Oct 06, 26

Trucking Jobs Just Did Something They Haven't Done Since 2023

This article is based on reporting originally published by FreightWaves using employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Eight hundred jobs doesn't sound like much in an industry as large as trucking, but after more than three years of watching employment move in the opposite direction, it's a number worth paying attention to.

Truck transportation employment reached 1,473,100 jobs in September, up 2,600 from August and 800 from the same month last year. That marks the first time since April 2023 that trucking employment has been higher than it was a year earlier.

The turnaround becomes more interesting when you look at where the industry was not long ago. At one point in 2024, trucking had roughly 60,000 fewer jobs than it did a year earlier. As recently as August, that gap was still 9,700 jobs. Now, trucking employment has increased for three consecutive months and four of the past five.

So, are carriers starting to hire again? There are some signs that they are, although the picture isn't the same everywhere. Truckload driver employment increased to 503,200 but remained slightly below last year's level, while LTL employment climbed to 248,900.

The timing is interesting after months of hearing about capacity leaving the market. Carriers have spent years dealing with weak freight conditions, rising operating costs and an environment that pushed some trucks and drivers out of the industry. If employment continues to grow, it could be an early sign that some carriers are becoming more comfortable adding drivers again.

There are still reasons to be cautious. Employment numbers can be revised and an 800-job increase isn't enough to declare a hiring comeback. Warehouse employment also fell by 4,100 jobs in September and is now 21,600 below where it was a year ago, showing that different parts of the freight market are still moving in different directions.

For truckers, the important part isn't that 800 jobs suddenly changed the market. It's that the trend finally changed direction. After years of employment sitting below the previous year's levels, trucking has crossed back into positive territory.

It's too early to call this a comeback, but trucking employment is finally moving in a direction the industry hasn't seen in years. The next few months will tell us whether September was a small bump or the beginning of something bigger.

The real question now is— are you seeing more carriers hiring drivers where you are, or does the job market still feel just as tough as it did a year ago?