Over 80% of carriers report that diversity and inclusion programs improve driver retention, yet the workforce still skews toward older age and limited youth. The average U.S. commercial truck driver is 48 years old, and drivers aged 20 to 24 make up just 4.8% of the trucking workforce. This article breaks down the age gaps, the gender and experience differences, and the hiring momentum shaping where trucking goes next.
Key Takeaways
- The average age of a commercial truck driver in the U.S. is 48 years old
- Approximately 29% of truck drivers are aged 55 or older
- Young drivers aged 20-24 make up only 4.8% of the trucking workforce
- In 2023, the percentage of women working as professional truck drivers reached approximately 8.1%
- Women make up about 40.3% of all personnel in the trucking industry including office and support roles
- Female representation in management roles within trucking stands at approximately 15%
- Total number of female drivers increased by 15% between 2018 and 2022
- Minority-owned trucking firms account for 12% of all small fleet operations
- The pay gap in trucking is lower than the average industry, with women earning 95 cents for every dollar men earn
- Black or African American drivers represent 18.2% of the total trucking workforce
- Hispanic or Latino drivers account for 23.9% of the driver population
- Asian drivers comprise 4.0% of the long-haul trucking workforce
- Over 80% of carriers report that diversity and inclusion programs help with driver retention
- 83% of female drivers say they feel safe while on the road most of the time
- Large carriers with diversity programs saw a 10% increase in applicant flow
Truckers are still aging and mostly male, but diversity is growing through retention, veteran programs, and DEI.
Related reading
- Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryFemale Truck Drivers Statistics
- Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Freight Industry Statistics
- Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Food Truck Industry Statistics
- Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Shipping Industry Statistics
01 · Category
Age and Workforce Composition28 stats
01
The average age of a commercial truck driver in the U.S. is 48 years old
02
Approximately 29% of truck drivers are aged 55 or older
03
Young drivers aged 20-24 make up only 4.8% of the trucking workforce
04
Veteran hiring programs represent 10% of new hires in major fleets like Werner and Schneider
05
31% of female drivers have more than 10 years of experience
06
Drivers over the age of 65 represent 7% of the total driver population
07
Driver retention among veterans is 15% higher than the general population
08
42% of trucking companies use social media specifically to target younger diverse demographics
09
Male drivers aged 25-34 make up 12% of the workforce, showing a decline from previous decades
10
Drivers with a Bachelor's degree or higher represent 15% of the workforce
11
Veteran drivers are 10% less likely to have preventable accidents
12
The average age for entry-level drivers is currently 35 years old
13
5% of all truck drivers are veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces
14
The percentage of drivers aged 25-34 has increased by 2% since 2021
15
10% of truck driving jobs are now held by workers with some college education
16
Drivers aged 65+ have the lowest turnover rate at approximately 20% annually
17
28% of drivers aged 21-30 are female in Canada, trending higher than the US
18
52% of drivers over 55 report they have no plans to retire in the next 5 years
19
Younger drivers (under 30) are 3x more likely to use digital driver apps for pay management
20
50% of drivers in entry-level positions are under the age of 40
21
7% of new female drivers are "second-career" professionals over age 40
22
22% of long-haul drivers have 20+ years of industry experience
23
20% of new driver hires in 2023 were under the age of 30
24
Turnover for drivers in their first year is 90%, but drops to 30% for those with 5+ years experience
25
4% of veteran truck drivers are women
26
40% of owner-operators are over the age of 55
27
35% of drivers identify as coming from a family where a parent was also a truck driver
28
15% of the trucking workforce has changed careers from retail or food service
Interpretation
Age and Workforce Composition Interpretation
The industry is staring down a demographic cliff with a graying, experienced workforce reluctant to retire while struggling to attract and retain a younger, more diverse generation, creating a precarious gap between its resilient past and its uncertain future.
02 · Category
Demographics and Gender27 stats
01
In 2023, the percentage of women working as professional truck drivers reached approximately 8.1%
02
Women make up about 40.3% of all personnel in the trucking industry including office and support roles
03
Female representation in management roles within trucking stands at approximately 15%
04
The median age of female truck drivers is 46, while the median age for men is 47
05
14% of female truck drivers reported having served in the military compared to 10% of males
06
LGBTQ+ representation in trucking is estimated at 3.5%, though reporting is voluntary
07
18% of new CDL holders in 2023 were women
08
12% of trucking board of directors members are women
09
Disability representation (self-identified) in trucking support roles is 6%
10
Women in dispatch roles represent 28% of the workforce
11
1.5% of the trucking workforce identifies as having a hearing impairment but qualifying for safe driving waivers
12
3% of the truck driver population are non-binary or gender non-conforming in recent surveys
13
Only 2% of truck technicians are women
14
16% of female drivers are under the age of 35, compared to 14% of male drivers
15
Female drivers represent 12.1% of all local delivery drivers
16
Representation of women in truck sales roles is 25%
17
Female drivers account for 7% of heavy-load specialty hauling
18
Diversity in safety leadership roles is 18%
19
6% of driver trainers are women
20
The percentage of female owner-operators in Canada is 4%
21
11% of trucking human resources professionals are Black or African American
22
Female drivers account for 10% of the workforce in the LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) sector
23
5% of the trucking workforce identifies as having a physical disability that is accommodated by modified equipment
24
Male drivers account for 91.9% of the total professional driver population
25
30% of female drivers say they was influenced by a female family member to join
26
Female drivers represent 1% of the heavy equipment hauling subset
27
Women are 5% more likely to stay with a company for more than 5 years compared to men
Interpretation
Demographics and Gender Interpretation
The industry is halfway there: women are 40% of the office staff but only 8% of the drivers, proving the cab is the trucking world's last stubborn bastion to crack.
03 · Category
Economic Impact and Pay25 stats
01
Total number of female drivers increased by 15% between 2018 and 2022
02
Minority-owned trucking firms account for 12% of all small fleet operations
03
The pay gap in trucking is lower than the average industry, with women earning 95 cents for every dollar men earn
04
7% of trucking company owners are women as of 2022
05
55% of minority drivers cite "financial independence" as the primary reason for entering the industry
06
Entry-level female drivers earn an average of $54,000annually
07
The average carrier spend on diversity training is $450per employee per year
08
9% of female drivers are owner-operators compared to 11% of male drivers
09
75% of carriers offer tuition reimbursement to attract diverse talent
10
African American owner-operators see a 5% higher revenue growth when participating in government contract set-asides
11
Hispanic-owned trucking companies grew by 32% between 2012 and 2017
12
Average insurance premiums for minority-owned fleets are 4% higher due to geographic factors in urban hubs
13
Trucking companies with 25%+ female leadership have 15% higher profitability
14
Pay for minority drivers in refrigerated hauling is 3% higher than in dry van hauling
15
44% of new trucking startups in 2022 were minority-founded
16
Minority drivers are 8% more likely to pursue "lease-to-own" programs
17
15% of female drivers are the primary breadwinners for their households
18
Trucking companies with diversity awards see 5% lower recruitment costs
19
Average sign-on bonuses for diverse recruits have increased to $5,000in 2023
20
70% of female drivers cited better pay as their reason for staying in the industry
21
Average annual salary for a minority driver in a unionized fleet is $72,000
22
Pay for women in trucking is 7% higher than the national average for blue-collar jobs
23
The median income for a Black truck driver is $48,500
24
Female drivers earn 98% of what males earn in flatbed hauling specifically
25
Average insurance rates for female drivers are 12% lower than for male drivers under 25
Interpretation
Economic Impact and Pay Interpretation
The trucking industry is slowly learning that the road to greater profit is paved with diversity, even if its welcome mat still needs some fine-tuning for full equity.
More related reading
04 · Category
Race and Ethnicity30 stats
01
Black or African American drivers represent 18.2% of the total trucking workforce
02
Hispanic or Latino drivers account for 23.9% of the driver population
03
Asian drivers comprise 4.0% of the long-haul trucking workforce
04
White drivers make up 53.9% of the total US truck driver population as of 2023
05
Minority representation in the trucking sector is 46.1%, which is higher than the national average for all industries
06
Training schools report a 25% increase in non-English speaking students over the last decade
07
Native American drivers comprise approximately 0.8% of the workforce
08
Black women represent the fastest-growing demographic in independent owner-operator registration
09
22% of diesel technicians are now from minority backgrounds, up from 15% in 2010
10
Multiracial drivers account for 2.1% of the professional driving force
11
48% of drivers in urban delivery sectors are from minority groups
12
Immigrant drivers make up nearly 19% of the US trucking workforce
13
The share of Hispanic drivers has increased by 10 percentage points since 2005
14
Drivers from rural areas are 20% more likely to be white compared to drivers in metropolitan hubs
15
The number of Black drivers in the industry has increased by 25% since 2010
16
50% of the trucking workforce resides in just 10 states, mostly in the South and Midwest where diversity is rising
17
Minority representation in CDL schools reached 52% in 2023
18
20% of the long-haul driver population speak a language other than English at home
19
Asian Americans represent the highest percentage of owner-operators per capita among minority groups
20
The trucking industry employs over 1.2 million minority drivers as of 2023
21
1 in 5 truck drivers in California is of South Asian descent
22
Only 1.2% of truck drivers identify as American Indian or Alaska Native
23
Hispanic drivers represent 30% of the trucking workforce in Texas and Florida
24
45% of trucking fleets use minority-owned vendors for maintenance
25
40% of drivers who identify as Black or Latino work in short-haul or drayage sectors
26
12% of the trucking workforce are foreign-born non-citizens
27
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander drivers make up 0.3% of the workforce
28
Minority-owned fleets have a 12% higher utilization of fuel-efficiency technology
29
3% of the truck driver workforce consists of immigrants from Eastern Europe
30
Minority drivers account for 50% of the headcount growth in the last 5 years
Interpretation
Race and Ethnicity Interpretation
The trucking industry is no longer just a white-knuckle journey through Middle America, but a richly woven tapestry of backgrounds steadily steering the nation's freight toward a future that, mile by diverse mile, is beginning to truly reflect its people.
05 · Category
Workforce Environment and Retention30 stats
01
Over 80% of carriers report that diversity and inclusion programs help with driver retention
02
83% of female drivers say they feel safe while on the road most of the time
03
Large carriers with diversity programs saw a 10% increase in applicant flow
04
Female drivers are 20% less likely than men to be involved in a fatal crash
05
The turnover rate for female drivers is 5% lower than for male drivers in long-haul sectors
06
65% of trucking companies now have a formal diversity recruitment strategy
07
60% of female drivers specify "dedicated routes" as their preferred job type to balance family
08
Average tenure for a minority driver at a single firm is 3.8 years
09
88% of fleets believe that diversifying the workforce is the solution to the driver shortage
10
Minority drivers are 15% more likely to use mobile-first training platforms
11
Female driver job satisfaction is 12% higher in companies with female CEOs
12
40% of carriers have implemented specific safety equipment adjustments for female drivers
13
92% of female drivers cited "home time" as the most important factor in staying with a carrier
14
Female drivers report using social media for networking 30% more than male drivers
15
70% of companies report that a diverse workforce improves their brand reputation
16
LGBTQ+ inclusive companies see a 12% reduction in driver turnover
17
38% of female drivers consider "ergonomic truck cabs" as a critical factor in job selection
18
60% of diverse drivers prefer to work for companies with a visible DEI mission statement
19
35% of carriers provide diversity training to their middle management
20
80% of female drivers report harassment is still a major barrier to the industry
21
25% of carriers have implemented specific safety light systems to help shorter drivers (often women)
22
14% of trucking companies have a dedicated Director of Diversity role
23
Female drivers spend 15% more time on pre-trip inspections than male counterparts
24
Retention for minority drivers increases by 20% when Mentorship programs are present
25
65% of female drivers report that lack of facilities (bathrooms/parking) is their top career deterrent
26
55% of diversified fleets report higher customer satisfaction scores
27
Diverse fleets report 15% better adherence to HOS (Hours of Service) regulations
28
8% of carriers have implemented "blind recruitment" for office-based logistics roles
29
90% of female drivers report that "respect from management" is tied for pay as a top priority
30
Companies with high diversity scores report 20% fewer DOT violations
Interpretation
Workforce Environment and Retention Interpretation
While a sea of numbers suggests a smarter, safer, and more stable industry blossoms when trucking embraces diversity, a stubborn riptide of harassment and inadequate facilities reminds us the journey is far from complete.
Reference
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APA
Diana Reeves. (2026, February 13). Diversity In The Trucking Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-in-the-trucking-industry-statistics
MLA
Diana Reeves. "Diversity In The Trucking Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-in-the-trucking-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Diana Reeves. 2026. "Diversity In The Trucking Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-in-the-trucking-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
31 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level