The latest BLS payroll estimate shows seasonally adjusted truck transportation employment rising to 1.4703 million in August, up 4,800 from July but still 9,900 below August 2025.
BLS published the August employment report on September 4
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Employment Situation for August 2026 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern on September 4. The report combines a household survey of labor-force status with an establishment survey of nonfarm payrolls. Truck transportation figures come from the establishment survey and are preliminary, seasonally adjusted estimates reported in thousands of jobs.
Truck transportation payrolls increased by 4,800
BLS Table B-1 lists seasonally adjusted truck transportation employment at 1.4703 million in August 2026, compared with 1.4655 million in July. That is a one-month increase of 4,800 jobs. The June estimate was 1.4651 million, so the August level was 5,200 above June. These figures cover payroll employment in the truck transportation industry, not only CDL driver positions.
Employment remained below the year-earlier level
The same seasonally adjusted series was 1.4802 million in August 2025. August 2026 was therefore 9,900 jobs lower than one year earlier, a difference of about 0.7 percent. The combination of a monthly gain and a year-over-year shortfall is important: the report shows near-term improvement from July, but it does not establish that industry employment has returned to last year's level.
The broader transportation and warehousing sector changed little
BLS described transportation and warehousing as showing little change in August. Seasonally adjusted employment across the sector increased by 5,000, from 6.6013 million in July to 6.6063 million in August. Compared with 6.6578 million in August 2025, the sector was down 51,500 jobs year over year. Truck transportation accounted for most of the sector's August net increase, but movements in other subsectors offset part of that gain.
Other transportation subsectors moved in both directions
In August, seasonally adjusted employment rose by 3,700 in transit and ground passenger transportation, 3,100 in support activities for transportation, 900 in rail transportation and 300 in water transportation. It fell by 3,000 in couriers and messengers, 2,600 in warehousing and storage, 1,600 in air transportation, 400 in scenic and sightseeing transportation and 200 in pipeline transportation. Rounded subsector figures may not sum perfectly to the published sector total.
The national economy added 162,000 payroll jobs
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 162,000 in August, and the unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent. BLS identified gains in food services and drinking places and local government education, while information employment declined. The agency said transportation and warehousing and several other major industries changed little over the month.
Industry earnings data are broader than driver pay
For all employees in transportation and warehousing, BLS reported preliminary seasonally adjusted average hourly earnings of $32.73 and average weekly earnings of $1,240.47 in August, with a 37.9-hour average workweek. These are sector-wide averages across occupations and employers. They are not a quoted wage for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, do not distinguish employee drivers from contractors and should not be used as a guaranteed local offer.
Monthly estimates can be revised
BLS marks July and August industry employment figures as preliminary and revises estimates as additional employer reports arrive and seasonal factors are recalculated. In the same release, total nonfarm payroll changes for June and July were revised upward by a combined 55,000 jobs. A future release may therefore change the exact truck transportation levels or monthly movement reported today.
What the data mean for drivers and job seekers
A 4,800-job monthly increase can be a positive signal for payroll demand, but a national industry count cannot show openings in a particular city, route type, fleet or experience tier. Applicants should compare written offers, expected weekly miles or hours, accessorial pay, benefits, home time, equipment, training obligations and required endorsements. A posted opening also is not the same as a filled payroll position captured by the BLS survey.
What carriers should watch next
Fleets can compare the BLS trend with their own seated-truck count, turnover, applications, driver utilization, freight demand and wage pressure. The next Employment Situation report, covering September 2026, is scheduled for October 2 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. One additional month will not settle the trend, but a sequence of revisions and payroll levels gives a more reliable picture than a single headline.
Primary-source note
This report is based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation for August 2026, released September 4, including Tables B-1, B-2 and B-3. Values are seasonally adjusted and preliminary where marked by BLS. CDL Truck Pro calculated the month-over-month and year-over-year differences from the published levels; BLS controls if later revisions change the figures.
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Official sources
BLS Employment Situation — August 2026, released September 4BLS Current Employment Statistics overviewCDL Truck Pro provides educational information. Confirm licensing, safety, tax, and regulatory requirements through current official sources and qualified professionals.