Truck Transportation Employment Turns Positive Year Over Year

Truck transportation employment moved above its year-earlier level for the first time since April 2023, offering a cautious sign that the long labor contraction may be easing. FreightWaves reported October 2 that the September estimate reached 1,473,100 jobs, up 2,600 from August and 800 from September 2025. The sector has now added jobs for three consecutive months and in four of the past five months.

Official Bureau of Labor Statistics data confirm the September total, the 0.2% monthly increase and the 0.1% gain over 12 months. More detailed categories are published with a one-month lag. Truckload employment rose to 503,200 in August from 501,400 in July, although it remained below the year-earlier level. Less-than-truckload employment increased to 248,900, up 1,200 for the month and above its level at the end of 2025.

The recovery signal deserves context. Freight economists told FreightWaves that monthly establishment-survey estimates may be revised when more complete records arrive. Warehousing employment also weakened, falling by 4,100 jobs in September and remaining 21,600 below a year earlier. Those mixed readings suggest that trucking capacity and freight demand are not strengthening uniformly across the supply chain.

For CDL candidates, the report supports a targeted job search rather than a broad assumption that every market is hiring. Compare local truckload, LTL, private-fleet and specialized openings, then ask about guaranteed miles, training time, benefits and turnover. Carriers should watch applicant flow and retention by terminal instead of treating the national total as a staffing forecast. A positive year-over-year number is meaningful, but it is still a modest gain that can change with revisions and regional conditions.