facilities.
Q: Are weekend moves required? ▼
Weekend freight may appear during peak retail or holiday import periods but is not mandatory every week.
Q: How is detention documented? ▼
Record arrival, check-in, door assignment and release times. Dispatch reviews the records before submitting the claim.
Q: What happens if a port or rail move falls apart? ▼
Operations attempts to replace it with another available local move rather than sending the driver back empty.
The Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area maintains a large trucking labor market, with roughly 40,000 heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver positions reported in recent BLS data. Mean pay for employee drivers sits near $30.83 per hour. Owner-operator compensation is structured differently because gross settlements cover a full business operation rather than W-2 wages. Local opportunities include general freight, dedicated distribution, LTL, port drayage, intermodal and warehouse shuttle work. Specialized container roles that require TWIC, port experience, chassis knowledge or UIIA participation form a competitive niche that rewards turn-time efficiency over simple mile accumulation.
The Inland Empire serves as Southern California’s primary inland distribution hub. Warehouse and industrial space concentrated around San Bernardino, Fontana, Bloomington, Ontario, Rialto and Rancho Cucamonga continuously receives import containers from the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports while feeding export and domestic intermodal movements back toward the coast. BNSF’s San Bernardino intermodal facility and Union Pacific’s Inland Empire terminals in Fontana/Bloomington both operate 24/7, anchoring rail activity. Principal corridors—I-10, I-215, I-15, CA-60, I-710 and I-110—connect the ports to the warehouse cluster, creating a high-frequency short-haul environment driven by retail replenishment, e-commerce, consumer products and imported merchandise.