Shoreline miles, long hauls out

Owner-Operator CDL-A OTR Jobs in Connecticut

Between New York and Boston, Connecticut packs a lot of trucks into a small map. If you have worked the I-95 shoreline through Stamford and Bridgeport, or crawled through Hartford on I-84 at rush hour, you already handle traffic most drivers never see. Pointing that skill at long OTR runs out of New England is a natural next step.

See if you qualify Start full application

Questions? Talk to a recruiter: 1-888-283-6958

At a glance

Position

Owner-operator, independent contractor

Equipment

Rental. No lease-purchase

Runs

OTR. 2 to 3 weeks out, then a few days at home

Requirements

Class A CDL, 2+ years OTR, no DUI, no SAP

Endorsements

None needed

Potential take-home

$2,500+ per week after all expenses. Many drivers earn more.

We bring on owner-operators who live in Connecticut, every month of the year. If you are hunting for owner operator jobs in Connecticut, hold a Class A CDL and have 2 years or more of OTR time behind you, a six question form is where it begins. One minute, then a recruiter calls.

Potential take-home pay

Connecticut drivers on this program start at $2,500+ per week in take-home after every expense is paid. Experience, freight, tolls on the way out of New England and your weeks on the road all move the number, and plenty of drivers clear more.

Who qualifies for owner-operator jobs in Connecticut

Class A CDL in good standing, no endorsements required

2 years of OTR time, minimum

A Connecticut home address

Clean of DUI and DWI convictions

Never enrolled in a SAP program

DOT medical card that has not expired

How our owner-operator program works

Contractor, not payroll

You sign on as an independent contractor. Nobody puts you on a payroll, and we do not run a roster of hired drivers. You make the business decisions about your own operation, and you run the freight as a contractor.

Rental, no lease-purchase

The equipment is rented. We do not sell trucks through a lease-purchase plan, so there is no buyout waiting at the end and no truck note tied to your name. Ask the recruiter how the rental terms work.

CDL A OTR, 2 to 3 weeks out

Every load is long haul. Plan on 2 to 3 weeks out, then a few days back home in Connecticut. Nobody promises you a set mileage or a fixed return date, so talk through your own schedule with the recruiter before orientation.

Freight corridors OTR drivers run from Connecticut

Small state, dense miles. The I-95 shoreline from Greenwich up through New Haven and New London carries some of the heaviest truck traffic in the Northeast, and it is the road most Connecticut drivers know best. Inland, I-84 and I-91 tie Hartford to New York, Massachusetts and the rest of New England. Bulk and project cargo move through the ports at New Haven, New London and Bridgeport, which keeps local drayage busy even when long haul freight slows down.

Starting an OTR run from Connecticut usually means one of four roads. I-95 follows the coast past Stamford, Bridgeport and New Haven into Rhode Island. I-84 cuts across from Danbury through Waterbury and Hartford and on toward Massachusetts. I-91 heads north from New Haven through Hartford to Springfield. I-395 climbs from New London toward Worcester. Pick the one that clears the metro traffic fastest for your first load.

Connecticut road notes before you roll

CTDOT runs CTroads, which shows live conditions across the state. One cost to know about: Connecticut charges a highway use fee on heavy trucks. Check the current rules and filing details with the Department of Revenue Services so the fee does not surprise you on your first settlement.

Trucking jobs in Connecticut by the numbers

15,740

Truck drivers employed

$60,490

Median annual wage

2,020

Openings a year

In May 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics counted about 15,740 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in Connecticut. Their median annual wage was $60,490, a bit above the U.S. median of $58,640. State projections put driver employment at 17,590 in 2024 and 19,270 by 2034, with roughly 2,020 openings a year along the way. Keep in mind that these figures cover wage and salary drivers, not owner-operator earnings, so treat them as a read on demand rather than a forecast of your settlements.

Orientation, travel and lodging

Orientation

Part of it happens remotely, the rest in person at our terminal.

Lodging

Your room during the in-person days is paid in full by MB Global.

Travel

We book and pay your trip up front, then charge it back at $50 per week. Ask how many weeks and where it shows on settlements.

Orientation splits into two parts. You handle the first part from home in Connecticut, then come to our terminal for the in-person part, with lodging on us. Travel from Bradley or wherever you fly out of is arranged and paid up front, but it is a chargeback: $50 per week comes off your settlements. Ask the recruiter how many weeks that runs and how the line reads.

See if you pre-qualify

Six questions, about a minute, nothing else. The pre-qualifying form is not the federal application. It tells the recruiting team whether a call is worth your time.

Answers go to recruiting only

No ad or analytics tools see it

Qualified drivers hear back from a recruiter

Your answers go only to our recruiting team. We never share them with advertising or analytics tools.

What happens next

Three steps from here to the road

Send the short form from your phone or laptop, any day of the week.

A recruiter reviews it and calls you if the basics line up.

Finish the full FMCSA application, then schedule remote and in-person orientation.

Prefer to talk first?

1-888-283-6958

Mon to Sun, 7 AM to 5 PM

What you'll need for the full application

The full application follows federal rule 49 CFR 391.21, so it is long. Gather these items before you sit down with it:

Class A CDL details: the state that issued it, the number, the expiration date and any other CDL or learner permit you hold

A list of every address you have lived at over the last 3 years

Employers from the last 3 years, plus any carrier you drove a commercial vehicle for in the 7 years before that, with names, addresses, dates and why you left

A summary of your driving experience broken out by equipment type

Accidents and traffic convictions from the past 3 years, along with any license suspension, revocation or denial

A DOT medical card that is current on the day you apply

Your consent to pull your MVR, to contact past employers about safety and drug and alcohol testing records, and to query the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse under 49 CFR 391.23

Connecticut owner-operator FAQs

Does the Connecticut highway use fee affect me as an owner-operator?

It can. Connecticut charges a highway use fee on heavy trucks, and the rules come from the Department of Revenue Services. We do not give tax advice, so check the current thresholds and filing steps with the DRS directly, and bring any questions about how the fee interacts with your settlements to the recruiter.

Which road should I take out of Connecticut for a first OTR load?

It depends where the freight is going. I-95 toward Rhode Island or New York is the shortest line along the coast but the slowest in traffic. I-84 gets you west past Hartford and Danbury, I-91 heads north to Springfield, and I-395 is the quiet route toward Worcester. Many drivers leave early to beat the shoreline backup.

Is the Connecticut driver market growing?

The state projections say yes, from 17,590 driver jobs in 2024 to 19,270 by 2034, with about 2,020 openings a year. Those counts describe wage and salary drivers, not owner-operators, but steady demand for drivers usually means steady freight out of the ports and the Hartford distribution area.

Can I check conditions on I-95 and I-84 before I leave?

Yes. CTroads, run by CTDOT, shows live traffic, incidents and closures across Connecticut. It is worth a look before a run on I-95 along the shoreline, where one crash can hold trucks for an hour, and again in winter on I-84 through the hills past Waterbury.

How do I get to orientation from Connecticut, and who pays?

MB Global arranges and pays the trip to our terminal up front, whether you fly out of Bradley or drive. That cost comes back to you at $50 per week on settlements. Before you book, ask the recruiter how many weeks the chargeback lasts and how the line item looks. Lodging during the in-person days is covered in full.

What does the pre-qualifying form ask, and where does it go?

Six quick questions about your CDL, your OTR time and your record. It takes about a minute and it is not the federal application. The answers go only to the recruiting team, not to any advertising or analytics tools. If you qualify, a recruiter calls you at the number you gave.

Apply now

Ready to swap shoreline traffic for CDL A OTR miles? Fill out the pre-qualifying form, or call 1-888-283-6958 between 7 AM and 5 PM any day, Monday to Sunday.