Decline in Transportation Job Postings
A new report from Indeed Hiring Lab highlights a cooling U.S. transportation labor market in the second quarter of 2025. Job postings across key sectors fell year-over-year:
- Driving jobs declined 5.8%
- Loading and stocking jobs dropped 13.6%
- Logistics support jobs decreased 8.2%
Senior economist Daniel Culbertson noted that demand for drivers remains flat in 2025, reflecting low competition among employers. He pointed to economic uncertainty, softer consumer spending, and unresolved trade policies as reasons companies are holding back on new hires and investments. These factors translate to fewer goods in motion and lower transportation activity.
Wage Growth Slows
Wage trends show mixed results across the transportation sector:
- Driving wages held steady at 1% growth year-over-year, unchanged since June 2024.
- Loading and stocking wages slowed to 1.8%, down sharply from 3.9% the year prior.
- Average wage growth in the U.S. overall remains higher at 2.9%.
The National Transportation Institute (NTI) reported modest growth in per-mile pay of 1.4% year-over-year, while Fleet Intel’s Pay Trend Tracker highlighted stronger gains in specialized freight sectors. Segments such as flatbed and tanker are projected to see further increases over the next year due to labor scarcity.
Historical Context and Industry Data
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) also reported a cooling pace in wage growth:
- 2021: +10.8%
- 2022: +15.5%
- 2023: +7.6%
- 2024: +2.4%
ATRI warned that 2025 will likely see continued deceleration. Meanwhile, U.S. wages overall grew 3.7% in 2024, down from 5.8% in 2023, with unemployment edging higher at 4–4.2%.
The trucking workforce itself has also shrunk. BLS data shows long-distance trucking employment slid from 685,100 workers in December 2023 to 672,500 a year later, stabilizing only in early 2025. Despite fewer drivers, wage growth has remained steady rather than accelerating.
Profitability and Tariff Uncertainty
The ATRI report warns that other rising costs — including fuel, repairs, maintenance, and equipment payments — are eroding carrier margins. Truckload carriers averaged -2.3% operating margins in 2024, with only the LTL sector avoiding losses.
A major wildcard remains tariffs. Should they trigger higher inflation, carriers may face increased wage pressures despite stagnant demand. For now, trucking wages are unlikely to fall but will remain subdued without stronger freight activity or labor shortages to push them higher.
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You all understand that all the job growth you posted where government jobs or jobs for illegal aliens !!! You all are messed up in the head!!!
Of course the numbers are falling .. Now the sector need to get to work putting American people to work!!!
Lower the interest rate an this country will take off like a rocket!!!