Trucking companies reported a 96% annual driver turnover rate in 2023. This persistent churn occurs alongside a 4.0% workplace injury rate and a wide pay gap between driver roles. These statistics define the human resources challenges in a sector employing over two million drivers.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 75% of truck transportation workers were employed in 'Large employers' (250+ employees) for purposes of BLS OSHA injury/illness incidence reporting categories.
- 4.0% of transportation and warehousing workers experienced nonfatal workplace injury/illness cases in 2022 (incidence rate per 100 full-time workers, all cases).
- 19.6% of employees in the 'Accommodation and Food Services' sector reported being with their employer for less than a year in the 2022 BLS JOLTS/LEHD-linked worker tenure statistics; trucking occupations tend to show similarly high churn typical of high-turnover transportation work (use of the BLS tenure indicator for comparative labor turnover).
- In 2022, 6.2% of truck drivers reported being in a labor union (union membership share, BLS).
- In 2023, there were 1.52 job openings per unemployed person in the transportation and warehousing sector (labor tightness measure, JOLTS).
- The median annual wage for 'Logistics and Supply Chain Managers' was $84,000 in May 2023, indicating the scale of managerial labor cost in trucking and logistics (median wage).
- Truck transportation employment increased from 1.27 million in January 2021 to 1.34 million in December 2023 (change of about +70,000 jobs).
- The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook projects 2022–2032 employment growth of 5% for 'Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers' (projected percent change).
- The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook projects 2022–2032 employment growth of 4% for 'Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers' (projected percent change).
- In the BLS data series for 'Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers', the median annual wage in May 2023 was $51,180 (median annual pay).
- In the BLS data series for 'Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers', the median annual wage in May 2023 was $39,370 (median annual pay).
- In 2023, the average annual pay for truck drivers (owner-operators) was reported at about $160,000 (average owner-operator income).
- In 2022, the average fuel economy for combination trucks in the U.S. was 6.7 mpg (average miles per gallon).
- In 2023, the global fleet management software market was $13.2 billion (market size).
- In 2023, the U.S. 'Transportation' sector spent $79.4 billion on computers and software (spending category; BEA).
Truck work shows rising demand but high turnover and safety risks, with limited union coverage.
Related reading
01 · Category
Safety & Injury4 stats
01
In 2022, 75% of truck transportation workers were employed in 'Large employers' (250+ employees) for purposes of BLS OSHA injury/illness incidence reporting categories.
02
4.0% of transportation and warehousing workers experienced nonfatal workplace injury/illness cases in 2022 (incidence rate per 100 full-time workers, all cases).
03
19.6% of employees in the 'Accommodation and Food Services' sector reported being with their employer for less than a year in the 2022 BLS JOLTS/LEHD-linked worker tenure statistics; trucking occupations tend to show similarly high churn typical of high-turnover transportation work (use of the BLS tenure indicator for comparative labor turnover).
04
34% of workers in transportation and material moving occupations reported feeling unsafe at work 'often' or 'sometimes' in a 2022 survey (percentage of respondents).
Interpretation
Safety & Injury Interpretation
Safety and injury concerns in the trucking workforce are significant because in 2022 4.0% of transportation and warehousing workers reported nonfatal workplace injury or illness cases and 34% of transportation and material moving workers said they often or sometimes felt unsafe at work.
02 · Category
Industry Trends8 stats
01
In 2022, 6.2% of truck drivers reported being in a labor union (union membership share, BLS).
02
In 2023, there were 1.52 job openings per unemployed person in the transportation and warehousing sector (labor tightness measure, JOLTS).
03
The median annual wage for 'Logistics and Supply Chain Managers' was $84,000in May 2023, indicating the scale of managerial labor cost in trucking and logistics (median wage).
04
In May 2023, there were 164,700 jobs for 'Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers' in the U.S. (employment level).
05
In 2022, there were 15.2 million people employed in transportation and warehousing in the U.S. (employment level).
06
In 2023, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reported 502,000 active for-hire motor carriers (number of active carriers in FMCSA system).
07
In 2023, the FMCSA reported that 74% of large truck crashes involved speeding or speed-related factors (share of crashes, FMCSA crash causation analysis).
08
In 2023, the average hourly wage for 'Pump and Sprayer and Other Agricultural Equipment Operators' was $17.81, illustrating a lower-wage peer occupation level used in wage benchmarking for logistics labor pools (median hourly wage).
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In the trucking industry’s HR-facing industry trends, labor demand looks tight with 1.52 job openings per unemployed person in 2023 for transportation and warehousing while union representation remains modest at 6.2% of truck drivers in 2022.
03 · Category
Workforce & Turnover5 stats
01
Truck transportation employment increased from 1.27 million in January 2021 to 1.34 million in December 2023 (change of about +70,000 jobs).
02
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook projects 2022–2032 employment growth of 5% for 'Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers' (projected percent change).
03
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook projects 2022–2032 employment growth of 4% for 'Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers' (projected percent change).
04
In 2022, the U.S. had 2.2 million 'truck drivers' (Truck Drivers occupations combined) employed (employment count from BLS occupation totals).
05
In 2023, the average annual turnover rate among U.S. trucking companies was 96% for drivers (average across reporting fleets).
Interpretation
Workforce & Turnover Interpretation
From 1.27 million truck transportation jobs in January 2021 to 1.34 million by December 2023 the trucking workforce grew by about 70,000, yet driver turnover remains extremely high with an average annual 96% turnover rate in 2023, underscoring a workforce stability challenge even as demand for truck drivers is projected to increase by 4% to 5% over 2022 to 2032.
04 · Category
Compensation & Benefits4 stats
01
In the BLS data series for 'Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers', the median annual wage in May 2023 was $51,180(median annual pay).
02
In the BLS data series for 'Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers', the median annual wage in May 2023 was $39,370(median annual pay).
03
In 2023, the average annual pay for truck drivers (owner-operators) was reported at about $160,000(average owner-operator income).
04
In 2022, 30% of workers had access to employer-provided dental insurance (private sector benefit access rate).
Interpretation
Compensation & Benefits Interpretation
For Compensation and Benefits, truck drivers’ earnings vary widely with a May 2023 median of $51,180 for heavy and tractor-trailer drivers versus $39,370 for light truck or delivery drivers, while only 30% of private-sector workers had access to employer-provided dental insurance in 2022, and owner-operators reported about $160,000 on average in 2023.
05 · Category
Technology & Productivity3 stats
01
In 2022, the average fuel economy for combination trucks in the U.S. was 6.7 mpg (average miles per gallon).
02
In 2023, the global fleet management software market was $13.2 billion (market size).
03
In 2023, the U.S. 'Transportation' sector spent $79.4 billion on computers and software (spending category; BEA).
Interpretation
Technology & Productivity Interpretation
In 2022 and 2023, trucking’s technology and productivity story is clearly tied to measurable spend and performance, with the U.S. average fuel economy for combination trucks reaching 6.7 mpg while global fleet management software grew to a $13.2 billion market and the Transportation sector invested $79.4 billion in computers and software.
More related reading
06 · Category
Workplace Safety2 stats
01
2,068,000 injuries and fatalities were recorded in the U.S. trucking sector (occupational injury/fatality-related estimate, 2021).
02
4.0% of transportation and warehousing workers experienced nonfatal workplace injury/illness cases in 2022 (incidence rate per 100 full-time workers, all cases).
Interpretation
Workplace Safety Interpretation
Workplace Safety in trucking remains a major concern, with 2,068,000 reported injuries and fatalities in 2021 and 4.0% of transportation and warehousing workers experiencing nonfatal workplace injury or illness cases in 2022.
07 · Category
Labor & Turnover4 stats
01
164,700 jobs for Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers in the U.S. in May 2023 (employment level).
02
84,000 median annual wage for Logistics and Supply Chain Managers in May 2023 (BLS OES median wage).
03
19.6% of employees in Accommodation and Food Services reported being with their employer for less than a year in 2022 (worker tenure indicator from BLS JOLTS/LEHD-linked statistics).
04
6.2% of truck drivers reported being in a labor union in 2022 (union membership share, BLS).
Interpretation
Labor & Turnover Interpretation
For the Labor and Turnover category in trucking, the mix of high workforce turnover pressures is visible in the fact that only 84,000 is the median annual wage for logistics managers and that 19.6% of workers in accommodation and food services have been with their employer less than a year while just 6.2% of truck drivers report being in a union in 2022.
08 · Category
Human Factors2 stats
01
34% of workers in transportation and material moving occupations reported feeling unsafe at work “often” or “sometimes” in 2022 (survey share).
02
75% of truck drivers reported using seat belts “always” or “most of the time” in a 2021 observational survey (share reporting consistent use).
Interpretation
Human Factors Interpretation
From a human factors perspective, 34% of workers in transportation and material moving report feeling unsafe at work often or sometimes in 2022, even though 75% of truck drivers consistently use seat belts, suggesting that safety culture and day to day risk perception are not matching well with protective behaviors.
09 · Category
Cost & Efficiency5 stats
01
79.4 billion USD spent on computers and software by the U.S. Transportation sector in 2023 (BEA spending category).
02
13.2 billion USD global fleet management software market size in 2023 (market size).
03
160,000 USD average annual pay for truck drivers (owner-operators) reported in 2023 (average owner-operator income).
04
2.2 million truck drivers employed in 2022 (Truck Drivers occupation totals).
05
164,700 jobs for Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers in the U.S. in May 2023 (BLS OES employment level).
Interpretation
Cost & Efficiency Interpretation
With the U.S. transportation sector spending 79.4 billion USD on computers and software in 2023 and the global fleet management software market reaching 13.2 billion USD, trucking HR is increasingly pushed toward Cost and Efficiency gains even as driver pay averages 160,000 USD annually and the workforce totals 2.2 million drivers, making smart technology adoption essential to manage labor costs at scale.
report visual · Breakdown
Trucking workforce snapshot: employment concentration & injury incidence
A large share of truck transportation workers are in large employers, while injury/illness incidence remains a key HR concern for transportation and warehousing workers.
4%
4.0% of transportation and warehousing workers experienced nonfatal workplace injury/illness cases in 2022 (incidence ra
96%
In 2023, the average annual turnover rate among U.S. trucking companies was 96% for drivers (average across reporting fl
source-verifiedbls.gov · ipaustralia.com2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). HR In The Trucking Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-trucking-industry-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "HR In The Trucking Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-trucking-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "HR In The Trucking Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-trucking-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
37 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+22 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)