Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers: Career Overview
Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). May be required to unload truck. Requires commercial drivers' license. Includes tow truck drivers.
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What Do Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Do?
The core tasks performed by heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers include:
- 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.
- Maintain logs of working hours or of vehicle service or repair status, following applicable state and federal regulations.
- Read bills of lading to determine assignment details.
- Report vehicle defects, accidents, traffic violations, or damage to the vehicles.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Armored Truck Driver
- Automotive Carrier Driver (Auto Carrier Driver)
- Automotive Crane Driver (Auto Crane Driver)
- Automotive Haulaway Driver (Auto Haulaway Driver)
- Automotive Hauler (Auto Hauler)
- Automotive Transport Driver (Auto Transport Driver)
- Basket Operator
- Batch Mixing Truck Driver
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 665,069 heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +7.3% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $28,514 |
| Hourly median | $13.71 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $23,217 |
| 75th percentile | $33,811 |
| 90th percentile | $39,109 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $64,890 |
| New Jersey | $64,720 |
| Washington | $63,760 |
| District of Columbia | $63,610 |
| Oregon | $61,180 |
| Minnesota | $61,090 |
| Nevada | $60,900 |
| Massachusetts | $60,630 |
| New York | $60,520 |
| Wyoming | $60,270 |
| Colorado | $60,260 |
| Indiana | $60,090 |
| California | $59,950 |
| Illinois | $59,790 |
| Rhode Island | $59,710 |
| Utah | $59,580 |
| Hawaii | $59,320 |
| Montana | $59,060 |
| North Dakota | $58,970 |
| Connecticut | $58,700 |
| New Hampshire | $58,620 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,540 |
| Delaware | $58,510 |
| Ohio | $58,080 |
| Nebraska | $57,940 |
| Wisconsin | $57,380 |
| Maryland | $57,180 |
| Kansas | $56,940 |
| South Dakota | $56,880 |
| Georgia | $56,570 |
| Vermont | $56,360 |
| Tennessee | $55,610 |
| Kentucky | $55,590 |
| Michigan | $55,140 |
| Iowa | $55,080 |
| Virginia | $54,500 |
| Arizona | $53,690 |
| Idaho | $53,260 |
| Texas | $53,070 |
| Maine | $51,930 |
| Oklahoma | $51,920 |
| South Carolina | $51,810 |
| Mississippi | $50,700 |
| Missouri | $50,540 |
| Alabama | $50,120 |
| Florida | $50,000 |
| North Carolina | $49,580 |
| Arkansas | $49,520 |
| West Virginia | $49,040 |
| Louisiana | $48,770 |
| New Mexico | $48,360 |
| Virgin Islands | $46,460 |
| Guam | $37,190 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,770 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $60,663 | 14.5% | 0.87 |
| Middle Atlantic | $60,260 | 11.1% | 0.84 |
| Rocky Mountains | $58,659 | 3.9% | 1.04 |
| New England | $58,532 | 3.4% | 0.75 |
| Great Lakes | $58,180 | 16.3% | 1.17 |
| Plains States | $56,039 | 9.0% | 1.38 |
| Southwest | $52,872 | 14.2% | 1.12 |
| Southeast | $52,276 | 27.1% | 1.16 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | NE | $92,890 | 4,700 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | AK | $73,540 | 610 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $69,290 | 21,220 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $65,540 | 4,980 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $65,220 | 64,440 |
| Muncie, IN | IN | $64,980 | 620 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $64,210 | 16,870 |
| Anchorage, AK | AK | $63,910 | 1,570 |
Which Industries Hire Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
The bulk of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 1,183,530 | $59,200 |
| Wholesale Trade | 268,970 | $57,260 |
| Manufacturing | 159,360 | $54,860 |
| Construction | 133,840 | $54,170 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 111,170 | $53,620 |
| Retail Trade | 70,560 | $48,850 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 32,730 | $55,720 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 29,640 | $55,690 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers reflects the following characteristics:
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
- Frequency of Decision Making
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How to Become Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Typical heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance (Supplemental)
- Pile Driver Operators (Supplemental)
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (Supplemental)
- Highway Maintenance Workers (Supplemental)
- Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining (Primary-Short)
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Light Truck Drivers (Primary-Short)
- Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Future heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers often complete programs in:
Transportation and Materials Moving
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 53-3032.00 (Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers).
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