Local Intermodal Position Home Daily

CDL-A Local Intermodal Truck Driver — San Bernardino, CA

Home Daily • Foodservice & Consumer Freight • Inland Empire

San Bernardino, CA Local / Dedicated Day Cab Equipment

Local intermodal container work moving foodservice and consumer freight between San Bernardino-area rail facilities and Inland Empire distribution centers. Typical weekly gross $1,600–$1,750 with home daily returns and a five-day schedule.

Typical Weekly Gross
$1,600–$1,750
Estimated Annual: $83,200–$91,000
Base Rate $29/hour + activity pay
Home Time Home Daily
Schedule 5 Days / 10–12 Hour Shifts
Sign-On Bonus $2,000
Area San Bernardino / Inland Empire

Position Overview

No-touch intermodal container transport supporting foodservice and consumer-goods distribution. Drivers handle the movement of sealed units rather than individual restaurant deliveries.

  • Pick up loaded containers from San Bernardino-area rail facilities.
  • Deliver to foodservice and distribution centers across the Inland Empire.
  • Perform pre-trip inspections of tractors, chassis, containers and securement.
  • Verify seals, appointment information and shipping documents at each stop.
  • Complete drop-and-hook exchanges and occasional live customer moves.
  • Communicate rail delays, chassis issues and HOS limits to local dispatch.

Pay & Compensation Breakdown

Hourly base combined with per-container activity pay on a normal five-day local schedule. Weekly totals reflect completed moves and on-duty time rather than pure mileage.

Typical Weekly Gross $1,600–$1,750
Estimated Annual $83,200–$91,000
Hourly Base $29/hour
Activity Pay $12 per qualifying container move
Sign-On Bonus $2,000 (staged over first year)
Referral Bonus $1,000 for qualified CDL-A referral
Detention Paid per company policy after waiting threshold
Pay Frequency Weekly

Schedule, Home Time & Operating Area

Home Time Home Daily
Schedule Five days, roughly 10–12 hour shifts
Start Times Vary with rail releases and customer appointments
Terminal San Bernardino-area yard
Primary Area Inland Empire local turns
Occasional Reach Toward Los Angeles / Long Beach area

Equipment & Cabin Specs

Tractors Freightliner Cascadia & Kenworth T680 day cabs
Model Years Primarily 2021–2025; some older units in service
Transmission Automatic
Safety Features Collision warning, lane-departure alert, adaptive cruise on selected units
Chassis 20', 40' and 53' intermodal chassis
Assignment Slip-seat; report to yard each day
Other ELD, air-ride suspension, forward-facing cameras

Local shop and approved vendors handle maintenance. Drivers report defects before equipment is redispatched.

Real Routes & Freight

Sealed containers carrying packaged dry food, frozen and refrigerated products, beverages, restaurant supplies and consumer goods move between San Bernardino-area intermodal rail facilities and food-grade warehouses throughout the Inland Empire.

  • Core destinations include Fontana, Ontario, Rialto, Riverside, Moreno Valley and Rancho Cucamonga.
  • Additional points include Commerce, City of Industry, Corona and Colton.
  • Some loads extend toward Los Angeles and Long Beach distribution areas.
  • Primary highways: I-10, I-15, I-215, I-210, SR-60 and I-5.
  • Most days combine rail pickup, customer delivery and empty or reload return.
  • Mix of drop-and-hook exchanges and live customer activity depending on the receiver.
  • Daily sequence adjusts according to rail availability and appointment windows.

Typical Week & Daily Workflow

  • Report to the San Bernardino-area yard and receive the first container assignment from local dispatch.
  • Complete rail check-in, chassis inspection and container verification before leaving the facility.
  • Deliver to the assigned food-distribution or warehouse location and perform drop-and-hook or wait for live unload.
  • Receive updated instructions on the road when rail status or customer release times change.
  • Return equipment and prepare for the next local move or end-of-shift yard parking.
  • Week starts often busier after weekend rail volume; midweek patterns are generally steadier.

About This Local Operation

This San Bernardino-area operation focuses on local intermodal turns that connect rail facilities with Inland Empire distribution centers. Drivers return to the same terminal each day, work with local dispatch, and move sealed containers of foodservice and consumer products. The account is built around high-utilization short-haul work rather than multi-day OTR cycles. Dispatch monitors rail releases, chassis availability and customer appointment windows so that most assignments stay within the dense warehouse network surrounding San Bernardino, Fontana and Ontario.

Benefits & Healthcare Coverage

Medical Available with employee contribution
Dental & Vision Available
401(k) Company match after eligibility requirements
Paid Time Off Vacation accrued under company policy
Paid Holidays According to company eligibility rules
Additional Support Paid orientation, referral program, safety recognition, uniform/safety apparel where required, DOT physical assistance; HazMat endorsement support may be available for qualifying drivers

Driver Qualification Requirements

Required

  • Valid Class A CDL
  • Acceptable MVR and safety history
  • Ability to pass DOT physical and drug/alcohol screening
  • Compliance with FMCSA Clearinghouse requirements
  • Ability to work scheduled weekends or evening shifts when assigned
  • Ability to inspect and safely operate container chassis

Preferred

  • Minimum 6 months recent tractor-trailer experience
  • Recent 53-foot trailer or intermodal experience
  • Prior experience with food-distribution or warehouse environments

Operational Delays

  • Gate congestion and changing container availability at rail facilities
  • Chassis that occasionally need inspection, repair or substitution
  • Customer receiving queues that can extend wait times
  • Peak-period congestion on I-10, I-15, I-215, SR-60 and surface streets
  • Construction, incidents or weather that slow freeway movement
  • Higher warehouse activity during holiday and promotional periods

Hiring Process

1
Initial Call
Recruiter contact within one business day
2
Document Check
CDL, MVR and employment history review
3
Screening
DOT drug test, Clearinghouse query, possible road evaluation
4
Offer & Orientation
Typically a few business days; paid local orientation

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is prior intermodal experience required? ▼
Preferred but not mandatory. Drivers with recent 53-foot experience receive orientation on rail-yard procedures, chassis inspection and gate operations.
Q: Will I be making restaurant deliveries or unloading cases? ▼
No. This is containerized freight, not route delivery. Drivers do not make individual restaurant stops or unload cases at customer locations.
Q: How are refrigerated containers handled? ▼
Drivers follow the instructions given for each refrigerated unit and report temperature alarms promptly. Settings are not changed independently unless authorized.
Q: What if a seal is missing or does not match the paperwork? ▼
Contact operations before accepting or delivering the container. Seal numbers must match the documentation.
Q: Do drivers take tractors home? ▼
No. The operation runs on a slip-seat basis. Tractors stay at the company yard and drivers return there at the end of the shift.
Q: Is a HazMat endorsement needed? ▼
Not for every load. Drivers assigned qualifying hazardous-material freight must meet the applicable requirements. Endorsement support may be available for qualifying drivers.
Q: How does detention work with hourly pay? ▼
Ordinary waiting time is already covered by the hourly rate. Qualifying delays beyond the company threshold are reviewed for additional detention after proper documentation.

CDL Job Market — San Bernardino / Inland Empire

San Bernardino and the surrounding Inland Empire form one of Southern California’s major freight and distribution markets. CDL-A drivers can find local, dedicated, intermodal, refrigerated and regional opportunities across San Bernardino, Fontana, Ontario, Rialto and Rancho Cucamonga. The concentration of rail facilities, warehouses and major highways supports a large number of home-daily and short-haul driving positions. Demand remains relatively steady because of continuous port-related volume and warehouse activity rather than strong seasonal swings.

Location & Freight Market — San Bernardino

San Bernardino sits at a key inland interchange connecting the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach with extensive warehouse and highway networks across Southern California. Major intermodal rail facilities in the area handle large volumes of domestic and import containers. Surrounding communities—Fontana, Ontario, Rialto, Rancho Cucamonga, Colton and Moreno Valley—contain concentrated distribution centers that process consumer goods, foodservice products and import freight. I-10 and I-15 serve as the primary corridors, with I-210, SR-60, I-215 and I-5 providing additional routing options. The dense cluster of rail ramps and warehouses creates consistent demand for short-haul and local intermodal moves rather than long-haul cycles.

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