The average salary for a Truck Driver in Louisville is 55,334 $ per year on a 40-hour full-time equivalent, or 4,611 $ gross per month and 26.60 $ gross per hour. The reported full-time salary range is 34,667 $ to 92,727 $. The analysis is based on 33 salary reports from workers and employers in Louisville. Part-time salaries are proportionally converted to 40 weekly hours so the values are comparable.
| Date | Job title | Weekly hours | Reported gross/year | Normalized to 40h/year | Gross/month 40h | Gross/hour 40h | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/02/2026 | Part-time Relief Driver | 28.0 h | 32,000 $ | 45,714 $ | 3,810 $ | 21.98 $ | I work as a relief/backup driver filling in schedules on an as-needed basis. I average about 28 hours per week and that produced the annual gross I reported. |
| 06/29/2026 | Short-Haul Electric Vehicle (EV) Truck Driver | 40.0 h | 58,000 $ | 58,000 $ | 4,833 $ | 27.88 $ | I drive one of the newer electric short-haul trucks for local distribution. I reported full-time pay for 40 hours per week and have seen slightly better pay due to pilot program premiums. |
| 05/17/2026 | Specialty Heavy Haul Driver | 45.0 h | 98,000 $ | 87,111 $ | 7,259 $ | 41.88 $ | I operate as a heavy-haul driver for oversized loads requiring escorts and special permits. My reported gross was $98,000 and my typical workweek runs to 45 hours when preparing and moving loads. |
| 03/08/2026 | Logistics Coordinator/Driver (Management) | 44.0 h | 76,000 $ | 69,091 $ | 5,758 $ | 33.22 $ | I split time between driving and coordinating loads and schedules for a medium fleet. In this hybrid management role I average about 44 hours weekly. |
| 01/12/2026 | Local Night Driver | 38.0 h | 49,000 $ | 51,579 $ | 4,298 $ | 24.80 $ | I do overnight local deliveries and prefer the night shift. I worked about 38 hours a week and received a small night differential. |
| 11/26/2025 | Regional Team Driver (Experienced) | 40.0 h | 72,000 $ | 72,000 $ | 6,000 $ | 34.62 $ | I'm part of an experienced two-driver team on regional lanes. We rotate and I average 40 hours weekly; pay increased substantially over the last few years. |
| 09/09/2025 | Hazmat/Specialized Driver | 40.0 h | 64,000 $ | 64,000 $ | 5,333 $ | 30.77 $ | I transport specialized hazardous materials and require regular compliance checks. I work full-time at approximately 40 hours per week and earn a premium. |
| 05/30/2025 | Owner-Operator (Highway Freight) | 44.0 h | 90,000 $ | 81,818 $ | 6,818 $ | 39.34 $ | I operate as an owner-operator focusing on interstate highway freight. My gross annual revenue was $90,000 and I average about 44 hours weekly including admin tasks. |
| 02/21/2025 | Dedicated Route Driver | 40.0 h | 60,000 $ | 60,000 $ | 5,000 $ | 28.85 $ | I run a dedicated regional route for a large retailer. The role is steady full-time work (40 hrs) with consistent weekly miles. |
| 11/13/2024 | Cross-Dock Driver | 39.0 h | 54,000 $ | 55,385 $ | 4,615 $ | 26.63 $ | I operate in a cross-dock environment moving pallets between docks and short hauls. I have six years of experience and average 39 hours per week. |
| 08/07/2024 | Fleet Supervisor (Driver Manager) | 42.0 h | 72,000 $ | 68,571 $ | 5,714 $ | 32.97 $ | I supervise a small fleet of drivers and handle scheduling and driver issues. I'm in a management role and work about 42 hours each week. |
| 04/29/2024 | Expedited Freight Driver | 40.0 h | 67,000 $ | 67,000 $ | 5,583 $ | 32.21 $ | I drive expedited lanes with tight schedules and higher per-mile pay. I averaged 40 hours per week and received performance bonuses. |
| 01/15/2024 | Local Courier Driver (Part-time) | 32.0 h | 30,000 $ | 37,500 $ | 3,125 $ | 18.03 $ | I work part-time doing local courier runs with flexible hours, averaging 32 hours weekly. Pay is hourly with occasional weekend premiums. |
| 09/03/2023 | Bulk Tanker Driver | 40.0 h | 59,000 $ | 59,000 $ | 4,917 $ | 28.37 $ | I transport bulk liquids and carry a tanker endorsement. I work full-time at roughly 40 hours per week and the role requires additional inspections. |
| 06/11/2023 | Owner-Operator (Team Contracting) | 44.0 h | 102,000 $ | 92,727 $ | 7,727 $ | 44.58 $ | I run a small two-driver owner-operator operation on contracted lanes. My reported gross was $102,000 and I personally average about 44 hours per week coordinating runs and driving. |
| 02/27/2023 | Short-Haul Freight Driver | 38.0 h | 52,000 $ | 54,737 $ | 4,561 $ | 26.32 $ | I handle short-haul freight between distribution centers. I'm mid-level and averaged 38 hours a week with decent per-stop pay. |
| 12/05/2022 | Safety/Trainer Driver (Management) | 42.0 h | 65,000 $ | 61,905 $ | 5,159 $ | 29.76 $ | I was promoted to a safety and driver-trainer role overseeing driver standards. I work about 42 hours weekly training new hires and handling safety paperwork. |
| 07/19/2022 | Class A CDL Driver (Regional) | 40.0 h | 56,000 $ | 56,000 $ | 4,667 $ | 26.92 $ | I drive regional routes out of Louisville with regular overnight stays. I've been doing this for seven years and averaged 40 hours a week. |
| 04/02/2022 | Local Delivery Driver (Union) | 40.0 h | 47,000 $ | 47,000 $ | 3,917 $ | 22.60 $ | I was a union local delivery driver with seniority-based pay. I worked full-time (40 hrs) and received benefits and steady raises over several years. |
| 11/20/2021 | Reefer Team Driver | 40.0 h | 62,000 $ | 62,000 $ | 5,167 $ | 29.81 $ | I worked on a two-person refrigerated team moving temperature-sensitive freight. We rotated driving shifts and I averaged 40 hours per week. |
| 08/07/2021 | Owner-Operator (Solo) | 45.0 h | 78,000 $ | 69,333 $ | 5,778 $ | 33.33 $ | I'm an owner-operator running mostly regional dry van freight. I reported gross revenue of $78,000 for the year; I clock about 45 hours weekly including admin and maintenance coordination. |
| 03/29/2021 | Flatbed Senior Driver | 40.0 h | 54,000 $ | 54,000 $ | 4,500 $ | 25.96 $ | I was a senior flatbed driver with specialized load securement duties and mentored junior drivers. I worked full-time (40 hrs) and received occasional per-load bonuses. |
| 11/18/2020 | Local CDL Driver (Part-time) | 30.0 h | 26,000 $ | 34,667 $ | 2,889 $ | 16.67 $ | I worked part-time doing local freight transfers and had irregular shifts. I averaged 30 hours per week and did not receive full benefits. |
| 06/30/2020 | OTR Driver (Pandemic Year) | 40.0 h | 40,000 $ | 40,000 $ | 3,333 $ | 19.23 $ | During 2020 I drove long-haul routes through the initial pandemic months. Hours stayed around 40, and there were periods of both higher demand and lane disruptions. |
| 02/14/2020 | Local Shuttle Driver | 36.0 h | 39,000 $ | 43,333 $ | 3,611 $ | 20.83 $ | I run local shuttle runs between warehouses. I'm mid-level with five years' experience and typically work 36 hours per week. |
| 10/05/2019 | Team Driver (Regional) | 40.0 h | 52,000 $ | 52,000 $ | 4,333 $ | 25.00 $ | I worked as part of a two-person team handling regional lanes. We averaged 40 hours each but did longer drives with shared time in the cab. |
| 03/22/2019 | Hazmat Certified Driver | 40.0 h | 45,000 $ | 45,000 $ | 3,750 $ | 21.63 $ | I held a hazmat endorsement and transported regulated materials. I worked full-time (40 hrs) and received a small premium for the endorsement. |
| 09/11/2018 | Intermodal Driver | 39.0 h | 38,000 $ | 38,974 $ | 3,248 $ | 18.74 $ | I moved rail intermodal containers to and from yards. I had about four years' experience and averaged roughly 39 hours weekly with overtime on busy weeks. |
| 04/20/2018 | Local Delivery Driver (Full-time) | 40.0 h | 36,000 $ | 36,000 $ | 3,000 $ | 17.31 $ | I do local box truck deliveries for retail customers. I was full-time, doing a consistent 40 hours per week and handling last-mile logistics. |
| 12/15/2017 | Flatbed Driver | 40.0 h | 39,500 $ | 39,500 $ | 3,292 $ | 18.99 $ | I've been a flatbed driver for three years at this small carrier. Loads are more manual (tarps/straps) and I worked a 40-hour week on average. |
| 06/03/2017 | Refrigerated (Reefer) Truck Driver | 38.0 h | 33,500 $ | 35,263 $ | 2,939 $ | 16.95 $ | I drove refrigerated routes locally and regionally. I'm entry-level with about 1.5 years on the job and averaged 38 hours weekly; pay included a small shift differential. |
| 11/30/2016 | Over-the-Road (OTR) Driver | 40.0 h | 42,000 $ | 42,000 $ | 3,500 $ | 20.19 $ | I was an OTR driver with two years' experience when I reported this. I ran regional lanes out of Louisville and worked a standard 40-hour week with occasional long hauls. |
| 08/12/2016 | Local Delivery Driver (Part-time) | 25.0 h | 28,000 $ | 44,800 $ | 3,733 $ | 21.54 $ | I work part-time doing local parcel deliveries and have been here for about a year. I average 25 hours a week and handle loading and route navigation; benefits are minimal. |
Louisville sits at the crossroads of Interstates 64, 65, and 71 and anchors one of the country’s most important logistics hubs. For truck drivers, the metro’s location, connectivity, and concentration of shippers and carriers create steady opportunities across local pickup-and-delivery, regional routes, and specialized freight. The presence of UPS’s Worldport air hub at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport amplifies time-sensitive freight activity, and the Ohio River adds barge access that supports bulk and project cargo. These assets, plus a diverse manufacturing and distribution base, typically keep hiring demand resilient in Louisville, Kentucky.
Truck driving roles in the Louisville area span CDL-A and CDL-B positions, including LTL pickup-and-delivery (day cab), nightly linehaul, final-mile box truck, yard switching, dedicated private fleet, and owner-operator opportunities. Many openings emphasize safe driving records, familiarity with electronic logging devices, and customer service skills for dock and delivery interactions. Endorsements such as hazmat, tanker, and doubles/triples can open additional doors, particularly in LTL, chemicals, and fuel hauling.
Louisville’s logistics ecosystem revolves around speed and reach. UPS Worldport handles a large share of U.S. air express volume, which often creates demand for feeder, cartage, and just-in-time ground movements. The metro is within a day’s drive of much of the U.S. population, making it a favored location for distribution centers that rely on regional trucking. On the river side, the Louisville Riverport and the Ports of Indiana–Jeffersonville (just across the Ohio River) provide multimodal connections that support steel, automotive, and agricultural freight, creating flatbed and specialized hauling needs.
Manufacturing and distribution are key to the regional freight mix. Ford operates both the Kentucky Truck Plant and Louisville Assembly Plant, generating inbound parts and outbound vehicle logistics. GE Appliances manufactures in Louisville, contributing steady lanes for components and finished goods. The bourbon industry, food service distributors, and consumer goods warehouses add reefer and dry van volume. Through market cycles, hiring can tighten or expand, but Louisville’s broad freight base and parcel/e-commerce activity typically sustain consistent need for experienced CDL drivers, especially in LTL linehaul, local P&D, and dedicated routes supporting major shippers.
Seasonality plays a role. Peak retail and parcel surges in Q4 often push carriers and 3PLs to add shifts or runs. Restaurant, beverage, and event-related deliveries may pick up around major local events. Drivers who can work nights, weekends, or flexible schedules usually find more options, as many linehaul and airport-adjacent runs depart in evening hours.
Truck drivers in the Louisville area can find roles with national carriers, private fleets, and regional distributors. Employers and shippers that commonly hire or contract drivers include:
Across the river, the Ports of Indiana–Jeffersonville and the River Ridge Commerce Center area support steel, automotive, and building materials—freight that frequently requires flatbed skills and attention to load securement.
Louisville offers multiple on-ramps for both new and veteran drivers. New CDL-A holders often start in local P&D or dedicated shuttle roles to build experience, while seasoned drivers may target LTL linehaul, hazmat tanker, automotive, or flatbed work. Foodservice and beverage delivery positions can be physically demanding but provide consistent home-daily schedules. LTL carriers typically value doubles/triples and hazmat endorsements for bid runs and extra board opportunities.
Specialized niches exist. Tanker and hazmat roles support chemical and fuel movements around Louisville’s industrial corridors. Flatbed work serves steel and construction products moving in and out of river terminals and nearby mills. Reefer freight ties into grocery and food production networks. Owner-operators may find freight through regional brokers, port-related drayage, and dedicated contracts tied to manufacturers.
Successful candidates generally present a clean MVR, current DOT medical certification, and familiarity with ELDs and hours-of-service rules. Experience with dock operations, liftgates, pallet jacks, and safe urban driving is valued for local routes. Night driving comfort is a plus given airport-adjacent schedules. With Louisville’s multimodal strength and diverse shippers, truck drivers who are flexible on shift, endorsements, and equipment type can usually find stable, year-round work in the metro area.
The average salary for a Truck Driver in Louisville is 55,334 $ per year on a 40-hour basis, or 4,611 $ gross per month.
Part-time and full-time reports are normalized to a 40-hour workweek so salary reports can be compared fairly.
You can find more comparisons on the profession overview for Truck Driver and the city overview for Louisville. They show reported cities or jobs with their difference from the average.
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