Why Jacksonville Is a Strong Place to Start a Trucking Career
Jacksonville is one of the busiest freight cities in the Southeast. Trucks carry goods from its port, rail yards, and warehouses to stores and homes across Florida and the rest of the country. That steady flow of freight creates steady demand for drivers with a Class A CDL.
Florida Truck Driving School trains students in the middle of all this activity. The campus sits at 5301 New Kings Road in the city’s Rail Yard District, close to U.S. Route 1 and I-295. This post explains why Jacksonville and the rest of Florida have so many trucking jobs and how Florida Truck Driving School helps graduates find their first one.
Jacksonville is a Major Freight Hub
Jacksonville has a port, three interstates, and three railroads in one city. Few places on the East Coast offer all these together. Each one feeds work to truck drivers.
Florida’s Busiest Container Port
The Port of Jacksonville, known as JAXPORT, is Florida’s busiest container port by volume. In fiscal year 2025, it moved large quantities of containers, vehicles and millions of tons of cargo. Port leaders say this cargo supports more than 258,800 jobs in the region and state.
Much of that freight leaves the port on a truck. Drivers haul containers to nearby warehouses, rail yards, and stores. This short-haul work is often called drayage, and it is a common first job for new drivers.
Three Interstates and Three Railroads
Interstate 10 begins in Jacksonville and runs all the way to California. I-95 passes through the city and links the entire East Coast. I-75 is a short drive west. These roads let Jacksonville carriers reach more than 50 million people in the Southeast within an eight-hour drive.
Three railroads also meet in Jacksonville: CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Florida East Coast Railway. CSX is headquartered in the city. Trains bring freight in, and trucks carry it the rest of the way.
Logistics Companies Keep Moving In
More than 50 major logistics companies operate in Northeast Florida. Warehouses and distribution centers need drivers to keep goods moving in and out. As more companies build in the region, the need for trained drivers grows with them.
Trucking Jobs Across the State of Florida
The demand for drivers reaches well beyond Jacksonville. According to the Florida Trucking Association, trucks move 95.4% of the state’s manufactured goods by weight, and the industry supports 460,110 jobs statewide. The association also reports that 85% of Florida communities rely only on trucks to get their goods.
Florida’s population keeps growing, and every new home, store, and business needs regular deliveries. Food, fuel, building supplies, and retail goods all travel by truck. This makes trucking one of the state’s most important industries.
Types of Trucking Jobs in Florida
A Class A CDL opens the door to several kinds of driving work. Each type offers a different schedule and home time.
| Job Type | Typical Home Time | Common Work |
|---|---|---|
| Local | Home daily | Port drayage, food and beverage delivery, building supplies |
| Regional | Home weekly or more often | Runs across Florida and nearby Southeast states |
| Over-the-Road (OTR) | Out for several weeks at a time | Long hauls across the country |
| Dedicated | Set schedule | Same routes for one customer, such as a retailer or grocery chain |
Pay depends on the company, route, and schedule. To learn more about earnings, read how much truck drivers make.
How Florida Truck Driving School Helps Graduates Find Work
Earning a CDL is the first step. Finding the right job is the next one. Florida Truck Driving School offers lifetime job placement assistance to help students and graduates move from training into a driving career.
What Job Placement Assistance Includes
- Career counseling: Staff talk with each student about goals, such as local work with daily home time or longer OTR routes.
- Carrier connections: The school works with hiring partners such as Werner, Schneider, Covenant Transport, TMC, and DET Beverages.
- Resume and interview help: Staff help students build a truck driving resume and prepare to speak with recruiters.
- On-campus recruiting: Carrier recruiters visit the campus to meet students, explain pay, and talk about open jobs.
- Alumni support: Graduates can come back at any time for new job leads or help switching carriers.
Florida Truck Driving School does not guarantee a job. However, many students receive conditional job offers before they graduate. Hear from past students on the graduate testimonials page.
