Heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers transport goods from one location to another.
What the job is
- The work
- Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers transport goods from one location to another.
BLS
Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- How people get in
- Most drivers have a high school diploma and attend a professional truck driving school of 3 to 6 months. Every long-haul driver needs a commercial driver's license (CDL): a learner's permit first, then federal entry-level driver training with a registered provider, then the state skills test.
- Good fit for
- Independent, patient drivers who are fine with long hours on the road and time away from home.
- Career cluster
- Supply Chain & Transportation
- Paying for it
- File the FAFSA (opens by October 1) for grants, work-study and federal loans; a Pell Grant pays up to $7,395 a year (2026–27). Average public four-year tuition and fees: $11,950 in-state vs $31,880 out-of-state (2025–26). Residency rules and regional discounts · Save with 2+2 transfer
- Your state
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StateChoose a state
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- UtahState guide
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- VirginiaState guide
- WashingtonState guide
- West VirginiaState guide
- WisconsinState guide
- WyomingState guide
Key numbers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, pay for May 2025.
- Median pay
- $58,640 a year ($28.19 an hour)
BLS
Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Jobs in 2025
- 2,221,200
- Typical entry
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Training after hire
- Short-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +4%, which BLS calls "as fast as average"
BLS
Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Jobs added
- +83,800 over 2025–35
- All U.S. jobs
- 3.5% over the same period, for comparison
Tools overview
BLS does not publish what a starter tool set costs. Ask the school or apprenticeship sponsor which tools you must buy before you enrol.
- Drivers keep a log of their working hours, following all federal and state regulations, and keep their trucks and equipment clean and in good working order.
BLS
Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers — What They DoU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Step-by-step roadmap
The routes, step by step, the national certifications and the state licensing rules are on one page.
Truck driver: CLP, entry-level driver training, then the CDL skills test
See the roadmap
Route 1: Truck driving school → CLP → ELDT → CDL · Route 2: Registered Apprenticeship
Every number links to the BLS page it came from, checked 21 Oct 2026. Education Margdarshan does not recommend paid courses. All trades