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Eagle Systems · Elizabeth terminal

Local Owner Operator Jobs in Elizabeth, NJ

Eagle Systems hires CDL-A owner operators for local container drayage from its Kearny Point yard, about 4 to 5 miles from the Elizabeth and Newark marine terminals. You gross $3,000–$5,000 a week, get home daily and pick your loads. Port Authority gates read an RFID tag on every truck: no tag, no entry.

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Weekly gross
$3,000–$5,000
Home time
Daily
Dispatch
Not forced
Open now
1 job

Gross revenue before fuel, insurance and truck expenses. Not a guarantee; actual earnings vary by loads, lane and costs.

Freight from this terminal

Maher, APM and PNCT boxes off the piers

Most of your loads start at the Port of New York and New Jersey, which handled about 8.9 million TEUs in 2025. If you are new to port work, here is a plain explanation of intermodal drayage.

Ports served

  • All NY/NJ port terminals

Rail ramps served

  • All NY/NJ rail ramps

Freight handled

  • 20', 40', 45' international containers
  • 53' domestic containers
  • Reefers
  • Flat racks
  • Hazardous materials
  • Overweight containers
  • Residential deliveries
  • Bonded carrier

Chassis at this terminal

20 total

  • 8 20'
  • 12 40'

Local know-how

Working the Elizabeth and Newark marine terminals

To pass a Port Authority terminal gate you need a TWIC, a SeaLink card, a Class A CDL, a truck listed in the Drayage Truck Registry and an RFID tag on the truck. The rule is no tag, no entry. Since July 2023, only engines that meet EPA 2014 standards can be newly registered.

Each terminal books trucks its own way. Maher on Corbin Street keeps no appointment system for import pickups, while APM next door runs TERMPoint appointments. Port Liberty Bayonne requires PortTruckPass appointments from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., and PNCT in Newark posts its gate hours daily.

Staten Island is the longer run. Port Liberty New York at Howland Hook is about 8 miles straight-line, across the Goethals Bridge. ILA holidays such as Columbus Day and Election Day usually close every gate in the harbor.

Sources (13)
  1. Container terminals — Port Authority of NY & NJ
  2. Port of New York and New Jersey handles 8.9m TEUs in 2025 — Port Technology
  3. Truckers Resource Guidebook — PANYNJ
  4. Marine Terminal Tariff PA-10 — PANYNJ
  5. Receiving and delivering requirements — Maher Terminals
  6. Hours of operation — APM Terminals Elizabeth
  7. Truck appointment system — APM Terminals Elizabeth
  8. Carriers and truckers — Port Liberty Bayonne
  9. Terminal details — Port Liberty New York
  10. Port Newark Container Terminal
  11. New Jersey land rush for warehouse space — NJTPA
  12. Meadowlands District Transportation Plan 2045 (draft)
  13. Geocoding and straight-line distances — OpenStreetMap Nominatim

Home time and schedule

From the Maher gate to home

A day can start with an import pickup at Maher Terminals in Elizabeth, a delivery to a Meadowlands warehouse or a DC out the Turnpike near Exit 8A, and an empty back before the cutoff.

  1. 01

    Start near home

    Roll out from home or the Elizabeth yard.

  2. 02

    Pick up the box

    All NY/NJ port terminals

  3. 03

    Deliver local

    Customers around Elizabeth.

  4. 04

    Return the empty

    Back to the port, ramp or yard.

  5. 05

    Home tonight

    Every night. No forced dispatch.

Pay and settlements

What owner operators gross out of Elizabeth

Owner operators gross $3,000–$5,000 a week company-wide, paid weekly by direct deposit. See how owner operator pay and weekly settlements work before you call the terminal.

  • Weekly direct depositSettlements land in your account every week.
  • Nationwide fuel discountsFuel card with discounts across the network.
  • Low-cost insuranceLow-cost insurance premiums for leased-on operators.
  • Clean inspection bonusesPaid for clean roadside inspections.
  • Flexible schedulingBuild the week around your business.

Weekly gross revenue

$3,000–$5,000

per week, before truck costs

$0
$1k
$2k
$3k
$4k
$5k
$6k
Paid
Weekly, by direct deposit
Fuel
Nationwide fuel card discounts
Bonus
Clean roadside inspections

Gross revenue before fuel, insurance and truck expenses. Not a guarantee; actual earnings vary by loads, lane and costs.

Hiring area

Hiring from Hackensack Avenue

Owner operator jobs in Elizabeth, NJ update in the live list and map below, and your recruiter confirms the hiring area for your ZIP. Eagle's other North Jersey yard sits about 0.4 miles up Hackensack Avenue, so also check rail-ramp work in Kearny, NJ. Farther out are owner operator jobs in Harrisburg, PA, Baltimore port drayage and the full list of owner operator jobs in New Jersey.

Eagle Systems Elizabeth terminalKearnyHarrisburgBaltimore
  • Elizabeth, NJlocal

Live openings

1 open position near Elizabeth

Each opening has its own job page with the full description.

Openings updated

Equipment and requirements

What you need to lease on

Read the owner operator requirements first. For the piers you will also need a TWIC, a SeaLink card and a truck in the Drayage Truck Registry.

  • 01Valid Class A CDLCurrent CDL-A in good standing.
  • 02Tractor-trailer experience2 years verifiable, or 1 year plus a certified trucking school certificate.
  • 03Your own truckYou own a commercial motor vehicle.
  • 042000 or newer, or ELD compliantTruck model year 2000+ or ELD compliant.
  • 0521 or olderAsked on the Quick App.
  • 06Safety standardsMeet Eagle's safety and qualification standards.

Support

What Eagle Systems sets you up with

  • Fuel card with nationwide discounts
  • Plate and registration program
  • IFTA fuel tax program
  • Easy-to-install ELD
  • Front-facing dash cameras
  • Mobile dispatching app

Local FAQ

Elizabeth owner operator questions

Which marine terminals will I run from the Elizabeth yard?

Maher Terminals and APM Terminals in Elizabeth, Port Newark Container Terminal, Port Liberty Bayonne in Jersey City and Port Liberty New York on Staten Island. All but Staten Island sit about 4 to 5.5 miles straight-line from the yard at 97 Hackensack Ave.

Are there owner operator openings near Elizabeth right now?

Yes. 1 posting is live within about 160 miles of the Elizabeth terminal as of October 30, 2026: Elizabeth. Distances are straight-line miles; a recruiter confirms which yard you would run from and the hiring area for your ZIP code.

Do I need a TWIC card for the Newark and Elizabeth piers?

For pier work, yes. Port Authority terminals require a TWIC and a SeaLink card, and the SeaLink Truck Service Center is on McLester Street in Elizabeth. Maher checks your TWIC, SeaLink card and RFID tag on every receiving or delivery move.

Can an older truck work the NY/NJ port?

It depends on the engine. Since July 2, 2023, a truck can only be newly added to the Drayage Truck Registry if its engine meets EPA 2014 model-year standards. Trucks with 1998-or-older engines are barred from Port Authority terminals.

What are the gate hours at APM and Port Liberty Bayonne?

APM Terminals opens weekdays at 6:00 a.m., with a 4:00 p.m. cutoff for empties, dry and reefer loads and 3:30 p.m. for out-of-gauge. Port Liberty Bayonne needs an appointment from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., runs free-flow from 1 to 4 p.m. and cuts off all moves at 4 p.m.

How much do owner operators gross out of the Elizabeth yard?

Leased-on owner operators gross $3,000–$5,000 a week across the company, settled every week by direct deposit. Fuel, insurance and upkeep on your truck come out of that gross.

What support comes with leasing on?

You get a fuel card with nationwide discounts, plate, registration and IFTA programs, an easy-to-install ELD, front-facing dash cameras and a dispatch app. Here is everything included when you lease on.

Apply

Pull from the piers, sleep at home

Send the Quick App and the Elizabeth terminal will call you about openings, port credentials and your truck.

  1. Send the Quick App

    A short form: contact details and a few yes/no questions.

  2. Talk to a recruiter

    Pay, freight and your truck, for the terminal near you.

  3. Lease on and run

    Plates, IFTA, ELD and fuel card set up with you.

Quick AppAbout a minute. A recruiter calls you back.Full applicationComplete DOT application, start to finish.

Both open Eagle Systems' secure application on IntelliApp.

Prefer to talk? 908-474-0040

Nearby terminals

Close to Elizabeth

All New Jersey owner operator jobs →

Kearny, NJ

Kearny, NJ

: 1 open

NY/NJ piers · CSX South Kearny rail ramp · NS Croxton rail ramp · CSX North Bergen rail ramp · CSX Little Ferry rail ramp

1 mi away

Harrisburg, PA

Enola, PA

: 3 open

NS Harrisburg rail ramp · NS Rutherford rail ramp · NS Greencastle rail ramp · CSX Chambersburg rail ramp

152 mi away

Baltimore, MD

Dundalk, MD

: Waitlist

Seagirt Marine Terminal · CSX Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (Seagirt) rail ramp

163 mi away

Questions about Elizabeth? Call the terminal at 908-474-0040.

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