The average salary for a Truck Driver in Riverside is 55,022 $ per year on a 40-hour full-time equivalent, or 4,585 $ gross per month and 26.45 $ gross per hour. The reported full-time salary range is 33,333 $ to 82,000 $. The analysis is based on 29 salary reports from workers and employers in Riverside. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/03/2026 | Flexible On-Call Driver (Part-Time) | 30.0 h | 26,000 $ | 34,667 $ | 2,889 $ | 16.67 $ | I work on-call part-time, covering vacation and sick shifts for a small fleet. I average about 30 hours per week and value the schedule flexibility. |
| 07/01/2026 | Regional Refrigerated Driver | 40.0 h | 67,000 $ | 67,000 $ | 5,583 $ | 32.21 $ | I haul refrigerated freight across the region, maintaining temperature-sensitive loads. It's a full-time role with additional training and responsibility. |
| 06/29/2026 | Flatbed Specialist | 44.0 h | 83,000 $ | 75,455 $ | 6,288 $ | 36.28 $ | I specialize in flatbed loads and oversized shipments; my certification and experience lead to higher pay. I work longer weeks when loads require it. |
| 06/11/2026 | Dedicated Last-Mile Driver | 40.0 h | 61,000 $ | 61,000 $ | 5,083 $ | 29.33 $ | I handle last-mile deliveries in Riverside for a national retailer. The job is full time with tight delivery windows and regular hourly workloads. |
| 03/05/2026 | Part-Time CDL B Driver | 24.0 h | 24,000 $ | 40,000 $ | 3,333 $ | 19.23 $ | I work part time driving a box truck for local commercial deliveries, usually 24 hours a week. I picked up this role while pursuing other work. |
| 01/27/2026 | Short-Haul Team Lead | 40.0 h | 72,000 $ | 72,000 $ | 6,000 $ | 34.62 $ | I'm a senior short-haul driver who also mentors junior drivers and leads routing efforts. This is a full-time role in a large regional outfit. |
| 09/14/2025 | Senior Dispatcher/Driver Lead | 40.0 h | 82,000 $ | 82,000 $ | 6,833 $ | 39.42 $ | I split time between driving and dispatching for a mid-size carrier. I'm in a leadership/management capacity and handle scheduling, performance, and the occasional drive shift. |
| 03/18/2025 | Local Medical Supply Driver | 40.0 h | 53,000 $ | 53,000 $ | 4,417 $ | 25.48 $ | I deliver medical supplies to clinics and hospitals in Riverside. The role requires careful handling and on-time delivery; I'm full time and have four years' experience. |
| 11/07/2024 | Intermodal Container Driver | 40.0 h | 69,000 $ | 69,000 $ | 5,750 $ | 33.17 $ | I move intermodal containers between the port and inland facilities. It's full time with regular early starts and some overtime during peaks. |
| 02/11/2024 | Dedicated Account Driver | 40.0 h | 64,000 $ | 64,000 $ | 5,333 $ | 30.77 $ | I handle a dedicated account delivering to a single large retail chain. This full-time position has consistent routes and steady weekly hours. |
| 09/21/2023 | Long-Haul Solo Driver (Experienced) | 45.0 h | 75,000 $ | 66,667 $ | 5,556 $ | 32.05 $ | I run solo long-haul lanes across several states. I'm senior-level with over a decade of experience and typically log long weeks to keep routes profitable. |
| 05/02/2023 | Part-Time Relief Driver | 30.0 h | 27,000 $ | 36,000 $ | 3,000 $ | 17.31 $ | I work as a part-time relief driver filling shifts when regular drivers are off. I average about 30 hours a week and have been in this role for three years. |
| 01/19/2023 | Regional Linehaul Driver | 40.0 h | 62,000 $ | 62,000 $ | 5,167 $ | 29.81 $ | I run regional linehaul routes between Southern California hubs. I'm full time with a large carrier and have eight years of driving experience. |
| 10/05/2022 | Fleet Supervisor (Driver Supervisor) | 42.0 h | 78,000 $ | 74,286 $ | 6,190 $ | 35.71 $ | I supervise a small fleet of drivers and handle dispatch duties. This is a leadership role and I work about 42 hours weekly, including occasional on-call shifts. |
| 06/23/2022 | Hazmat Certified Driver | 40.0 h | 68,000 $ | 68,000 $ | 5,667 $ | 32.69 $ | I transport hazardous materials for a chemical distributor. The certification pays a premium, and I'm on a standard full-time schedule with additional training requirements. |
| 02/10/2022 | Owner-Operator (Box Truck) | 38.0 h | 58,000 $ | 61,053 $ | 5,088 $ | 29.35 $ | I run a small box-truck operation doing last-mile deliveries as a self-employed driver. I bill clients directly and handle my own scheduling. |
| 11/30/2021 | Short-Haul Driver (Heavy Goods) | 40.0 h | 52,500 $ | 52,500 $ | 4,375 $ | 25.24 $ | I do short-haul heavy goods deliveries between distribution centers. I'm full time, certified for special equipment, and have seven years on the road. |
| 07/14/2021 | Local Food Distributor Driver | 40.0 h | 47,000 $ | 47,000 $ | 3,917 $ | 22.60 $ | I drive refrigerated trucks for a regional food distributor. This full-time job has variable hours during peak seasons and I've been here for four years. |
| 03/29/2021 | CDL Trainer / Mentor | 40.0 h | 60,000 $ | 60,000 $ | 5,000 $ | 28.85 $ | I train new CDL drivers within a medium-sized carrier. The role is full time and includes on-road mentoring and classroom instruction; I manage training schedules but not payroll. |
| 12/05/2020 | Interstate Flatbed Driver | 44.0 h | 70,000 $ | 63,636 $ | 5,303 $ | 30.59 $ | I'm a flatbed driver hauling construction materials across the West. I work extended hours on load days and have 10 years' experience in flatbed operations. |
| 09/18/2020 | Part-Time Van Driver | 20.0 h | 19,500 $ | 39,000 $ | 3,250 $ | 18.75 $ | I work part time delivering online orders in a box van on weekends and evenings. I've been doing this part-time for a year while going to school. |
| 04/02/2020 | Route Driver (Beverage Delivery) | 40.0 h | 42,000 $ | 42,000 $ | 3,500 $ | 20.19 $ | I deliver beverages to stores in the area. This is a full-time, physical job with regular early-morning starts. I've been doing it for five years. |
| 06/28/2019 | Team Driver (Overnight) | 40.0 h | 64,000 $ | 64,000 $ | 5,333 $ | 30.77 $ | I drive on a two-person team doing overnight interstate hauls. I work a steady 40 hours per week and have six years of driving experience. |
| 01/16/2019 | Shuttle/Short-Haul Driver | 36.0 h | 30,000 $ | 33,333 $ | 2,778 $ | 16.03 $ | I drive a shuttle truck moving goods between nearby warehouses. I'm full time with a small crew and have two years' experience. |
| 08/07/2018 | Local CDL A Driver | 40.0 h | 45,000 $ | 45,000 $ | 3,750 $ | 21.63 $ | I'm a local CDL A driver for a regional carrier, doing same-day deliveries across Riverside County. I have about three years of experience and work full time. |
| 02/19/2018 | Yard Jockey / Dock Driver | 38.0 h | 38,000 $ | 40,000 $ | 3,333 $ | 19.23 $ | I move trailers around the yard for a medium-sized logistics company. This is a full-time role and I'm responsible for trailer organization and light maintenance. |
| 09/30/2017 | Long-Haul Driver (Class A) | 42.0 h | 56,000 $ | 53,333 $ | 4,444 $ | 25.64 $ | I'm a long-haul Class A driver doing regional runs. I work about 42 hours a week on average and have four years of experience behind the wheel. |
| 11/02/2016 | Part-Time Route Driver | 25.0 h | 22,000 $ | 35,200 $ | 2,933 $ | 16.92 $ | I work part time delivering groceries to local stores. I usually do 25 hours a week and have been with this independent grocer for two years. |
| 08/14/2016 | Local Delivery Driver | 40.0 h | 34,500 $ | 34,500 $ | 2,875 $ | 16.59 $ | I'm an entry-level driver working full time for a small courier service. I've been here 10 months delivering packages around Riverside and doing mostly short runs with a hand truck and box van. |
Riverside sits at the heart of Southern California’s Inland Empire, one of the nation’s most important logistics and warehousing regions. Because so much freight bound for the Western U.S. funnels through this metro area, truck drivers in Riverside are closely tied to the health of ports, rail, airports, and the massive inventory of distribution centers that surround the city. Demand for qualified commercial drivers here is often steady, with periodic surges tied to retail seasons, port volumes, and construction activity.
The local market is influenced by the nearby Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which handle a significant share of U.S. container imports. Containers frequently move inland to the Inland Empire for sorting and storage before heading to stores and consumers. Riverside’s access to I-215, CA-60, CA-91, I-10, and I-15 makes it a practical base for local pickup and delivery, regional linehaul, and long-haul routes across the Southwest. Ongoing e-commerce fulfillment in Moreno Valley, Jurupa Valley, Perris, and San Bernardino generally keeps freight flowing even when other sectors cool.
Riverside is part of the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario metropolitan area, where logistics is a leading employer. Freight moves through multiple modes: BNSF’s San Bernardino intermodal facility and Union Pacific’s West Colton Yard connect the region to national rail networks, while Ontario International Airport and San Bernardino International Airport (home to Amazon Air operations) support air cargo. This multimodal mix creates a wide range of trucking roles, from port drayage and intermodal shuttles to LTL pickup-and-delivery, dedicated retail runs, refrigerated food distribution, and heavy construction hauling.
Employers in and around Riverside typically hire for three patterns: local home-daily routes serving distribution centers and stores; regional linehaul connecting LTL terminals across California, Nevada, and Arizona; and over-the-road positions that stage from Inland Empire yards. Hiring needs are often supported by normal industry turnover, retirements, and shifting freight volumes. Seasonal demand tends to rise ahead of back-to-school and the winter holidays. California’s environmental regulations—including CARB equipment and emissions rules and evolving clean-fleet requirements—can affect equipment choices and owner-operator opportunities, but they also encourage investment in newer tractors and, in some pilots, zero-emission trucks based in the region.
Many nationally recognized carriers and logistics operators maintain terminals, yards, or distribution hubs in or near Riverside. Drivers will frequently see openings with:
Local and regional drayage carriers also play a key role, shuttling containers between the ports, rail ramps, and Inland Empire warehouses. Experience with chassis, port operations, and a TWIC card can be helpful for these roles.
Truck drivers in Riverside can build careers across multiple niches. Newer drivers often start in local or regional assignments and then specialize. Endorsements such as HazMat, Tanker, and Doubles/Triples are valued by many employers, particularly for LTL linehaul, fuel hauling, and certain dedicated routes. Experience with refrigerated trailers, flatbeds, and intermodal containers can further widen options.
Given Riverside’s central location and the volume of freight that passes through the metro, qualified CDL-A drivers who maintain a strong safety record, understand electronic logs, and manage time efficiently typically find ongoing opportunities. Keeping credentials current, considering useful endorsements, and staying informed on California equipment and emissions rules can help drivers remain competitive in this dynamic logistics hub.
The average salary for a Truck Driver in Riverside is 55,022 $ per year on a 40-hour basis, or 4,585 $ 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 Riverside. They show reported cities or jobs with their difference from the average.
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