Where is it easiest to open: General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload
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 | 7,782 | 6.1 | $58,832 | licence | Commercial Driver License |
| IL | 6,935 | 4.4 | $68,213 | exam | COMMERCIAL DRIVER (TRUCK AND BUS OPERA; DRIVER |
| TX | 6,236 | 10.1 | $58,942 | exam | TOW TRUCK OPERATOR |
| FL | 3,853 | 5.7 | $55,996 | exam | Teaching Driver Education |
| PA | 2,158 | 11.1 | $64,317 | not matched | — |
| MI | 2,029 | 8.3 | $63,141 | exam | Chauffeur License; Commercial Driver License (C.D.L.) |
| NC | 1,934 | 9.2 | $58,278 | exam | Classified Drivers License (Non-commer; Commercial Driver License (Class A, B |
| GA | 1,901 | 12.9 | $60,144 | not matched | — |
| OH | 1,896 | 11.5 | $64,369 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| IN | 1,763 | 12.6 | $61,539 | not matched | — |
| WA | 1,710 | 5.8 | $62,889 | exam | Commercial Driver |
| NY | 1,466 | 6.5 | $58,911 | exam | Bus Driver; Certified Examiner - Bus Driver |
| MO | 1,311 | 11.6 | $58,396 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| TN | 1,142 | 28.8 | $56,436 | exam | COMMERCIAL DRIVER |
| WI | 1,135 | 23.8 | $68,318 | exam | SCHOOL BUS DRIVER |
| MN | 1,030 | 13.2 | $64,864 | licence | Commercial Driver's License (CDL); Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Haza |
| NJ | 934 | 11.0 | $64,327 | exam | BUS DRIVER; HARNESS RACE DRIVER |
| OR | 922 | 8.3 | $60,840 | licence | Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Truck Eq; School Bus Driver Certificate |
| IA | 904 | 26.3 | $56,031 | not matched | — |
| VA | 842 | 12.0 | $57,558 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL); Tow Truck Driver Registration |
| SC | 774 | 8.8 | $59,367 | not matched | — |
| AL | 753 | 19.4 | $54,782 | exam | CDL Class A |
| AZ | 749 | 19.9 | $61,006 | licence | Commercial Driver (CDL) |
| OK | 738 | 13.8 | $66,904 | not matched | — |
| KS | 680 | 11.1 | $62,864 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| AR | 607 | 40.7 | $64,503 | exam | Commercial Driver (Tractor-Trailer Tru; Liquefied Petroleum Gas Cylinder Deliv |
| UT | 592 | 13.1 | $59,561 | licence | DRIVER - HEAVY TRUCK & TRACTOR TRAILER |
| CO | 582 | 7.3 | $64,601 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| KY | 550 | 16.2 | $58,505 | exam | Driver, Hazardous Materials Endorsemen; Licensed Commercial Driver (CDL) |
| ID | 526 | 7.2 | $56,563 | exam | Commercial Drivers |
| NE | 520 | 14.4 | $64,152 | licence | Truck Driver (Heavy); Truck Driver (Light or Delivery Servic |
| NV | 474 | 8.8 | $63,777 | not matched | — |
| MS | 445 | 15.4 | $57,909 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| MA | 435 | 15.0 | $71,307 | exam | BUS DRIVER; COMMERCIAL DRIVERS |
| MD | 416 | 8.9 | $64,379 | licence | BUS DRIVER, SCHOOL; BUS DRIVER, TRANSIT AND INTERCITY |
| LA | 408 | 9.2 | $66,240 | licence | Truck Driver, Certified |
| SD | 287 | 7.3 | $49,841 | licence | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| MT | 254 | 5.1 | $61,377 | exam | Bus Drivers; Taxi Drivers |
| ND | 244 | 10.7 | $50,253 | not matched | — |
| CT | 242 | 12.2 | $67,093 | not matched | — |
| NM | 195 | 8.3 | $56,145 | exam | Commercial Vehicle Drivers License |
| ME | 184 | 13.5 | $58,257 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL); Driver Education Instructor, School |
| WY | 168 | 5.6 | $67,506 | exam | SCHOOL BUS DRIVER; TRUCK DRIVER |
| WV | 102 | 8.9 | $62,787 | not matched | — |
| DE | 88 | 12.9 | $79,563 | not matched | — |
| RI | 75 | 7.8 | $58,433 | exam | Chauffeur / CDL; Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| AK | 49 | 19.7 | $83,528 | licence | Bus Driver, School; Vehicle for Hire Permit in City of Fai |
| VT | 49 | 8.3 | $71,364 | exam | Commercial Driver |
| NH | 48 | 21.1 | $68,211 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| HI | 10 | 16.0 | $62,812 | not matched | — |
| DC | 6 | 14.7 | $77,670 | 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.