Find a Better Driving Job
Apply once and we'll match you with carriers that fit the pay, routes and home time you're actually after. Most of our openings run $0.70–$0.80 per mile — roughly $2,000–$3,000 a week. Free for drivers, over 3,000 placed.
Get Matched With Carriers Hiring
Tell us what you drive — a recruiter calls you with openings that fit.
Most drivers don't leave for more money. They leave because they were sold something that wasn't true.
Talk to enough drivers and the same story comes back. The ad said $0.65 a mile, but nobody mentioned it was a range and you'd start at the bottom. The recruiter promised home every weekend, and it turned into home every other weekend if the load worked out. The miles were "2,800 a week" until dispatch started handing them to someone else.
We've placed over 3,000 CDL drivers for more than 50 carriers, and the thing that actually keeps a driver in a seat isn't a sign-on bonus — it's whether the job turned out to be the job they were told about.
So we do the boring part properly. We know which of our carriers settle on time and which ones take an extra week. We know whose home time survives a bad load and whose doesn't. When we send you to a carrier, you get the real numbers first — cents per mile, what the deductions are, how many miles they actually run, what happens when the truck goes down.
And if none of our openings fit what you're after, we'll tell you that too. A driver we place into the wrong seat is back on the market in ninety days, and everybody loses.
How It Works
Three steps, and the longest one takes a minute.
Tell us what you drive
Sixty seconds: your name, your number, what you pull and the runs you want. No 40-field application, no DOT paperwork before anyone has even spoken to you.
We match you against real openings
A recruiter looks at what's actually open across our carriers — pay, home time, freight, where they can keep you loaded — and shortlists the seats that fit what you asked for.
You get a call, not a form letter
Usually the same day, from (224) 599-2246. You hear the real terms up front — cents per mile, home time, sign-on, what the deductions are — and you decide what to pursue.
What CDL-A Drivers Are Actually Earning
These are the ranges on our own live openings, not industry averages pulled from a survey. Every figure below comes from a carrier we're currently placing drivers with.
| Type of seat | Typical pay | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| OTR company driver | $0.70–$0.80/mi · $2,000–$3,000/wk | Miles, experience, sign-on bonuses |
| Tanker + hazmat | $0.75–$0.80/mi | Both endorsements required |
| Owner-operator | $4,000–$6,000/wk net | Your fixed costs and fuel discipline |
| Lease-purchase | 80–88% of gross | Truck payment, insurance, maintenance |
Thinking about going independent? Read the honest math in our OTR owner-operator guide before you sign anything — including anything we send you.
Owner-Operator — Dry Van, $4,000–$6,000/week Net
Dry van carrier · Lemont, IL · Lemont, IL
You set your own schedule — no forced dispatch
CDL-A OTR Company Driver — Van, Reefer or Open Deck, $2,200–$3,000+/week
Van, reefer & open deck carrier · Lake in the Hills, IL · Lake in the Hills, IL
3 weeks out = 3 days home; 4 weeks out = 4 days (FL/WA and reefer)
CDL-A OTR Company Driver — Up to $0.80/mile + $1,000 Sign-On
Van, reefer & open deck carrier · McHenry, IL · McHenry, IL
Minimum 3 weeks out (4 preferred), 1 day off earned per week on the road
CDL-A OTR Dry Van Driver — $0.75/mile Flat + $5,000 Sign-On
Dry van carrier · Romeoville, IL · Romeoville, IL
2 weeks out = 2 days off, +1 day per extra week (minimum 2 weeks out)
Why Drivers Work With CDL Agency
We've placed over 3,000 drivers in four years. We know which carriers actually deliver on what they advertise.
Top-Paying Carriers
We only work with carriers that pay competitively and settle on time. No chasing paychecks.
Home Time That's Real
OTR, regional or dedicated — we match you to the runs and home time you actually asked for.
Fast Placement
One application, multiple carriers. Most drivers hear back from a recruiter the same day.
No Cost to Drivers
Our service is always free for drivers. Carriers pay us, never you.
What we ask you, and why
The form above is short on purpose, but every field earns its place. The runs you want rules out half our openings immediately — no point sending a regional driver an over-the-road seat. Company or owner-operator decides whether we're talking about cents per mile or percentage of gross. Your trailer matters more than drivers expect: reefer and open-deck experience opens seats that pay above dry van.
Experience is the one drivers are tempted to round up. Don't. Carriers verify it, and a mismatch wastes a week of your time. If you're at 6 months, some of our carriers still take you — we'd rather send you to those than have you fail a background check at one that won't.
That's the whole application. No SSN, no DOT release, no fifteen-page form before a human has spoken to you. That part comes later, and only for a carrier you've actually agreed to.
Driver Questions, Answered Straight
How much do CDL-A drivers make?+
Most CDL-A company drivers we place earn $0.70–$0.80 per mile, which works out to roughly $2,000–$3,000 a week on typical OTR miles. Owner-operators running under a carrier's authority net more — $4,000–$6,000 a week is realistic on dry van once fuel and fixed costs come out. Pay varies with experience, endorsements and how many miles you actually turn, so the honest range matters more than a headline number.
Does it cost anything to use CDL Agency?+
No. Our service is free for drivers, always. Carriers pay us to find and screen drivers, so you are never charged a fee, a placement cost, or anything else. If anyone in trucking asks a driver to pay for a job, that is the moment to walk away.
How fast will I hear back after applying?+
Most drivers get a call the same day, and we aim to have you talking to a recruiter within a few hours during business hours. The call comes from (224) 599-2246 — save it, because drivers routinely miss the first call from an unknown number and lose two days to phone tag.
How many months of experience do I need?+
It depends on the carrier. Some of our openings take drivers with 6 months of verifiable OTR experience, most want 12–24 months, and a few require 2 years for specialised freight. If you are under 6 months we will tell you straight rather than string you along, and we will say what to do next.
Do you have local or home-daily CDL jobs?+
Our current openings are mostly OTR and regional, which is where the pay is highest. Local and home-daily seats come up less often and fill fast, so tell the recruiter that is what you want and we will flag you when one opens instead of pushing you into an over-the-road run you did not ask for.
Which endorsements pay more?+
Tanker and hazmat are the two that move the number most — our tanker-plus-hazmat opening pays $0.75–$0.80 per mile against $0.70 for comparable dry van work. Doubles/triples helps on certain dedicated accounts. If you are close to getting an endorsement, it is usually worth finishing before you switch carriers.
Are there carriers that pay for your CDL?+
Company-sponsored CDL training exists, but it comes with a contract: you typically commit 12–24 months and owe a prorated amount if you leave early. It is a real path into the industry if you go in with your eyes open about the commitment. We work with experienced drivers, so if you have no CDL yet we will point you toward schools rather than pretend we can place you.
Can I get a job with an owner-operator or lease-purchase setup?+
Yes. We have openings for owner-operators running under a carrier's authority, and lease-purchase programs where the truck is yours at the end. Lease deals deserve real scrutiny — read our owner-operator guide and the carrier vetting checklist before signing anything, including anything we send you.
What happens to my information?+
It goes to a recruiter at CDL Agency who calls you, and we only share your details with a carrier once you have said yes to that specific opening. We do not sell your number, and text messages only ever go to drivers who ticked the consent box — which is optional and never a condition of applying.
Do you hire drivers outside Illinois?+
Yes. We place drivers with carriers across the 48 contiguous states, and we have offices in Mundelein and Romeoville in Illinois, Lancaster in Texas, and North Miami in Florida. Where you live matters less than where the carrier can keep you loaded and get you home.
Ready when you are
Sixty seconds now, a real conversation today.
Get Matched With Carriers Hiring
Tell us what you drive — a recruiter calls you with openings that fit.