--- title: "Trucking Payroll Employment: A Revised Perspective on the Market" description: Get the latest insights on trucking payroll employment trends, revised data impacts, and the future of the trucking labor market. Stay informed with our detailed analysis and expert commentary. image: https://today.ftrintel.com/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/02-February/TMU%20Feb%2011.png --- ![](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/02-February/TMU%20Feb%2011.png?width=1600&height=500&name=TMU%20Feb%2011.png) trucking employment jobs # Trucking Payroll Employment: A Revised Perspective on the Market ![Avery Vise, VP of Trucking](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Avery%20outside_cropped.jpg?width=48&height=48&name=Avery%20outside_cropped.jpg) Avery Vise, VP of Trucking February 13, 2025 Trucking Payroll Employment: A Revised Perspective on the Market 4:18 **Key Takeaways from the Latest Payroll Employment Data** The trucking industry’s employment data has undergone a significant revision, altering our understanding of the market. While recent months have seen seasonally adjusted job gains, the increases are from a substantially weaker level of payroll employment due to a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) benchmark revision. Below, we break down the latest data and its implications. --- **Revised data: A lower base for growth** - **Trucking added 7,400 jobs from November through January.** - However, **December’s employment base was revised down by 27,800 jobs**, meaning recent gains are built on a lower foundation than previously thought. - The total number of for-hire trucking jobs is now just **0.3% above pre-pandemic levels** (February 2020), rather than the previously estimated 1.7% increase. **Segment-specific adjustments** - **General freight truckload:** The biggest revision, with 22,200 fewer jobs than earlier estimates. This cuts its post-pandemic job growth to **0.5% from a previously reported 4.3%**. - **LTL (less-than-truckload):** Unlike truckload, LTL payroll employment saw an **upward revision of 12,800 jobs** for November. However, overall employment in the sector remains **4.7% below pre-pandemic levels**. - **Long-distance specialized trucking:** A slight upward revision of 1,300 jobs, not enough to change the overall outlook. - **Local general freight & local specialized trucking:** Both categories saw **downward revisions of about 10,000 jobs each. **In the case of local general freight, most of that drop occurred in January 2023, suggesting the closure of a sizeable carrier. --- ![GF truckload jobs_Ep300](https://content.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/02-February/GF%20truckload%20jobs_Ep300.png?width=1200&length=1200&name=GF%20truckload%20jobs_Ep300.png) ![GL LTL jobs_Ep300](https://content.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/02-February/GL%20LTL%20jobs_Ep300.png?width=1200&length=1200&name=GL%20LTL%20jobs_Ep300.png) ![Local specialized jobs_Ep300](https://content.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/02-February/Local%20specialized%20jobs_Ep300.png?width=1200&length=1200&name=Local%20specialized%20jobs_Ep300.png) ![Trucking non-payroll employment_Ep300](https://content.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/02-February/Trucking%20non-payroll%20employment_Ep300.png?width=1200&length=1200&name=Trucking%20non-payroll%20employment_Ep300.png) ![For-hire trucking jobs_Ep300](https://content.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/02-February/For-hire%20trucking%20jobs_Ep300.png?width=1200&length=1200&name=For-hire%20trucking%20jobs_Ep300.png) **Non-payroll employment sees a steep decline** A key component of trucking employment that often goes unnoticed is **non-payroll employment**, which includes independent contractor drivers and small trucking operations whose workers are not captured by BLS payroll employment figures. - **Average non-payroll employment in trucking fell 16.3% in 2024** – the largest drop since 2009. - This sharp decline suggests **a significant contraction among small owner-operators** and leased independent contractors. - Truckload employment trends indicate that the reduction in non-payroll jobs aligns with the downturn in payroll employment throughout 2023. While these numbers stem from two different data sources, the trends align with expectations – non-payroll employment rises in strong freight markets and falls when conditions weaken. ![11 Podcast Graphics - Updated 5.28.24(2)](https://today.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/11%20Podcast%20Graphics%20-%20Updated%205.28.24(2).png?width=1080&height=1080&name=11%20Podcast%20Graphics%20-%20Updated%205.28.24(2).png) ### Don't miss an episode! ## Trucking Market Update Podcast This article was created from an excerpt from FTR's weekly Trucking podcast with Avery Vise. [ Tune in here! ](https://www.ftrintel.com/trucking-podcast) **Employment in related sectors** The BLS revision also provided new insights into payroll employment in adjacent freight industries: - **Freight brokerage:** The revised November employment estimate was **3,000 jobs lower**, but this represents a minor adjustment in a workforce of nearly 265,000. - **Parcel & local delivery:** Saw a **sharp increase of 32,000 jobs in December**, likely reflecting routine revisions. - **Warehousing & storage:** The biggest upward revision, adding **72,000 jobs in December** – but proportionally, this is a small adjustment in a sector with over 1.8 million employees. **What This Means for the Industry** 1. **Truckload employment has fundamentally shifted** – the revised data indicates **a far weaker recovery than previously thought**, with only minimal post-pandemic job growth. 2. **LTL employment is stabilizing**, though still down from pre-pandemic levels. 3. **Owner-operators and small trucking businesses are struggling**, evidenced by the sharp drop in non-payroll employment. 4. **Freight brokerage and warehousing continue to show resilience**, though minor adjustments were made to their employment figures. **Looking ahead** While trucking employment appears to have **bottomed out**, sustained growth will depend on broader economic conditions and freight demand. As the industry navigates these shifts, **understanding both payroll and non-payroll employment trends will be crucial for forecasting capacity and utilization**. Stay tuned for future insights as we continue monitoring the evolving trucking labor market. [![FTR blog_spot market insights](https://content.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/FTR%20blog_spot%20market%20insights.jpg?width=1200&length=1200&name=FTR%20blog_spot%20market%20insights.jpg) ](https://freight.ftrintel.com/spotmarketinsights) Get weekly updates from Spot Market Insights from FTR and Truckstop! [![FTR_SOF Today 1-1](https://content.ftrintel.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social%20images/Blog%20images/2025/FTR_SOF%20Today%201-1.jpg?width=1200&length=1200&name=FTR_SOF%20Today%201-1.jpg) ](https://www.ftrintel.com/state-of-freight-today) Subscribe to our State Of Freight Today updates and never miss a podcast, blog or Spot Market Insight! 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