CDL-A Regional Refrigerated Driver

🗺 Location & Routes

• Base: Albuquerque, NM terminal and nearby cold storage
• Primary lanes: NM-AZ-CO-TX-UT-NV regional network
• Typical markets: Phoenix, Tucson, El Paso, Denver, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas
• Freight type: Temperature-controlled grocery, produce, dairy and frozen
• Average weekly miles: 2,300 – 2,700

🚛 Trucks & Trailers You'll Run

• Late model 2021–2025 Volvo VNL and Freightliner Cascadia tractors with automatic transmissions
• 53' air-ride refrigerated trailers equipped with Thermo King and Carrier units
• Trailer temperature monitoring and remote reefer alerts
• Company terminals and authorized vendors handle all scheduled PM service

📦 Load Flow & Operations Reality

Most runs start with pre-cooled trailers at distribution centers or cold storage. You'll verify set points, complete pre-trip inspections, and handle the usual reefer paperwork before rolling. 70% drop-and-hook, 30% live. 95% no-touch freight. Backhauls are common — often dairy, frozen, or grocery reloads heading back toward Albuquerque. Customer appointments run tight because the product can't sit. Expect occasional dock congestion in Phoenix or Denver metro during peak produce or holiday windows. Dispatch keeps empty miles low when possible, but weather through the northern passes or summer heat in West Texas can force reroutes.

💰 How The Check Actually Works

• Base: $0.64 per mile on loaded and empty
• Detention after 2 hours, layover pay, $25 extra stop pay
• $20 temperature-control bonus per qualifying load
• Annual safety bonus up to $900, $750 referral
• Realistic annual range after everything: $82,500 – $101,000

✅ Driver Qualifications

🧭 What A Typical Week Looks Like

• 3–5 day trips with weekly return to Albuquerque for 34-hour reset
• Weekend departures common during produce season and holidays
• Next load often assigned before you finish unloading
• Mountain driving in northern NM/CO and desert heat in AZ/TX

🛡️ What The Company Provides

📍 Albuquerque Regional Reefer Opportunity

Drivers based in Albuquerque running refrigerated freight for a stable carrier with 165 tractors and over 340 reefers. You'll move food products, dairy, frozen goods, and grocery between distribution centers and retail across New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Utah and Nevada. Most drivers are home weekly after 3-5 day runs with a full 34-hour restart. At $0.64 CPM plus detention, layover, stop, and temperature bonuses, experienced drivers pull $1,590–$1,940 weekly on 2,300–2,700 miles. Freight stays consistent year-round with seasonal spikes during produce harvest and holidays. Late-model Volvos and Cascadias paired with modern reefers make the work manageable. If you have at least one year of tractor-trailer experience, a clean record, and can handle reefer monitoring plus mountain and desert conditions, this regional setup keeps you closer to home than OTR while still delivering solid mileage.

❓ Questions Drivers Usually Ask

🚀 Apply for This Position

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