48423/Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
172K
employees, 2023
172K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 11,462 US Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance business locations employed 171,976 people and paid $11.6 billion in annual payroll, $67,570 per employee on average. Employment was down 0.9% from 2022. Texas had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
11,462
-4.3% vs 2022
Employees
171,976
-0.9% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$11.6B
+5.2% vs 2022
Average pay
$67,570
+6.2% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 1,258 | 22,428 | $71,535 | 0.19% |
| California | 974 | 11,268 | $70,143 | 0.07% |
| Missouri | 364 | 8,222 | $60,562 | 0.31% |
| Ohio | 363 | 7,894 | $71,511 | 0.16% |
| Utah | 184 | 7,694 | $62,645 | 0.49% |
| Florida | 622 | 7,585 | $68,276 | 0.08% |
| Georgia | 434 | 6,241 | $69,976 | 0.14% |
| Illinois | 552 | 6,118 | $64,018 | 0.11% |
| Pennsylvania | 352 | 5,496 | $70,130 | 0.10% |
| Arizona | 208 | 5,487 | $52,264 | 0.19% |
| Indiana | 326 | 5,040 | $69,764 | 0.17% |
| Mississippi | 159 | 5,007 | $54,132 | 0.52% |
| New Jersey | 168 | 4,640 | $72,612 | 0.12% |
| Michigan | 264 | 4,620 | $78,884 | 0.11% |
| Tennessee | 175 | 4,088 | $66,762 | 0.14% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 50.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 240 | 6,319 | $58,408 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 285 | 6,117 | $76,933 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 143 | 4,937 | $51,715 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 405 | 4,828 | $63,011 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 255 | 4,184 | $70,721 |
| Springfield, MO | 45 | 3,928 | $54,857 |
| Jackson, MS | 30 | 3,256* | $33,893 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 228 | 2,798 | $64,141 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 162 | 2,717 | $66,866 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 107 | 2,394 | $67,335 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 128 | 2,379 | $71,576 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 251 | 2,319 | $62,674 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 110 | 2,085 | $89,069 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | 25 | 2,055* | $51,811 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 76 | 1,885 | $77,669 |
Business size
US Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 7,335 | 64.0% |
| 5 to 9 | 1,292 | 11.3% |
| 10 to 19 | 1,056 | 9.2% |
| 20 to 49 | 1,051 | 9.2% |
| 50 to 99 | 452 | 3.9% |
| 100 to 249 | 201 | 1.8% |
| 250 to 499 | 52 | 0.5% |
| 500 to 999 | 15 | 0.1% |
| 1,000 or more | 8 | 0.1% |
Related industries
Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Transportation and Warehousing 48-49Truck Transportation 484Specialized Freight Trucking 4842
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 484230 | Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance | 171,976 | $67,570 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance in the US?
171,976 people worked at 11,462 US Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance business locations in 2023, down 0.9% from 2022. That is 0.12% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance?
$67,570 a year per employee in 2023, from $11.6 billion in annual payroll (up 6.2% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance jobs?
Texas had the most, with 22,428 employees in 2023, followed by California (11,268) and Missouri (8,222).
Which metro areas have the most Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance jobs?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (6,319), Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX (6,117), Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ (4,937) had the most Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance employees in 2023.
Are most Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance businesses small?
84.5% of the 11,462 Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 23 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. * Less accurate: changed by 5% or more to protect privacy. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.