Also called: OTR Driver, Tractor-Trailer Driver, Semi Driver
Drives an 18-wheeler across the country, delivering freight from warehouses to stores and factories.
You might wake up in a truck stop sleeper berth in Wyoming, do a safety inspection of your rig, and drive up to 11 hours (the legal limit). You track your hours on an electronic log and back a 53-foot trailer into tight docks. Weeks on the road, then home time.
Experienced drivers at top fleets can earn $90k+.
Certificate, about 0 years after high school. Commercial Driver's License (CDL-A) from a 3-8 week trucking school or company-paid training; must be 21 for interstate.
Ways in: Trade school, Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Commercial Truck Driving (CDL school).
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). BLS projects 4% growth with high turnover creating many openings.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Self-driving trucks already run some Texas highway routes; by 2036 many long hauls may be driverless, with humans at the ends.
Age 21+. One way to start: Sign up for a CDL-A school or a company-paid training program First: CDL-A from a 3–8 week school and a DOT medical card
Classes: Driver's education, Auto tech CTE, Geography.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-3032.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.