Truck Transportation: NAICS 484

About the Truck Transportation subsector

The truck transportation subsector is part of the transportation and warehousing sector.

Industries in the Truck Transportation subsector provide over-the-road transportation of cargo using motor vehicles, such as trucks and tractor trailers. The subsector is subdivided into general freight trucking and specialized freight trucking. This distinction reflects differences in equipment used, type of load carried, scheduling, terminal, and other networking services. General freight transportation establishments handle a wide variety of general commodities, generally palletized, and transported in a container or van trailer. Specialized freight transportation is the transportation of cargo that, because of size, weight, shape, or other inherent characteristics require specialized equipment for transportation.

North American Industry Classification System

The truck transportation subsector consists of these industry groups:

  • General Freight Trucking: NAICS 4841
  • Specialized Freight Trucking: NAICS 4842

Workforce Statistics

This section provides information relating to employment in truck transportation. These data are obtained from employer or establishment surveys. The following tables present an overview of the industry including the number of jobs, mass layoffs, data for occupations common to the industry, and projections of occupational employment change.

Employment and Layoffs

Data series Back
data
Dec.
2008
Jan.
2009
Feb.
2009
Mar.
2009

Employment (in thousands)

 

Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)

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1,340.8 1,323.3 (P) 1,310.4 (P) 1,295.5

Employment, nonsupervisory workers

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1,179.3 1,124.5 (P) 1,111.3  

Layoffs

 

Mass layoff events

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35 54 32 18

Initial claimants for unemployment benefits

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2,471 4,280 1,893 1,561

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics, Mass Layoff Statistics)

Extended Mass Layoffs

Data series Back
data
1st quarter
2008
2nd quarter
2008
3rd quarter
2008
4th quarter
2008

Extended mass layoff events

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19 24 (P) 14 (P) 42

Separations

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2,223 4,317 (P) 2,096 (P) 5,130

Initial claimants

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2,907 3,708 (P) 2,073 (P) 4,296

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Mass Layoff Statistics)

Employment by Occupation

Data series Employment,
2008

Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

44,620

First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators

33,560

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

116,290

Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer

815,760

Truck drivers, light or delivery services

65,760

(Source: Occupational Employment Statistics)

Projections

For projected (future) employment estimates, see the National Employment Matrix, which includes employment estimates by industry and occupation for truck transportation.

(Source: Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections)

Earnings and Hours

This section presents data on employee earnings and weekly hours. The latest industry averages of hourly earnings and weekly hours for production or nonsupervisory employees are shown. In addition, recent hourly and annual earnings are shown for occupations commonly found in truck transportation.

Earnings and Hours of Production Workers

Data series Back
data
Nov.
2008
Dec.
2008
Jan.
2009
Feb.
2009

Average hourly earnings

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$18.09 $17.99 $17.96 (P) $17.98

Average weekly hours

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41.3 41.3 40.3 (P) 40.1

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings by Occupation

Data series Wages, 2008
Hourly Annual
Median Mean Median Mean

Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists

$17.71 $18.07 $36,830 $37,580

First-line supervisors/managers of transportation and material-moving machine and vehicle operators

$25.46 $26.83 $52,950 $55,800

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand

$12.85 $13.78 $26,720 $28,660

Truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer

$18.79 $19.21 $39,080 $39,950

Truck drivers, light or delivery services

$15.68 $16.16 $32,610 $33,610

(Source: Occupational Employment Statistics)

Work-related Fatalities, Injuries, and Illnesses

This section presents data for the industry on the number of workplace fatalities and the rates of workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in truck transportation. An injury or illness is considered to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a pre-existing condition.

Data series 2004 2005 2006 2007

Fatalities

 

Number of fatalities

520 589 555 583

Rate of injury and illness cases per 100 full-time workers

 

Total recordable cases

6.1 6.1 5.8 5.6

Cases involving days away from work, job restriction, or transfer

3.9 3.9 3.7 3.5

Cases involving days away from work

2.9 2.9 2.7 2.6

Cases involving days of job transfer or restriction

1.0 1.0 0.9 0.9

(Source: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities)

Prices

This section provides industry-specific pricing information. The producer price index measures the percentage change in prices that domestic producers receive for goods and services. The prices included in the producer price index are from the first commercial transaction.

Data series Back
data
Dec.
2008
Jan.
2009
Feb.
2009
Mar.
2009

Producer price index

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(P) 117.8 (P) 117.8 (P) 118.0 (P) 116.3

Percent change from previous month

 

(P) -3.0% (P) 0.0% (P) 0.2% (P) -1.4%

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Producer Price Indexes)

Workplace Trends

This section presents data on the number of establishments in truck transportation.

Establishments

Data series Back
data
4th quarter
2007
1st quarter
2008
2nd quarter
2008
3rd quarter
2008

Number of establishments

 

Private industry

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120,072 (P) 118,573 (P) 117,997 (P) 118,129

Local government

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4 (P) 4 (P) 4 (P) 4

State government

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2 (P) 2 (P) 2 (P) 2

Federal government

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4 (P) 4 (P) 4 (P) 4

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

Other BLS Resources

Career Guide to Industries

See truck transportation and warehousing in the Career Guide to Industries.

 

Data extracted on: May 01, 2009