Trucking Jobs Top Last Year for the First Time Since 2023

What happened

Trucking jobs are finally higher than a year ago. Truck transportation had 1,473,100 jobs in September 2026. That number comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the federal office that counts jobs every month. FreightWaves reported it on Oct. 2.

The count went up by 2,600 jobs from August. It is also 800 jobs higher than September of last year.

That last part is the big news. It is the first time since April 2023 that trucking jobs beat the same month a year before. For more than three years, the number kept coming in lower than the year before. At the worst point, in June and July of 2024, the gap was about 60,000 jobs.

What it means for owner-operators

Jason Miller is a supply chain professor at Michigan State University. He said the numbers point to trucking companies that already exist adding some capacity. Capacity means trucks and drivers ready to haul. In his words, capacity is slowly recovering.

That is a good sign for the whole industry. When companies hire, it usually means they see enough freight to keep trucks busy.

Keep it in perspective, though. Mazen Danaf, an economist at Uber Freight, said the numbers are likely too high. He expects big changes when the BLS revises them early next year. One month of data is a sign, not a promise.

Still, after years of bad numbers, a small step up is worth noticing. It is good news for drivers looking for work and for small fleets thinking about growing.

What to do next

• If you plan to add a truck or a driver, plan the cost first, including insurance for the new unit and the new driver.
• Check driver records before you hire. A clean record helps your safety scores and your insurance.
• Keep your safety data clean. Good scores help when you shop for coverage.
• Learn what each coverage does before you grow. Our guide, trucking insurance coverage explained, is a good place to start.

Growing your fleet? Call TCZ Insurance Agency at 956-526-6727.