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The U.S. trucking industry continues to lose jobs and reduce capacity, will this trend continue in 2026?
The U.S. trucking industry continues to lose jobs and reduce capacity. In November alone, more than 4,000 trucking jobs were eliminated, according to LandLine data, marking the fourth consecutive month of declines and the second-largest monthly loss of the year.
Over the past three months, nearly 14,000 trucking jobs have disappeared, representing the largest quarterly decline since October 2023. In addition, job contraction had already accelerated in September, with a loss of 8,000 positions—the steepest monthly drop since February 2023 and the third most severe since the COVID-19 pandemic. These sharp reductions coincide with federal policies aimed at strengthening regulatory compliance among truck drivers, which many attribute as a key factor behind the declines.
Regulatory compliance reduces employment in the trucking sector
According to the most recent official figures, the sector currently employs approximately 1.51 million workers, the lowest level since June 2021 and even below pre-pandemic levels recorded in February 2020.
Since May, when Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the reinstatement of out-of-service orders for drivers who do not meet English-language proficiency requirements, the trucking industry has reported month-over-month declines in employment. On December 10, it was stated that 9,500 truck drivers had been placed out of service due to English-language issues.
Meanwhile, a temporary rule issued in September by the Department of Transportation, which restricts the issuance of commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to non-residents, could result in the elimination of nearly 200,000 licenses during the process, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
While it remains unclear how many of the lost jobs are a direct result of these policies, industry analysts point to a strong correlation. Transportation experts suggest this may be a preview of what lies ahead for the trucking industry in 2026. David Spencer, Vice President of Market Intelligence at Arrive Logistics, warned of increased rate volatility and the risk of prolonged disruptions if capacity continues to shrink.
Trucking in 2026: Will job losses continue?
As 2025 draws to a close, it is shaping up to be the third consecutive year of declining truck driver employment. According to government data shared by LandLine, more than 53,000 trucking jobs were lost in 2023, followed by nearly 18,000 in 2024, despite an increase of 100,000 drivers between 2021 and 2022 driven by elevated post-pandemic freight rates.
Weakness has also spread across the broader transportation sector. In November, nearly 18,000 transportation jobs were lost overall, including 18,000 in courier and parcel delivery services. In contrast, gains were recorded in public and ground passenger transportation (3,100 jobs), air transportation (1,900), and warehousing (1,900).
The coming year is expected to continue the downward trend; however, the industry remains optimistic. The search for drivers continues to be an added burden for carriers, with retention proving to be the most challenging factor. Although the outlook appears uncertain, the industry continues moving forward as it always has, with the hope that the first quarter of 2026 will bring positive news.
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