Tractor-trailer driver

Drivers of heavy trucks and tractor-trailers must be able to coordinate their legs, hands, and eyes simultaneously so that they will react appropriately to the situation around them and drive the vehicle safely. Hearing ability. Truck drivers need good hearing. Federal regulations require that a driver be able to hear a forced whisper in one ear at 5 feet away with or without the use of a hearing aid.

Physical health. Federal regulations do not allow people to become truck drivers if they have a medical condition, such as high blood pressure or epilepsy, which may interfere with their ability to operate a truck. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website has a full list of medical conditions that disqualify someone from driving a long-haul truck.

Visual ability. Truck drivers must be able to pass vision tests. Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U. Source: U. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. In May , the median annual wages for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:. Drivers of heavy trucks and tractor-trailers usually are paid by how many miles they have driven, plus bonuses.

The per-mile rate varies from employer to employer and may depend on the type of cargo and the experience of the driver.

Some long-distance drivers, especially owner-operators, are paid a share of the revenue from shipping. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program. Much of the projected employment growth in this occupation is due to recovery from the COVID recession that began in Trucks transport most of the freight in the United States.

The need for truck drivers should rise as households and businesses increase their spending and their demand for goods. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.

The link s below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area. All state projections data are available at www. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area.

There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code. This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers.

Passenger vehicle drivers operate buses, taxis, and other modes of transportation to take people from place to place. Material recording clerks track product information in order to keep businesses and supply chains on schedule. Railroad workers ensure that passenger and freight trains operate safely.

They may drive trains, coordinate the activities of the trains, or control signals and switches in the rail yard. American Trucking Associations. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Commercial Vehicle Training Association. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 8, The What They Do tab describes the typical duties and responsibilities of workers in the occupation, including what tools and equipment they use and how closely they are supervised.

This tab also covers different types of occupational specialties. The Work Environment tab includes the number of jobs held in the occupation and describes the workplace, the level of physical activity expected, and typical hours worked.

It may also discuss the major industries that employed the occupation. This tab may also describe opportunities for part-time work, the amount and type of travel required, any safety equipment that is used, and the risk of injury that workers may face.

The How to Become One tab describes how to prepare for a job in the occupation. This tab can include information on education, training, work experience, licensing and certification, and important qualities that are required or helpful for entering or working in the occupation.

The Pay tab describes typical earnings and how workers in the occupation are compensated—annual salaries, hourly wages, commissions, tips, or bonuses. Within every occupation, earnings vary by experience, responsibility, performance, tenure, and geographic area. For most profiles, this tab has a table with wages in the major industries employing the occupation. The Job Outlook tab describes the factors that affect employment growth or decline in the occupation, and in some instances, describes the relationship between the number of job seekers and the number of job openings.

The Similar Occupations tab describes occupations that share similar duties, skills, interests, education, or training with the occupation covered in the profile. The More Information tab provides the Internet addresses of associations, government agencies, unions, and other organizations that can provide additional information on the occupation. The wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.

Additional training needed postemployment to attain competency in the skills needed in this occupation. Work experience that is commonly considered necessary by employers, or is a commonly accepted substitute for more formal types of training or education.

The employment, or size, of this occupation in , which is the base year of the employment projections. The projected percent change in employment from to The average growth rate for all occupations is 8 percent. Menu Search button Search:. Summary Please enable javascript to play this video. Work Environment About this section Some truck drivers travel far from home and can be on the road for long periods at a time.

How to Become a Heavy or Tractor-trailer Truck Driver About this section Drivers learn the federal laws and regulations governing interstate trucking.

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers Projections Central Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information LMI or individual state Employment Projections offices. CareerOneStop CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area.

Similar Occupations About this section This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Suggested citation: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.

What They Do The What They Do tab describes the typical duties and responsibilities of workers in the occupation, including what tools and equipment they use and how closely they are supervised. Work Environment The Work Environment tab includes the number of jobs held in the occupation and describes the workplace, the level of physical activity expected, and typical hours worked. Pay The Pay tab describes typical earnings and how workers in the occupation are compensated—annual salaries, hourly wages, commissions, tips, or bonuses.

Job Outlook The Job Outlook tab describes the factors that affect employment growth or decline in the occupation, and in some instances, describes the relationship between the number of job seekers and the number of job openings. Similar Occupations The Similar Occupations tab describes occupations that share similar duties, skills, interests, education, or training with the occupation covered in the profile.

Excludes "Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors" Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers are provided. States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers are provided. States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:.

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers:. Menu Search button Search:. Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods and only. Warehousing and Storage. Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing. Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods , , , , , and only.