Where is it easiest to open: General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Less Than Truckload
50 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 | 1,051 | 22.7 | $65,618 | licence | Commercial Driver License |
| NJ | 995 | 10.0 | $62,970 | exam | BUS DRIVER; HARNESS RACE DRIVER |
| TX | 681 | 35.6 | $69,776 | exam | TOW TRUCK OPERATOR |
| IL | 650 | 28.4 | $66,350 | exam | COMMERCIAL DRIVER (TRUCK AND BUS OPERA; DRIVER |
| GA | 622 | 23.5 | $66,465 | not matched | — |
| WI | 553 | 12.6 | $63,574 | exam | SCHOOL BUS DRIVER |
| FL | 489 | 19.4 | $69,087 | exam | Teaching Driver Education |
| PA | 390 | 37.8 | $71,497 | not matched | — |
| MI | 364 | 23.4 | $60,766 | exam | Chauffeur License; Commercial Driver License (C.D.L.) |
| OH | 309 | 49.6 | $67,623 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| VA | 308 | 18.8 | $70,418 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL); Tow Truck Driver Registration |
| NY | 261 | 22.2 | $68,094 | exam | Bus Driver; Certified Examiner - Bus Driver |
| NC | 236 | 53.0 | $65,980 | exam | Classified Drivers License (Non-commer; Commercial Driver License (Class A, B |
| IN | 201 | 53.9 | $63,256 | not matched | — |
| TN | 188 | 72.6 | $67,535 | exam | COMMERCIAL DRIVER |
| MO | 185 | 37.4 | $68,582 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| WA | 184 | 23.7 | $73,275 | exam | Commercial Driver |
| SC | 144 | 26.0 | $67,382 | not matched | — |
| CO | 129 | 30.9 | $72,183 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| AZ | 127 | 37.0 | $64,712 | licence | Commercial Driver (CDL) |
| AL | 118 | 32.5 | $74,228 | exam | CDL Class A |
| NV | 91 | 28.1 | $72,766 | not matched | — |
| LA | 89 | 27.6 | $64,926 | licence | Truck Driver, Certified |
| OR | 89 | 40.6 | $71,462 | licence | Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Truck Eq; School Bus Driver Certificate |
| KY | 88 | 41.4 | $70,650 | exam | Driver, Hazardous Materials Endorsemen; Licensed Commercial Driver (CDL) |
| AR | 87 | 34.0 | $75,455 | exam | Commercial Driver (Tractor-Trailer Tru; Liquefied Petroleum Gas Cylinder Deliv |
| MA | 86 | 31.2 | $72,029 | exam | BUS DRIVER; COMMERCIAL DRIVERS |
| MN | 83 | 42.6 | $68,716 | licence | Commercial Driver's License (CDL); Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Haza |
| UT | 76 | 45.3 | $64,666 | licence | DRIVER - HEAVY TRUCK & TRACTOR TRAILER |
| MD | 70 | 43.3 | $70,969 | licence | BUS DRIVER, SCHOOL; BUS DRIVER, TRANSIT AND INTERCITY |
| IA | 69 | 37.4 | $70,475 | not matched | — |
| KS | 65 | 52.5 | $72,813 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| ID | 65 | 13.9 | $74,208 | exam | Commercial Drivers |
| MS | 59 | 39.0 | $60,936 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| NE | 57 | 27.4 | $71,652 | licence | Truck Driver (Heavy); Truck Driver (Light or Delivery Servic |
| CT | 51 | 30.6 | $73,024 | not matched | — |
| RI | 49 | 11.2 | $68,708 | exam | Chauffeur / CDL; Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| MT | 40 | 16.7 | $82,919 | exam | Bus Drivers; Taxi Drivers |
| OK | 39 | 47.5 | $67,656 | not matched | — |
| NM | 39 | 30.5 | $73,909 | exam | Commercial Vehicle Drivers License |
| SD | 35 | 23.1 | $66,093 | licence | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| WY | 31 | 16.7 | $87,442 | exam | SCHOOL BUS DRIVER; TRUCK DRIVER |
| ME | 25 | 24.3 | $67,388 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL); Driver Education Instructor, School |
| ND | 24 | 29.8 | $83,242 | not matched | — |
| WV | 23 | 24.6 | $74,274 | not matched | — |
| VT | 19 | 17.4 | $71,191 | exam | Commercial Driver |
| NH | 19 | 20.9 | $72,081 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| DE | 16 | 20.9 | $77,510 | not matched | — |
| AK | 5 | 20.8 | $86,029 | licence | Bus Driver, School; Vehicle for Hire Permit in City of Fai |
| HI | 4 | 5.2 | $65,429 | not matched | — |
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.