Part time truck driver: how driving on the side really works
By Evan DavidsonUpdated Sources checked
What part-time truck driving looks like
Part-time driving is less a single job than a handful of different arrangements:
- Weekend and holiday shifts covering routes when full-time drivers are off.
- Fill-in or relief driving for drivers on vacation or out sick.
- Seasonal work: harvest hauling, holiday retail peaks, construction season.
- Yard and shuttle work: moving trailers around a terminal or between nearby sites.
- On-call or flexible pools where drivers pick up shifts as they come.
Most of it is local, with the driver home after each shift. Long-haul part-time work is rare, because an over-the-road run doesn't fit neatly into a couple of days.
A part-time week
Here's an EXAMPLE part-time week for a driver with another job during the week. Tap a day.
The rules don't go part-time
A part-time driver needs exactly the same credentials as a full-time one: a CDL of the right class 49 CFR 383.91 Commercial motor vehicle groupseCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. Checked 2026-10-10.Open the source, a current DOT medical certificate 49 CFR 391.41 Physical qualifications for driverseCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. Checked 2026-10-11.Open the source and, for CDL drivers, a negative pre-employment drug test before the first shift 49 CFR 382.301 Pre-employment testingeCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. Checked 2026-10-10.Open the source. Carriers must also keep a qualification file for every driver, part-time or not 49 CFR 391.51 General requirements for driver qualification fileseCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. Checked 2026-10-10.Open the source.
Hours of service apply too: up to 11 hours of driving inside a 14-hour window after 10 hours off, and the weekly cap of 60 hours in 7 days or 70 in 8 49 CFR 395.3 Maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicleseCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. Checked 2026-10-10.Open the source. If you have another job, tell the carrier. Paid work for another employer counts as on-duty time under the federal definitions 49 CFR 395.2 Definitions (on-duty time)eCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. Checked 2026-10-11.Open the source, so it can use up your weekly hours.
Paper logs vs ELD
This is one place where part-time work can be simpler. Federal rules let drivers who keep records of duty status no more than 8 days in any 30-day period use paper logs instead of an electronic logging device 49 CFR 395.8(a) Methods of recordingeCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. Checked 2026-10-11.Open the source. A weekend-only driver may fall under that.
The carrier decides how its drivers log, though, and many simply put every driver on the ELD. Paper logs follow a set 24-hour grid; our paper log book grid generator prints one if you need it.
Who hires part-time drivers
Part-time openings tend to come from operations with predictable peaks or a regular need for relief drivers: local delivery fleets, grocery and beverage distributors, school and municipal fleets, agriculture during harvest, and carriers covering full-time drivers' days off. Experience usually counts. A carrier filling a Saturday route wants someone who can run it without training.
If you're new, a common path is to drive full time for a year or two, build a clean record, then move to part-time work with the same carrier or a local one.
How part-time pay works
BLS doesn't publish pay for part-time truck drivers separately. For heavy and tractor-trailer drivers overall, the median was $58,640 in May 2025 Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers: PayU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025. Checked 2026-10-11.Open the source, but that reflects mostly full-time work. Part-time jobs are usually paid by the hour or the shift.
Overtime is a common question. Federal law exempts many interstate drivers from federal overtime under the Motor Carrier Act exemption, though the exemption doesn't apply in a week where the work involves vehicles of 10,000 lb or less Fact Sheet #19: The Motor Carrier Exemption under the FLSAU.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, 2009. Checked 2026-10-11.Open the source. State law can differ. Our guide to whether hourly truck drivers get paid overtime explains it further. This isn't legal advice; ask the employer for the pay terms in writing.
Use the truck driver salary calculator to see what an hourly offer works out to over a year at your planned number of shifts.
Keeping skills sharp when you drive less
Driving two days a week means fewer reps at backing, coupling and tight docks. Part-time drivers who stay sharp tend to do a full pre-trip every shift without shortcuts, take an extra minute at each dock, and ask for the same route when they can so the stops become familiar. If you go months between shifts, a refresher with a trainer before a busy season is worth asking for.
Questions to ask before you sign on
- How many shifts a month can I count on, and how much notice will I get?
- Will I log on paper or on the ELD?
- Is pay hourly, by shift or by load, and is there a minimum per shift?
- Will you need my hours from my other job for the weekly limit?
- Are any benefits available to part-time drivers?
Benefits and the cost of staying qualified
Part-time jobs often come with fewer benefits than full-time ones, and some come with none. Our guide to truck driver benefits covers what to ask about.
Staying qualified also costs time and money: medical exams, CDL renewals and drug testing don't scale down for part-time work. Count them when you decide whether a part-time job pays enough.
Part-time vs dedicated vs full-time
| Part-time | Dedicated | Full-time OTR | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days per week | Few, set by shifts | Usually 5 or a rotation | Most days, weeks at a time |
| Home time | After each shift, mostly | Predictable | Out for days or weeks |
| Experience wanted | Often some | Often accepts new drivers | Often accepts new drivers |
| Pay style | Hourly or per shift | Mile, stop or weekly | Mostly per mile |
Part-time in your own truck
Some owner-operators run their trucks part of the week by choice: semi-retired drivers, people with a farm or another business, or drivers who want a long home stretch every week. It works, with one catch. The truck payment, insurance and permits are due whether the truck runs three days or six, so fewer days need loads that pay well.
That is where planning matters. We dispatch owner-operators on the schedule they set, looking for loads that fit the days they want to drive and negotiating the rates, and every load is an offer they can turn down. See dispatch for owner-operators, or read more about the job in the truck driver pillar guide.
Sources: eCFR, 49 CFR 383.91 Commercial motor vehicle groups (2026); eCFR, 49 CFR 391.41 Physical qualifications for drivers (2026); eCFR, 49 CFR 382.301 Pre-employment testing (2026); eCFR, 49 CFR 391.51 General requirements for driver qualification files (2026); eCFR, 49 CFR 395.3 Maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles (2026); eCFR, 49 CFR 395.2 Definitions (on-duty time) (2026); eCFR, 49 CFR 395.8(a) Methods of recording (2026); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers: Pay (2025); U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, Fact Sheet #19: The Motor Carrier Exemption under the FLSA (2009).
Questions people ask
CH 01Can you be a part time truck driver?
Yes. Part-time driving jobs exist, mostly local: weekend and holiday shifts, seasonal work like harvest or holiday retail, fill-in shifts for full-time drivers' days off, and some yard or shuttle work. They are less common than full-time jobs and often go to experienced drivers. You still need the same CDL, medical certificate and drug testing as any commercial driver.
CH 02Do part time truck drivers need an ELD?
Not always. A driver who keeps a record of duty status for no more than 8 days in any 30-day period can use paper logs instead of an electronic logging device, under the federal exceptions. Drivers who log more days than that generally need an ELD. Your carrier decides how you log, so ask before your first shift, and keep the logs accurate either way.
CH 03Do part time drivers have to follow hours of service?
Yes. Hours of service rules apply to every covered commercial driver, full-time or part-time. That includes the 11-hour driving limit, the 14-hour window and the weekly 60 or 70 hour cap. If you also work another job, carriers may need to count that time as on-duty for the weekly limit, so tell them about any other paid work.
CH 04Is part time truck driving worth it?
It can be, if you already have a CDL and want extra income or a slower pace, such as retirees or people with another job. It is a harder path for brand-new drivers, because many carriers want experience before offering part-time shifts. Weigh the pay against the cost of keeping your CDL, medical card and testing current.