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Sector

Careers in Trucking & Freight

Trucking and freight moves goods over roads โ€” from independent owner-operators to major carriers. Mostly on-site driving work with moderate credentials and strong union presence at some carriers.

3M
U.S. jobs
In this sector
$54K
Median salary
Across all roles
Trucking & Freight jobs by metro area
Bubble size = total employment
Trucking & Freight employment by metro ยท ~393 areas
1.New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ48K
2.Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA42K
3.Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN37K
4.Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX36K
5.Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX29K

Jobs per 100K workforce โ€” measures industry density

1.Laredo, TX2,635.5
2.Odessa, TX2,217.8
3.Midland, TX2,089.7
4.Stockton-Lodi, CA1,955.7
5.Joplin, MO-KS1,953.5
BLS OEWS May 2024
Understanding this Sector
What it's like to work in Trucking & Freight

Trucking draws people who value independence and the satisfaction of keeping supply chains moving. You're hauling the goods that stock shelves, supply factories, and keep construction sites running โ€” essential work where your effort has visible, tangible results.

The challenge can come from the lifestyle demands and physical toll. Long-haul routes mean days or weeks away from home. The hours of driving, loading, and navigating tight delivery windows add up. Regulations governing hours of service create constraints that don't always align with traffic or weather realities. The sedentary nature of driving combined with irregular eating takes a health toll over time.

The sector varies widely by hauling type and employment arrangement. Over-the-road differs dramatically from local delivery. Company drivers have stability but less control; owner-operators have more autonomy but bear equipment costs and business risk. Specialized freight โ€” tankers, flatbeds, refrigerated โ€” requires additional skills and often pays better. LTL operations run differently than truckload carriers.

For people who thrive here, the rewards are substantial: competitive pay especially for specialized or regional routes, the autonomy of the open road, and the straightforward nature of work where success is measured in deliveries completed. If you can handle time away from home and appreciate work with clear daily purpose, trucking offers careers with real earning potential.

How people break in

CDL required, achievable through training programs. Clean driving record required. Companies often sponsor CDL training. Local driving involves less time away.

Work environment tends toward
CDL requiredDriver shortageTime away (OTR)Owner-operator optionEssential service
Industries it connects to
Salary vs. national average
-24%
$54K median vs. $71K national
$239K$179K$119K$60K$0K$16K$38K$150K$239K*387 metro areas across 50 states, sorted by salary level โ†’
Salary range across all trucking & freight roles
Where your dollar goes furthest
1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$90K
2. Boulder$76K
3. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$74K
4. Trenton-Princeton$69K
5. Durham-Chapel Hill$69K
BLS OEWS May 2024
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.

Median salaries range from ~$70K in mid-market metros to ~$102K in top-tier cities. But cost of living closes a lot of that gap โ€” metros with lower regional price parities often offer the best purchasing power.

Highest paying
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ยท $102K
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont ยท $87K
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria ยท $80K
Best purchasing power
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ยท $90K adj.
Boulder ยท $76K adj.
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria ยท $74K adj.
Most jobs
New York ยท 20.9M
Los Angeles ยท 13.9M
Chicago ยท 10.4M
BLS OEWS May 2024 ยท BEA Regional Price Parities

What the data says about this sector

Beyond salary and job counts โ€” signals that shape the day-to-day experience of working in Trucking & Freight.

๐Ÿšช
Annual Quit Rate
Based on all Transportation & Logistics data
23%
Higher than average turnover. This could indicate challenging conditions, seasonal work, or abundant external opportunities.
โ†‘ 1%vs. 22% all industries
๐Ÿข
Typical Employer Size
Small-skewed
Small businesses dominate. More variety in roles but less formal structure and benefits.
96%
Small
<50
3%
Mid
50โ€“249
0%
Large
250+
๐Ÿ 
Remote / Hybrid Prevalence
mostly_onsite
Many roles can be done remotely. Location flexibility is a realistic expectation.
Mostly on-siteHybrid commonRemote-first
๐Ÿ“‹
Credential Density
Moderate
Most roles don't require formal credentials. Skills and experience matter more than certificates.
Few credentialsSome requiredMany required
๐Ÿค
Union Presence
Based on all Transportation & Logistics data
~16%
Moderate union coverage varies by employer and role. Some positions are covered, others aren't.
โ†‘ 16%vs. 11% all industries
BLS JOLTS 2024 ยท BLS QCEW 2024 ยท O*NET Work Context ยท BLS Union Members Summary 2024
Career Tracks

Career tracks in Trucking & Freight

How jobs in this sector break down by function, and what they typically pay.

Admin & Office
16%
$54K median
Explore โ†’
Transportation
15%
$52K median
Explore โ†’
Construction
13%
$54K median
Explore โ†’
Arts & Media
12%
$55K median
Explore โ†’
Agriculture
12%
$52K median
Explore โ†’
Sales
4%
$52K median
Explore โ†’
Median salary for occupations employed within Trucking & Freight. BLS OEWS May 2024.

Explore careers in Trucking & Freight

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) ยท BLS JOLTS 2024 ยท BLS QCEW 2024 ยท O*NET Work Context ยท BLS Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034
Truest editorial: Industry narrative, sector context, career track mapping, working signals analysis.