Updated November 2026
CDL Driver Salary in Little Rock, Arkansas (November 2026)
$2,552/week average, $2,000 median for CDL drivers in Little Rock, Arkansas (November 2026). Based on 1,494 active CDL postings in Lanefinder's index. 32% of postings include a sign-on bonus, averaging $1,952. Little Rock sits at the I-40 / I-30 junction in central Arkansas, serving as the state's primary distribution hub with agricultural shipments of poultry and soybeans and retail distribution serving the region.
What changed in November 2026
No major rank changes this month — the top carriers have held their positions since October 2026.
Where Little Rock, Arkansas differs from the Arkansas baseline
| Little Rock, Arkansas | Arkansas | Delta | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average weekly pay | $2,552 | $2,257 | +13% |
| Take-truck-home | 90% | 85% | +5 pt |
| Pet-friendly fleets | 72% | 67% | +5 pt |
| OTR (long-haul) routes | 90% | 83% | +7 pt |
| Regional routes | 10% | 15% | -5 pt |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Little Rock, Arkansas's biggest divergence from Arkansas is on average weekly pay, 13% above the state baseline.
Little Rock, Arkansas CDL salary by hiring type
Across active CDL postings in Little Rock, Arkansas this month, pay varies meaningfully by hiring type. The breakdown below shows the average and median weekly pay for each.
| Hiring type | Avg/wk | Median/wk | Active postings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Contractor (1099) | $2,281 | $2,100 | 697 |
| Company Driver (W2) | $1,613 | $1,588 | 448 |
| Owner Operator | $7,184 | $7,250 | 349 |
Source: Lanefinder index, November 2026
Lane mix and benefits across Little Rock, Arkansas
The route mix in Little Rock, Arkansas this month tilts OTR: 10% regional, 90% OTR, 0% local, 0% semi-local — drawn from active postings, not historical surveys.
Guaranteed pay is on offer at 2% of Little Rock, Arkansas postings; dedicated routes at 27%; take-truck-home at 90%. Pet-friendly policies appear at 72% and riders-allowed at 69%.
Driving CDL in Little Rock
Little Rock anchors central Arkansas at the I-40 / I-30 cross. Regional retail distribution drives steady inbound and outbound flows; poultry and agricultural freight from north and east Arkansas add to volume. Cost of living is among the lowest in the country. Tornado season (March-May) is the main operational variable.
Driving CDL in Arkansas
Arkansas freight runs on I-40 east-west and the I-30 / I-55 corridors, with Walmart's Bentonville headquarters anchoring a major distribution-and-retail logistics flow in the state. Poultry reefer freight from the Ozarks and row-crop freight from the Delta are steady segments. Cost of living is among the lowest in the country, which makes the comp math work well for drivers based here. Arkansas has a low graduated state income tax. I-40 between Memphis and Little Rock is one of the busier mid-South freight lanes.
Related guides
- Best trucking companies in Little Rock, Arkansas
- Best owner-operator companies in Little Rock, Arkansas
- CDL driver salary in Arkansas
Where this data comes from
Composite-score formula: compensation × 0.30, FMCSA safety × 0.25, benefits × 0.25, operational performance × 0.20. Compensation is anchored on pay percentile and lifted by sign-on bonus tier and guaranteed-pay availability. Operational performance is built mostly from driver-application response data in Lanefinder's platform, with fleet-scale percentile contributing a smaller portion. Updated November 2026.