Career Highlight: Commercial Trucking

Commercial / Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
Truck drivers transport goods from one location to another. They are crucial to keep the nation’s supply chains moving. Data show that trucking moves 71% of all the freight in America, and nearly 6% of all the full-time jobs in the country are in the trucking industry. While some truck drivers have long-haul assignments, there are also many trucking jobs with routes that keep drivers closer to home.

Bright Outlook
Employment of heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2018 to 2028, about as fast as the average for all occupations. For several years recently, the industry has reported a shortage of drivers. A 2019 report by the American Trucking Associations said the industry will need to hire 1.1 million new truck drivers over the next decade — an average of 110,000 per year — to replace retiring drivers and keep up with growth in the economy.

Required Training
These truck drivers are required to have a CDL license, and new requirements have many companies seeking candidates who have attended certified training programs. Truck drivers usually have a high school diploma and attend a professional truck driving school. For information on the process of obtaining a CDL in Virginia, visit the DMV website.

Potential Earnings: $45,000
The U.S. average yearly wages for truck drivers is $45,260. In Virginia, drivers on average earn $42,580.
In the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News area, truckers earn an average of $39,620.