Hiring CDL drivers in the US
Short answer
Post the job as CDL-A or CDL-B with a pay range, a weekly figure and the home time, on one large job board, one CDL job board and your state job bank. Before the driver's first load, FMCSA requires a complete employment application, a pre-employment Clearinghouse full query, a negative pre-employment drug test and a current medical certificate. Within 30 days of hire you also need the driving record from every state that licensed the driver in the past three years and the safety history from their DOT employers of the past three years.
Where to post CDL jobs
US drivers search by class, trailer and run: "CDL-A flatbed jobs", "local CDL-B jobs near me", "OTR reefer jobs", "home daily CDL jobs". Post where those searches land:
- A large general board
Indeed or ZipRecruiter, for reach. Add screening questions for the CDL class, endorsements and years of experience.
- A CDL job board
Boards built for drivers, such as CDLjobs.com, ClassADrivers.com, AllTruckJobs.com or TruckerPro Jobs, reach people who already hold the licence.
- Your state job bank
Free. Find yours through CareerOneStop, run by the US Department of Labor.
- Google's job search
Free, for pages with JobPosting structured data. How to get there.
- CDL schools and referrals
Schools for drivers with fresh licences, if your insurer allows it; your own drivers for people who fit.
The where-to-post guide compares the channels and how each one charges.
The FMCSA checks, in order
These come from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. They apply to every driver of a commercial motor vehicle you hire, including drivers of Canadian and Mexican carriers who drive in the US.
| Check | Rule | When |
|---|---|---|
| Employment application, signed, with every employer of the past 3 years and, for CDL drivers, 7 more years of driving commercial vehicles | 49 CFR 391.21 | Before hire |
| Pre-employment full query in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, with the driver's consent given in the Clearinghouse | 49 CFR 382.701 | Before the first safety-sensitive work |
| Pre-employment drug test with a verified negative result | 49 CFR 382.301 | Before the first safety-sensitive work |
| Medical examiner's certificate, current | 49 CFR 391.41 | Before driving |
| Road test, or a CDL accepted in its place | 49 CFR 391.31, 391.33 | Before driving |
| Motor vehicle record from every state that licensed the driver in the past 3 years | 49 CFR 391.23 | Within 30 days of hire |
| Safety performance history from DOT-regulated employers of the past 3 years. FMCSA drug and alcohol history now comes from the Clearinghouse query; ask previous employers directly only about other DOT modes and unfinished follow-up testing | 49 CFR 391.23 | Within 30 days of hire |
| Driver qualification file holding all of the above | 49 CFR 391.51 | From hire, kept up to date |
After hire: a new MVR and a review of the driving record every 12 months (49 CFR 391.25), and random drug and alcohol testing under Part 382. truckerspro.net, our sister site, explains what goes in a DQ file.
Optional checks that save bad hires
- PSP report
The FMCSA Pre-Employment Screening Program report shows five years of crash data and three years of roadside inspection data from FMCSA's own records. It needs the driver's written consent. Each report costs $10, plus a yearly carrier subscription ($25 for fleets with fewer than 100 power units, $100 above that).
- Previous employer calls
The safety performance history form answers the legal questions. A two-minute call to the last dispatcher answers whether the driver shows up.
- A driving test in your own truck
Even when the CDL stands in for the road test, a short drive shows backing, coupling and pre-trip habits.
Write the post for US drivers
- Say how miles are paid: all miles or loaded only, and practical miles or household goods (short) miles. Experienced drivers ask, so answer it in the post.
- Give a weekly range from a normal week, marked estimated or guaranteed.
- Give home time as a pattern: home daily, home weekly (which days), or so many days out and so many home.
- Put the pay range in the post anyway. California, Colorado, Illinois, New York and Washington, among other states, require it from employers above a set size.
The job post guide has a CDL-A over-the-road template.
Drivers looking for work in the US find TruckerPro Jobs posts on pages such as CDL-A truck driver jobs, local truck driver jobs and owner-operator jobs.
Questions carriers ask
What do I have to check before hiring a CDL driver?
Under FMCSA rules: a complete employment application, the motor vehicle record from each state that licensed the driver in the past three years, the safety performance history from DOT-regulated employers of the past three years (FMCSA drug and alcohol history now comes from the Clearinghouse), a pre-employment Clearinghouse full query, a negative pre-employment drug test, a current medical certificate, and a road test or a CDL accepted in its place. Keep it all in the driver qualification file.
How much does a Clearinghouse query cost?
FMCSA charges $1.25 per query. Carriers buy query plans on the Clearinghouse website, and a pre-employment full query also needs the driver's consent inside the Clearinghouse.
What is a PSP report?
The FMCSA Pre-Employment Screening Program report shows a driver's five years of crash data and three years of roadside inspection data from FMCSA records. It is optional and needs the driver's written consent. Each report costs $10, plus a yearly carrier subscription of $25 for fleets with fewer than 100 power units.
What is the difference between CDL-A and CDL-B?
A CDL-A covers combination vehicles over 26,000 pounds where the towed unit is over 10,000 pounds, such as tractor-trailers. A CDL-B covers single vehicles over 26,000 pounds, such as straight trucks and dump trucks. Put the class in the job title.
Do I have to post the pay range in a US driver job?
In several states, yes, once you reach the state's employer size: California, Colorado, Illinois, New York and Washington among them. Check the rule in each state you hire in. Posting the range helps everywhere, because drivers compare pay first.
Sources
Laws and prices change. We checked these on 14 November 2026; read the source before you rely on it. This guide is not legal advice.