Career
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
Haul freight across the country.
$58,640
Median pay
+3.8%
Job growth, 2025–35
214,500
Openings a year
Postsecondary nondegree award
Typical education
Under 2 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy.
- Inspect loads to ensure that cargo is secure.
- Check vehicles to ensure that mechanical, safety, and emergency equipment is in good working order.
- Crank trailer landing gear up or down to safely secure vehicles.
- Obtain receipts or signatures for delivered goods and collect payment for services when required.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Time Management.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
Under 2 years of education after high school (postsecondary nondegree award), for a median of $58,640 a year and 214,500 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and InstructorCIP 49.0205
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators$46,420 · +1.5%
- Light Truck Drivers$44,860 · +6.3%
- Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders$58,870 · +2.8%
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists$61,770 · +3.6%
- Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining$74,500 · -15.8%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.