Where is it easiest to open: General Freight Trucking, Local
51 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 53-3032” (soc) for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers. A blank gate means NO RECORD MATCHED, which is not the same as no licence.
| State | Operators | Avg staff | Pay / employee | Gate | Licence titles matched |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 9,573 | 4.3 | $52,233 | licence | Commercial Driver License |
| IL | 4,606 | 3.8 | $55,037 | exam | COMMERCIAL DRIVER (TRUCK AND BUS OPERA; DRIVER |
| FL | 3,059 | 5.0 | $46,041 | exam | Teaching Driver Education |
| TX | 2,730 | 8.1 | $52,509 | exam | TOW TRUCK OPERATOR |
| NY | 2,103 | 6.5 | $51,356 | exam | Bus Driver; Certified Examiner - Bus Driver |
| PA | 1,854 | 6.7 | $51,539 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 1,736 | 7.3 | $53,711 | exam | BUS DRIVER; HARNESS RACE DRIVER |
| MI | 1,561 | 7.6 | $52,472 | exam | Chauffeur License; Commercial Driver License (C.D.L.) |
| OH | 1,361 | 11.1 | $50,029 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| GA | 1,188 | 7.8 | $45,483 | not matched | — |
| NC | 1,185 | 5.5 | $42,514 | exam | Classified Drivers License (Non-commer; Commercial Driver License (Class A, B |
| IN | 960 | 7.4 | $54,957 | not matched | — |
| MN | 930 | 5.1 | $52,344 | licence | Commercial Driver's License (CDL); Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Haza |
| VA | 831 | 6.6 | $48,927 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL); Tow Truck Driver Registration |
| MD | 798 | 6.8 | $47,826 | licence | BUS DRIVER, SCHOOL; BUS DRIVER, TRANSIT AND INTERCITY |
| WA | 721 | 6.6 | $57,138 | exam | Commercial Driver |
| MA | 721 | 6.4 | $56,201 | exam | BUS DRIVER; COMMERCIAL DRIVERS |
| MO | 671 | 6.9 | $47,614 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| SC | 642 | 7.2 | $48,211 | not matched | — |
| CO | 611 | 5.8 | $58,747 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| WI | 611 | 9.7 | $55,278 | exam | SCHOOL BUS DRIVER |
| AZ | 559 | 6.4 | $48,580 | licence | Commercial Driver (CDL) |
| IA | 532 | 6.2 | $54,344 | not matched | — |
| TN | 498 | 11.2 | $56,589 | exam | COMMERCIAL DRIVER |
| UT | 491 | 6.9 | $51,334 | licence | DRIVER - HEAVY TRUCK & TRACTOR TRAILER |
| LA | 395 | 4.9 | $50,134 | licence | Truck Driver, Certified |
| AL | 311 | 6.9 | $48,488 | exam | CDL Class A |
| KY | 307 | 8.3 | $52,890 | exam | Driver, Hazardous Materials Endorsemen; Licensed Commercial Driver (CDL) |
| NE | 275 | 8.1 | $49,754 | licence | Truck Driver (Heavy); Truck Driver (Light or Delivery Servic |
| ID | 267 | 3.8 | $51,411 | exam | Commercial Drivers |
| OR | 266 | 8.8 | $53,311 | licence | Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Truck Eq; School Bus Driver Certificate |
| CT | 250 | 11.9 | $53,431 | not matched | — |
| MS | 219 | 7.2 | $48,189 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| KS | 218 | 8.5 | $54,199 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| OK | 216 | 6.6 | $59,122 | not matched | — |
| NV | 213 | 7.5 | $55,117 | not matched | — |
| AR | 211 | 8.0 | $46,463 | exam | Commercial Driver (Tractor-Trailer Tru; Liquefied Petroleum Gas Cylinder Deliv |
| NM | 163 | 6.5 | $60,780 | exam | Commercial Vehicle Drivers License |
| RI | 147 | 3.8 | $54,366 | exam | Chauffeur / CDL; Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| ME | 138 | 5.5 | $56,138 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL); Driver Education Instructor, School |
| WV | 128 | 7.3 | $52,612 | not matched | — |
| WY | 125 | 3.7 | $56,470 | exam | SCHOOL BUS DRIVER; TRUCK DRIVER |
| NH | 120 | 9.3 | $53,688 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| ND | 115 | 7.6 | $65,243 | not matched | — |
| SD | 107 | 4.8 | $50,632 | licence | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| DE | 100 | 5.5 | $46,111 | not matched | — |
| HI | 83 | 15.1 | $57,139 | not matched | — |
| MT | 80 | 5.9 | $50,766 | exam | Bus Drivers; Taxi Drivers |
| AK | 53 | 10.7 | $73,575 | licence | Bus Driver, School; Vehicle for Hire Permit in City of Fai |
| VT | 27 | 9.8 | $59,634 | exam | Commercial Driver |
| DC | 10 | 13.1 | $25,603 | exam | TRUCK DRIVER, HEAVY(CDL) |
Axes are shown side by side and deliberately NOT collapsed into a ranking. A composite would be a score with no measured interval, and an unmeasured score is the thing this product exists to argue against. A high licence gate is a cost to enter and a moat once cleared — which of those matters more is the operator's call, not ours.
Licence data courtesy of CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Free to read, no account, always — a condition of the data licence as well as our own position.