As of August 2026,
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers has an AI-exposure score of 51/100
(Elevated exposure) on the AI-Safe Careers index. This is an estimate of task
exposure, not a prediction of job loss.
Score inputs for this role:
This role starts from O*NET 29.1 occupational descriptors and is empirically grounded by Penn/OpenAI GPTs are GPTs study, Anthropic Economic Index (June 26, 2026), Felten, Raj and Seamans AIOE index. BLS labor-market figures are separate context, not score inputs.
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
More exposed than 34% of the roles we track. Median pay ~US$58,640. About 237,600 projected openings a year (BLS 2024–34 - growth plus replacement).
Pay & demand figures are US medians (BLS, in USD) - your local figures will differ. Your exposure score applies broadly.
Will AI replace Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers?
No exposure score can predict whether AI will replace this role. The 51/100 score means our current model estimates elevated task exposure from the sources listed on this page. It does not predict an employer decision, headcount, or an individual outcome. The task map below shows the work assessed and where human judgment remains important.
Early-career context (study ages 22-25)
This role's task mix is automation-heavy, but it sits in the Elevated exposure band rather than our highest-exposure bands. That is only a partial match to the study's cohort, so the headline figure is context rather than a direct forecast for this role.
The November 2025 revision reports a 16% relative employment decline for workers ages 22-25 in the most AI-exposed U.S. occupations, after firm-level controls, relative to workers in less-exposed fields and more experienced workers in the same occupations.
Use the task map to identify durable work and the skills worth building early.
Stanford Digital Economy Lab, Canaries in the Coal Mine - November 2025 revision
This is group-level U.S. payroll evidence, not a personal forecast. The authors do not claim that AI alone caused the change, and this context does not alter the exposure score.
How this role compares to similar Transportation roles
What this role usually involves
Drive a tractor-trailer combination or a truck with a capacity of at least 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). May be required to unload truck. Requires commercial drivers' license. Includes tow truck drivers.
Broad guidance for this preparation level; exact requirements vary by role and employer.
Source: O*NET 29.1 exact occupation - Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, SOC 53-3032.00. Context describes the role; the AI-exposure score remains a separate task-exposure estimate.
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers tasks, by AI exposure
- 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.
- Check conditions of trailers after contents have been unloaded to ensure that there has been no damage.
- Load or unload trucks or help others with loading or unloading, using special loading-related equipment or other equipment as necessary.
- Perform basic vehicle maintenance tasks, such as adding oil, fuel, or radiator fluid, performing minor repairs, or washing trucks.
No durable tasks identified for this role - its individually-assessed tasks split 60% automatable / 40% augmentable.
We analyzed all 20 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers tasks - 12 automatable and 8 augmentable. The full task map - every task with exactly what to do about each - is in your Career Report.
Your report unlocks three concrete artifacts
Every task scored with what to automate, augment, or protect.
Related roles with exposure deltas, salary, demand, and reachability. Lower-exposure options appear only when the data supports them.
A keepable roadmap plus resume and LinkedIn repositioning.
Grounded in O*NET-linked or curated role data, with Penn, Anthropic Economic Index, and AIOE signals where matched. BLS labor-market context is separate - not generic advice.
Adjacent career paths
Relatedness shows how reachable a move may be. A path is labeled lower exposure only when its score is at least 6 points lower; every row shows the measured difference.
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.
Your AI-Safe Career Report
Every task scored with what to do about it; adjacent paths with honest exposure deltas, salary, demand, and reachability; a skill-gap map; a 30/60/90-day roadmap; Agent Reality Check; plus a résumé and LinkedIn rewrite and professional PDF.
Grounded in O*NET-linked or curated role data, with Penn, Anthropic Economic Index, and AIOE signals where matched. BLS labor-market context is separate.
Workers with AI skills earn a roughly 62% wage premium - adapting pays. - PwC Global AI Jobs Barometer, 2026
Generation starts after checkout; reports are typically ready within a few minutes.
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Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers - median pay by US state (BLS OEWS, USD)
Median annual wage, in USD. US national: US$58,640. More states are being added.