Truck Driver, Tractor-Trailer
License required by 51 states
64th most burdensome licensing requirements.
11th most widely and onerously licensed occupation.
Tractor-trailer drivers drive vehicles including semis, tankers or trucks with a towing vehicle attachment weighing more than 10,000 pounds to transport and deliver goods, livestock or materials in liquid, loose or packaged form. They may be required to unload trucks.1
All 50 states and D.C. license tractor-trailer drivers. Rhode Island and West Virginia require two years (730 days) of driving experience, while seven other states require one year. Washington requires 160 hours (about 37 days) of commercial driving education. The other 41 states require no education or experience. Every state requires at least four exams and sets an age minimum, usually of 18 years, though a few states set theirs higher or lower.2 Fees range from $18 in New Mexico to $325 in Washington.
Tractor-trailer driver ranks as the 64th most burdensome occupations. And because it is licensed by every state and D.C., it ranks as the 11th most widely and onerously licensed occupation.
States With Licenses
| Burden Rank | State | States Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | 51 | $170 | 730 | 2 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 2 | West Virginia | 51 | $142 | 730 | 2 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 3 | Oregon | 51 | $156 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 4 | Indiana | 51 | $153 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 5 | Idaho | 51 | $145 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 6 | Alaska | 51 | $140 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 7 | Utah | 51 | $100 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 8 | Arizona | 51 | $50 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 9 | Delaware | 51 | $30 | 365 | 1 years | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 10 | Washington | 51 | $325 | 37 | 160 clock hours | 5 | 0 | 18 | |
| 11 | D C | 51 | $225 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 21 | ||
| 12 | New Hampshire | 51 | $80 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 13 | Hawaii | 51 | $155 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 21 | ||
| 14 | New York | 51 | $50 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 21 | ||
| 15 | Colorado | 51 | $257 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 16 | Nevada | 51 | $235 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 17 | Vermont | 51 | $171 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 18 | Tennessee | 51 | $84 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 19 | ||
| 19 | North Carolina | 51 | $160 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 20 | Oklahoma | 51 | $153 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 21 | Massachusetts | 51 | $140 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 22 | Connecticut | 51 | $131 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 23 | Kentucky | 51 | $125 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 24 | Wisconsin | 51 | $124 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 25 | South Dakota | 51 | $123 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 26 | Ohio | 51 | $119 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 27 | Louisiana | 51 | $116 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 28 | Georgia | 51 | $115 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 29 | Alabama | 51 | $111 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 30 | Illinois | 51 | $110 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 31 | Arkansas | 51 | $92 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 32 | Maryland | 51 | $90 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 33 | Texas | 51 | $85 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 33 | Wyoming | 51 | $85 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 35 | Missouri | 51 | $80 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 36 | Florida | 51 | $75 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 37 | California | 51 | $73 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 38 | Michigan | 51 | $60 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 39 | Kansas | 51 | $57 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 40 | Iowa | 51 | $52 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 41 | South Carolina | 51 | $34 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 42 | Pennsylvania | 51 | $30 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 43 | Virginia | 51 | $27 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 44 | Montana | 51 | $26 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 44 | Nebraska | 51 | $26 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 46 | North Dakota | 51 | $25 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 47 | Minnesota | 51 | $24 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 48 | New Mexico | 51 | $18 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 49 | Mississippi | 51 | $85 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 17 | ||
| 50 | Maine | 51 | $69 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 16 | ||
| 51 | New Jersey | 51 | $167 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 18 |
