TransportationCompare

Truck Driver

O*NET: Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers·53-3032.00

The Verdict:Long-haul trucking demands navigating variable roads, weather, and traffic that current automation cannot fully handle outside controlled highways. Physical tasks like cargo securing, coupling trailers, and roadside repairs require a human on-site. AI excels at routing and logs but cannot replace field adaptation. Regulations preserve the role's core.

Resilience Score

/100

Resilient

Score tiers

Highly Resilient81–100

Resilient61–80

Moderate Risk41–60

High Risk21–40

Critical Risk0–20

How is this scored?

Task Resilience

How much of this role's daily work remains beyond AI and robotic automation.

30% of score

Physical Presence

The degree to which this job needs a human present — hands-on, in the field, or in the room.

20% of score

Human Necessity

How important the unique human edge is — for trust, accountability, or judgment.

15% of score

Regulatory Shield

How strong the legal requirement is for a human in this job (by law, licensing, or credentials).

13% of score

Technological Maturity

How far AI remains from performing this role's core functions.

10% of score

Displacement Evidence

The volume of jobs in this field being eliminated by AI or automation right now.

12% of score

Score last updated: February 2026Full methodology

Avg Salary

Median annual wage from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 release.

$57k

Job Growth (10yr)

Projected change in total number of jobs (not salary) from 2024–2034. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections.

+4%

AI Exposure

Percentage of this role's analyzed tasks that AI can handle autonomously or nearly so. 7 of 28 tasks are classified as AI-exposed.

25%

Low exposure

Task Analysis

This role's core work is hard to automate.
14 of 28 tasks require human judgment, presence, or trust. The 25% that are AI-leverage offer an edge — professionals who learn these tools will outperform those who don't.

7exposed

7AI leverage

14human-essential

View all 28 tasks

AI Can Handle This7 tasks

Tasks AI can do autonomously or nearly so

Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy.

Maintain logs of working hours or of vehicle service or repair status, following applicable state and federal regulations.

Read bills of lading to determine assignment details.

Collect delivery instructions from appropriate sources, verifying instructions and routes.

Read and interpret maps to determine vehicle routes.

Operate equipment, such as truck cab computers, CB radios, phones, or global positioning systems (GPS) equipment to exchange necessary information with bases, supervisors, or other drivers.

Plan or adjust routes based on changing conditions, using computer equipment, global positioning systems (GPS) equipment, or other navigation devices, to minimize fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

AI Leverage7 tasks

Master these tools — humans who do outperform those who don't

Check vehicles to ensure that mechanical, safety, and emergency equipment is in good working order.

Obtain receipts or signatures for delivered goods and collect payment for services when required.

Report vehicle defects, accidents, traffic violations, or damage to the vehicles.

Check conditions of trailers after contents have been unloaded to ensure that there has been no damage.

Drive trucks to weigh stations before and after loading and along routes in compliance with state regulations.

Inventory and inspect goods to be moved to determine quantities and conditions.

Operate idle reduction systems or auxiliary power systems to generate power from alternative sources, such as fuel cells, to reduce idling time, to heat or cool truck cabins, or to provide power for other equipment.

Human Advantage14 tasks

Tasks requiring trust, presence, or novel judgment

Inspect loads to ensure that cargo is secure.

Crank trailer landing gear up or down to safely secure vehicles.

Perform basic vehicle maintenance tasks, such as adding oil, fuel, or radiator fluid, performing minor repairs, or washing trucks.

Couple or uncouple trailers by changing trailer jack positions, connecting or disconnecting air or electrical lines, or manipulating fifth-wheel locks.

Maneuver trucks into loading or unloading positions, following signals from loading crew and checking that vehicle and loading equipment are properly positioned.

Drive trucks with capacities greater than 13 tons, including tractor-trailer combinations, to transport and deliver products, livestock, or other materials.

Load or unload trucks or help others with loading or unloading, using special loading-related equipment or other equipment as necessary.

Perform emergency roadside repairs, such as changing tires or installing light bulbs, tire chains, or spark plugs.

Remove debris from loaded trailers.

Secure cargo for transport, using ropes, blocks, chain, binders, or covers.

Follow appropriate safety procedures for transporting dangerous goods.

Follow special cargo-related procedures, such as checking refrigeration systems for frozen foods or providing food or water for livestock.

Give directions to laborers who are packing goods and moving them onto trailers.

Wrap and secure goods using pads, packing paper, containers, or straps.

Resilience Landscape

Truck Driver lands in Stable, Lower Pay

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