The Midwest has 7 of the hottest 15 markets for truck drivers, including three cities in Michigan and two in Wisconsin, according to WANTED's Supply/Demand RatiosTM. New York City is ranked 6th. Supply/Demand Ratios measure labor demand relative to the size of a local occupational labor pool – larger cities are expected to post more job ads, and S/D ratios control for this aspect.
"Heavy Trailer and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers" (Standard Occupation Classification code 533032) is the 12th most important occupation in the United States. There are over 1.6 million heavy trailer and tractor-trailer drivers in the United States. With an average salary of $38,000, $65 billion are paid out in wages to these workers every year. What's more, truck tonnage is considered a leading economic indicator.
The following heat map shows the top 100 markets in the United States for truck drivers. Notice the density of "bubbles" in the Midwest and Northeast, and the relative scarcity of bubbles in the South, Central US, and the West.
Source: WANTED Supply/Demand Ratios homepage
This article does not discuss "Light or Delivery Services Truck Drivers" (SOC 533033) which have lower pay, are constrained to local routes, and are not as specialized as "heavy truck" drivers who can handle hazardous or explosive materials such as gasoline.
The following table, also taken from our S/D Ratios page, lists the top 15 Markets for "Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers" to look for work.
Source: WANTED Supply/Demand Ratios
We conclude with an overall outlook on this occupation. Hiring Demand is one-third what it was in 2007, a huge blow compared to National Hiring Demand which is down only 40% since 2007. However, after a precipitous decline which started in July of last year, Hiring Demand has been stable since March. In fact, there was a little bit of a spike in August confirming a slight upward trend.
Source: WANTED Analytics
Companies looking for the most drivers are Schneider National, C R England, USA Truck, and Central Refrigerated. The best job boards for heavy truck drivers to search for work are Yahoo! Hotjobs, CareerBuilder, Employment Guide, Jobs in Logistics, and Local Careers.
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