Truck transportation employment showed little movement in July, while warehouse jobs experienced a notable decline, according to the latest monthly jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The figures arrive as the freight sector continues to work through a prolonged downturn that took hold in 2023, with carriers, shippers, and analysts watching employment data closely for signals about the trajectory of recovery.

The BLS reported 100 fewer truck transportation positions in July compared to June. The report also included a downward revision of 1,500 jobs from the initial June estimate, while May's figure was revised downward by 200. The net effect is that the BLS reported 1,465,100 truck transportation jobs in February, and the July total was exactly the same.

Warehouse employment told a different story. The sector lost 9,500 jobs, falling to 1,834,600. The warehouse workforce had expanded dramatically during the pandemic-driven surge in e-commerce and online fulfillment, and the current pullback reflects in part a normalization from those elevated levels as retailers adjust inventory strategies and distribution footprints. While the one-month decline was significant, it was not the largest in the past year: declines of 16,000 and 13,500 jobs were recorded in September and October 2025, respectively. Since July 2025, warehouse employment has fallen by 34,700 jobs, a 1.8% drop.

Carriers Weigh Expansion Against Headwinds

Mazan Danaf, principal economist at Uber Freight, said carriers are "actively seeking to expand fleets to capitalize on rising spot rates and strengthening demand," though he noted in an email to FreightWaves that doing so remains a challenge "despite a restrictive regulatory environment."

Danaf pointed to some positive subsector data, noting that "long-distance truckload employment growing for four consecutive months through June." He also observed that truck transportation employment remains 3.2% below its 10-year average, "suggesting that a full capacity recovery remains a long-term prospect." The gap underscores how even a cyclical upturn in freight demand has yet to translate into broad hiring, as carriers remain cautious about adding headcount before a recovery is firmly established.

David Spencer, vice president of market intelligence at Arrive Logistics, offered a different perspective. In an email to FreightWaves, he said the relative stability of employment even as rates rise "highlights carrier priorities for replacing equipment and focusing on necessary driver wage increases, instead of additional growth at this point in the cycle."

Spencer did not foresee significant gains in truck transportation employment ahead. "Capacity remains constrained as carriers struggle with high fuel prices and a shifting regulatory landscape," he said. "Continued regulatory enforcement and the recent SCOTUS ruling on broker liability are the most recent examples of how the challenges continue to develop for carriers and drivers. Insurance costs and access, and safety ratings are two big issues that could further restrict capacity in the coming months."

Couriers Post Gains Amid Downward Revisions

Courier employment rose to 1,098,000 jobs in July from 1,083,100. However, independent economist Aaron Terrazas noted that the gain appeared favorable largely because the BLS sharply revised its June figure downward, with the 1.083 million jobs now reported well below the original 1,097,200. The pattern of downward revisions has been a recurring feature of the monthly data, making it more difficult to assess real-time labor momentum across freight-adjacent sectors.

Terrazas also observed that warehouse employment figures were revised downward for both May and June. While the July total of 1.834 million warehouse jobs exceeds the levels seen in the first three months of the year, "revisions have erased any sense of a summer rebound in warehousing employment," he said.

Additional Report Highlights

Rail employment was revised downward for both May and June. The July figure of 149,300 jobs was 400 fewer than June. Although month-to-month changes have been modest, cumulative losses have brought rail employment 5,100 jobs below year-ago levels, representing a 3.2% decline.

Average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory truck transportation employees edged up to $32.35 for June, a figure that operates on a one-month lag. This remains below the April level of $32.38.