How to become a truck driver

Which license comes before the job?

BLS says heavy and tractor-trailer drivers usually attend a truck driving school and must have a commercial driver’s license. The class depends on the vehicle. A combination that meets the Class A weight rule is not the same credential as a Class B straight truck. Read Class A versus Class B and how to get a CDL before you compare recruiters.

State agencies set the knowledge test, the skills test, and the age for the license, including work that stays inside the state. This guide does not state an age.

What do the national numbers mean?

The May 2025 median annual wage for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers was $58,640. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $40,140, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $79,380. Employment in 2025 was 2,221,200, with projected growth of 4 percent by 2035. About 214,500 openings a year, on average, are projected for 2025–35, largely to replace people who leave the occupation.

Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, checked October 29, 2026. See CDL jobs for the light-truck figures and the industry medians. This is not a job board.

How do you compare local, regional, and over-the-road work?

Ask how many nights the job spends away from home, which miles are paid, and how waiting and loading are paid. This guide does not define those job types as a mile radius. A national median cannot tell you the pay for one route.

If a carrier offers to pay for school, read the work or repayment terms before you treat the training as free. Start with the carrier-paid training guide.

What should you do next?

If you do not have the license yet, compare schools and the training the vehicle requires. If you already have a CDL, compare a written pay offer with the questions in the pay guide. CDL jobs near me sends you to a state’s wage page. It does not list openings. This site does not match you to a hiring carrier. No carrier buyer is on file, so there is no hiring button on this page.