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Truck Transportation: NAICS 484

About the Truck Transportation subsector

The truck transportation subsector is part of the transportation and warehousing sector.

Industries in the Truck Transportation subsector provide over-the-road transportation of cargo using motor vehicles, such as trucks and tractor trailers. The subsector is subdivided into general freight trucking and specialized freight trucking. This distinction reflects differences in equipment used, type of load carried, scheduling, terminal, and other networking services. General freight transportation establishments handle a wide variety of general commodities, generally palletized, and transported in a container or van trailer. Specialized freight transportation is the transportation of cargo that, because of size, weight, shape, or other inherent characteristics require specialized equipment for transportation.

North American Industry Classification System

The truck transportation subsector consists of these industry groups:

  • General Freight Trucking: NAICS 4841
  • Specialized Freight Trucking: NAICS 4842

Workforce Statistics

This section provides information relating to employment in truck transportation. These data are obtained from employer or establishment surveys. The following tables present an overview of the industry including the number of jobs, data for occupations common to the industry, and projections of occupational employment change.

Employment

Data series Back
data
Nov.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024
Feb.
2024

Employment (in thousands)

Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)

1,550.1 1,551.8 (p)1,551.5 (p)1,551.2

Employment, production and nonsupervisory employees

1,363.9 1,358.1 (p)1,329.0  

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Employment by Occupation

Data series Employment,
2022

Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

57,590

First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators

44,850

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

109,960

Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer

897,370

Truck drivers, light or delivery services

62,620

(Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics)

Projections

For projected (future) employment estimates, see the National Employment Matrix, which includes employment estimates by industry and occupation for truck transportation.

(Source: Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections)

Earnings and Hours

This section presents data on employee earnings and weekly hours. The latest industry averages of hourly earnings and weekly hours are shown. In addition, recent hourly and annual earnings are shown for occupations commonly found in truck transportation.

Earnings and Hours of All Employees

Data series Back
data
Oct.
2023
Nov.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024

Average hourly earnings

$30.72 $30.56 $30.69 (p)$31.06

Average weekly hours

40.8 40.5 40.8 (p)39.2

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings and Hours of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees

Data series Back
data
Oct.
2023
Nov.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024

Average hourly earnings

$29.09 $29.16 $28.88 (p)$29.30

Average weekly hours

40.7 40.7 40.7 (p)39.2

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings by Occupation

Data series Wages, 2022
Hourly Annual
Median Mean Median Mean

Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

23.53 24.56 48,940 51,090

First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators

31.08 32.17 64,650 66,910

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

18.71 19.95 38,910 41,500

Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer

25.38 26.37 52,800 54,850

Truck drivers, light or delivery services

22.11 22.60 45,980 47,000

(Source: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics)

Work-related Fatalities, Injuries, and Illnesses

This section presents data for the industry on the number of workplace fatalities and the rates of workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in truck transportation. An injury or illness is considered to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a pre-existing condition.

Data series 2019 2020 2021 2022

Fatalities

Number of fatalities

617 563 656 706

Blank cells indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

Data series 2022

Rate of injury and illness cases per 100 full-time workers

Total recordable cases

3.2

Cases involving days away from work, job restriction, or transfer

2.4

Cases involving days away from work

1.7

Cases involving days of job transfer or restriction

0.7

Blank cells indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

(Source: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities)

Prices

This section provides industry-specific pricing information. The producer price index measures the percentage change in prices that domestic producers receive for goods and services. The prices included in the producer price index are from the first commercial transaction.

Data series Back
data
Nov.
2023
Dec.
2023
Jan.
2024
Feb.
2024

Producer price index

(p)187.062 (p)183.126 (p)184.172 (p)185.062

Percent change from previous month

  (p)0.1% (p)-2.1% (p)0.6% (p)0.5%

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Producer Price Indexes)

Workplace Trends

This section presents data on the number of establishments in truck transportation.

Establishments

Data series Back
data
4th quarter
2022
1st quarter
2023
2nd quarter
2023
3rd quarter
2023

Number of establishments

Private industry

179,144 (p)180,185 (p)182,214 (p)184,079

Local government

       

State government

       

Federal government

2 (p)2 (p)2 (p)2

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary

(Source: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

 

Data extracted on: March 22, 2024