CDL-A OTR Reefer Driver — $1,800–$2,300/wk, Peterbilt 389/589

Our company is a family-owned reefer carrier since 1992, based in West Virginia, looking for experienced OTR drivers to join a small, close-knit fleet. You'll run mostly repeat customer freight on established lanes in a late-model Peterbilt 389 or 589.

Pay

• Average weekly pay of $1,800–$2,300

• Average annual earnings of $85,000–$110,000, depending on home time and weekend runs

• $1,250 sign-on bonus

• Paid on percentage of linehaul: 26% to start, 27% after 6 months, 28% after 2 years

• That 26% starting rate currently works out to roughly $0.73–$0.90 per all miles

• Guaranteed minimum of $1,050 per week, paid even during home time

• Monthly bonus for following company protocols and on-time delivery

• Paid weekly with direct deposit; paperwork turned in by Monday midnight is paid in full that Friday, and you can scan documents through the company's mobile app

Home time

• Typical cycle is about 17 days out followed by 4 full days home

• Many drivers are home Wednesday and don't head back out until Monday

• Most driving is done on recap hours, averaging about 8 hours and 400 miles a day, with extra miles available on weekends for those who want them

What you'll haul

• About 90% direct customer freight rather than broker loads

• Much of it is one pickup, one drop, no touch

• Roughly 50 regular lanes run weekly, with several customer relationships going back 20+ years

• About 70% of loads pay detention at $80 per hour after the first hour past scheduled pickup or delivery

• Freight runs mainly east of the Mississippi — PA, OH, MI, IL, IN, NY, CT, MD, KY, NC, SC, GA, WI and nearby states — with occasional longer hauls to Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas

Equipment

• Peterbilt 389 and new Peterbilt 589 long-nose trucks, including recently added 2027 589 models

• Drivers get input on truck color when new units are ordered

• Governed at 75 MPH

• Equipped with PrePass, E-ZPass and Motive E-Logs

• Trucks assigned based on availability and driver preference

Requirements

• Valid Class A CDL issued by your state of residence

• At least 21 years old

• Minimum 2 years of verifiable OTR tractor-trailer experience within the last 5 years

• Clean driving and safety record

• No drug- or alcohol-related DUI/DWI in the past 5 years

• Must pass a DOT drug test before starting

• Comfortable handling temperature-controlled freight and communicating with dispatch

• Must be willing to run the standard 17 days out / 4 days home schedule

Benefits

• Health insurance eligible after 90 days (medical, dental, vision)

• 401(k) with company match up to 3%

• One week of paid vacation after a year

• Monthly performance bonus

• Rider program available for $25 a month

• Relocation assistance

About the company

The business has been run by the same family since 1992. The two owners are involved day to day, dispatchers know drivers by name, and many customers have stuck with the company for over 20 years. They're looking for drivers who want a long-term home, not a short stop.