# Will AI replace truck drivers? Updated October 2026 Truck drivers score 27 of 100 for AI exposure. 61% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 16% today and speed up another 23%. - **16%** AI can do it - **23%** AI helps - **61%** Needs a person Low exposure Lower than 67% of the 923 occupations we scored. ## Task by task We graded 29 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 4 of them today, speeds up 6 and leaves 19 to people. | Task | AI exposure | | --- | --- | | Maintain logs of working hours or of vehicle service or repair status, following applicable state and federal regulations. ELD and log software already automates much of this record keeping. | 70% AI can do it | | Read bills of lading to determine assignment details. Reading bills of lading is document extraction AI does well. | 65% AI can do it | | Check all load-related documentation for completeness and accuracy. Document checks against bills of lading are text comparison AI handles well. | 62% AI can do it | | 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. Route optimization software already does most of this planning. | 62% AI can do it | | Collect delivery instructions from appropriate sources, verifying instructions and routes. AI can parse and verify dispatch messages, with driver confirmation. | 55% AI helps | ## How truck drivers compare All occupations (923) Transportation and material moving (52) **Truck drivers score 27**, marked by the dark line. Each dot is a score, darker where more occupations share it. The short marks show the averages, 37 for all occupations and 25 for transportation and material moving. ## Pay and outlook in the US Median pay $58,640 a year, May 2025 People employed 2.1 million in the US, May 2025 Projected change in jobs +3.8% from 2024 to 2034 ## Skills to build - Keep hours-of-service logs compliant in ELD software - Couple and uncouple fifth-wheel trailers safely at each stop - Back into docks on crew signals without equipment damage - Run roadside tire changes and light bulb replacements - Hold a commercial driver's license with air brake endorsement - Reconcile bills of lading against loads in SAP software ## Safer roles nearby 5 related occupations with lower scores. - [Forklift operators10 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/forklift-operators/) - [Tank loaders20 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/tank-loaders/) - [Diesel mechanics15 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/diesel-mechanics/) - [Loading machine operators12 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/loading-machine-operators/) - [Garbage collectors21 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/garbage-collectors/) ## Questions about truck drivers and AI Will truck drivers be replaced by AI? Partly. About 2 in 10 working hours of a truck driver's time go to tasks AI can already do, mostly keeping hours logs and reading bills of lading. Driving, coupling trailers, backing into docks and roadside repairs stay with people because they need a person's hands and judgment on the road. Will AI take over truck driving? AI can already do 16% of the task time in truck driving and speeds up another 23%. People still do 61% of it. The US has 2.1 million truck driver jobs, with a projected change of +3.8% from 2024 to 2034. Which truck driver tasks is AI taking over? Record keeping goes first. Maintaining hours and vehicle status logs scores 70 on exposure, since ELD and log software already automate much of it. Reading bills of lading (65) and checking load paperwork for completeness (62) are document extraction and text comparison that AI handles well. Which truck driver tasks stay human? Physical work stays human. Coupling trailers and cranking landing gear score 3 on exposure because they are manual work with air lines, fifth-wheel locks and steel. Backing into docks on crew signals scores 5 because it needs live driving, and these hands-on tasks make up most of the 61% of task weight that stays human. How can truck drivers stay valuable? Learn the exception work that software flags, such as log violations in ELD software and mismatches in SAP software. Keep the commercial driver's license current with air brake and hazmat endorsements. Get fast at coupling, backing and roadside repairs, since those tasks still need you on site. ## Related jobs - [Light truck drivers32 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/light-truck-drivers/) - [Warehouse workers17 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/warehouse-workers/) - [Chauffeurs30 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/chauffeurs/) - [Heavy equipment operators15 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/heavy-equipment-operators/) ## Next steps for truck drivers - ### Check your job Your job title is a rough guide. Your actual tasks decide your score. Paste your job description or CV and see which of your tasks AI can do. [Check your job](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/ai-exposure-checker/) [Check your CV](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/cv-checker/) ### Check which roles in your team AI can take on We map your team's tasks, show what AI can do today and build the automations that pay back first. [Book an AI audit](https://www.aigentcy.com/audit/) ## Related topics - [**Jobs AI can't replace**Cement masons score lowest, at 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-cant-replace/) - [**Jobs most at risk from AI**Proofreaders score highest, at 76.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-most-exposed-to-ai/) - [**High-paying jobs with low AI exposure**Radiologists earn a median $420,860 and score 46.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/high-paying-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Entry-level jobs with low AI exposure**Cement masons need little prior training and score 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/entry-level-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Jobs AI speeds up the most**For natural sciences managers, AI speeds up 96% of task time.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-speeds-up/) - [**AI and jobs in Malta**15 iGaming roles graded task by task.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/malta/) - [**Skills that keep work human**The skills to build in the jobs AI changes least.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/skills/) - [**Jobs A to Z**Every job we publish, by first letter.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs/) - [**AI exposure by industry**Average scores for 22 occupation groups.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/industries/) - [**Write a CV screening software can read**How applicant tracking systems read a CV, and what to change.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/cv-screening-guide/) - [**AI for businesses**The tasks to automate first in each team and industry.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-for/) - [**How we score AI exposure**The grading, the weights and every source.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/) Occupation data from the O\*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and modified by Aigentcy. O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wage, employment and projection data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. EU occupation names from ESCO, European Commission. AI usage signals from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY) and Microsoft Research (CC BY 4.0). [Methodology and sources](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/). Scores © Aigentcy. Quote them with a link to the page.