Explore Jobs
Find Specific Jobs
Explore Careers
Explore Professions
Best Companies
Explore Companies
Job outlook for tractor-trailer drivers in the United States
Tractor-trailer driver job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected tractor-trailer driver job growth rate is 4% from 2018-2028.
About 90,900 new jobs for tractor-trailer drivers are projected over the next decade.
Tractor-trailer driver salaries have increased 14% for tractor-trailer drivers in the last 5 years.
There are over 1,297,683 tractor-trailer drivers currently employed in the United States.
There are 690,787 active tractor-trailer driver job openings in the US.
The average tractor-trailer driver salary is $58,498.
Are tractor-trailer driver jobs in demand?
Tractor-Trailer Driver job and salary trends over time
Tractor-Trailer Driver jobs over time
Tractor-Trailer Driver job growth rate over time
| Year | # Of Jobs | % Of Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,297,683 | 0.39% |
| 2020 | 1,201,710 | 0.36% |
| 2019 | 1,248,902 | 0.37% |
| 2018 | 1,198,104 | 0.36% |
| 2017 | 1,182,758 | 0.36% |
Average tractor-trailer driver salary over time
Tractor-Trailer Driver salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $58,498 | $28.12 | +4.1% |
| 2024 | $56,177 | $27.01 | +3.6% |
| 2023 | $54,216 | $26.07 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $52,726 | $25.35 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | $51,311 | $24.67 | +2.7% |
Tractor-Trailer Driver jobs by state
Most common states for tractor-trailer drivers
| Rank | State | Population | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 3,723 | 205% |
| 2 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 5,899 | 202% |
| 3 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 1,476 | 195% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 1,771 | 184% |
| 5 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 5,684 | 181% |
| 6 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 18,723 | 180% |
| 7 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 1,563 | 180% |
| 8 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 7,420 | 167% |
| 9 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 10,514 | 158% |
| 10 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 7,565 | 155% |
| 11 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 2,958 | 154% |
| 12 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 7,668 | 153% |
| 13 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 9,090 | 149% |
| 14 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 4,372 | 146% |
| 15 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 17,942 | 140% |
| 16 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 16,202 | 139% |
| 17 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 5,287 | 134% |
| 18 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 3,579 | 120% |
| 19 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 2,423 | 116% |
| 20 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 7,639 | 114% |
Tractor-Trailer Driver job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of tractor-trailer driver experts
CVTA
NAPFTDS
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Tractor-Trailer Driver job market given the pandemic?
Don Lefeve: The market for commercial drivers should remain strong for the foreseeable future due to older driver retirements, tight capacity, and the increase of home delivery of goods resulting from COVID. COVID has resulted in fewer commercial drivers being produced in 2020, compared to 2019. It is important to note that Class A Commercial Driver's License is as much of a requirement to drive large commercial trucks as it is an excellent safety credential for those who may not drive commercial trucks.
The biggest trend currently is tight capacity. What this means is there are too few drivers willing to move goods at the requested price. This means shippers need to pay more to move goods, which in turn, results in trucking companies charging more and driver pay rises. Pay has been rising, and commercial driving is a solid foundation for a career in trucking.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Tractor-Trailer Drivers in the next 3-5 years?
Don Lefeve: Technology is changing very fast, which is great news for trucking (and all transportation) as it's making vehicles safer. The next 3-5 years will see the expansion of electric vehicles, better safety systems, and greater efficiency in transportation networks. While autonomous technology is advancing rapidly, it will not replace humans anytime soon. Certainly not in the next 3-5 years. There's a lot of testing, security concerns, and limitations that need to be worked out. Beyond the next five years, as technology continues advancing, and jobs will change and be enhanced, but driving jobs will not be replaced by machines. Like airline pilots, the technology relies upon humans, and the human will retain a central role in the control of the truck because we possess the fastest, most capable computers of all -- our brains. I think driver training will always be required, and in fact, it will likely expand to cover not only the fundamentals but also incorporate more technical training centered around autonomous systems and how to operate them.
What type of skills will young Tractor-Trailer Drivers need?
Martin Garsee: To enter the trucking world, a person should have a clean driving record and a clean criminal (not sure if there is a better word) history.
To enter the industry, have obtained a CDL, that in itself requires a "new" set of skills than driving an automobile.
Ability to communicate, you will have to communicate with dispatchers, customers, and other drivers.
Ability to work with minimum supervision.
The trucking industry operates 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, and realizes that there is not typically a "set" schedule to work.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Tractor-Trailer Drivers to find work opportunities?
Martin Garsee: Many over the road trucking companies will hire you from any location in the 48 contiguous states. Companies that have more set routes in a region of the country, will only hire in that region. Most companies, on their website, have a hiring area located. Where there is a dense population, there are more jobs available. Where there is a port, there are jobs that have to get the goods from the port to a warehouse for distribution, which may be local or hundreds of miles away. Where there is a concentration of manufacturing, raw material has to be brought in and completed products have to be shipped to their final destination.
In large cities there are a lot of delivery jobs to retail outlets.
How do you envision technology impacting Tractor-Trailer Drivers in the next 5 years?
Martin Garsee: Technology has changed every aspect of the industry in the last few years. Many of the systems that are on trucks make them much safer.
Collision mitigation systems, Blind spot alerts, cameras inside and outside the cab, lane departure warnings, these are currently offered on the truck of today. We see these systems getting better, which makes the driver a safer driver.