Truck repair is measured through several overlapping lenses rather than one narrowly defined market series. The figures below describe U.S. carrier populations, roadside inspection defects, related repair occupations, state employment, maintenance findings and broader repair-industry forecasts, with each population and period identified.
Key Truck Repair Industry Statistics
The most broadly useful figures are:
- In 2023, FMCSA listed 3,011,902 U.S. motor carriers in its MCMIS snapshot.
- In 2023, 1,008,803 U.S. carriers had 1–6 power units, according to FMCSA fleet-size classification.
- In 2023, 817,289 U.S. carriers had more than 100 power units, according to FMCSA fleet-size classification.
- In 2023, FMCSA recorded 1,994,946 U.S. vehicle inspections.
- In 2023, those inspections produced 3,097,660 U.S. vehicle violations.
- In 2023, 678,529 U.S. vehicle out-of-service violations were recorded.
- In 2023, inoperable required lamps accounted for 336,623 U.S. vehicle violations.
- In 2023, clamp- or roto-type brake out-of-adjustment violations numbered 125,372 in the United States.
- In 2023, flat tires or audible tire air leaks were cited 103,511 times in U.S. vehicle inspections.
- In 2023, tire tread below 2/32 inch in a major tread groove was cited 65,766 times in the United States.
- In May 2024, 287,230 U.S. bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists were employed.
- In May 2024, the U.S. mean annual wage for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists was $62,480.
- In May 2024, Texas employed 29,730 bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists.
- In May 2024, California employed 10,300 tire repairers and changers.
- From 2023 to 2033, BLS projected 5.3% employment growth for U.S. tire repairers and changers.
- In a Michigan FACT team sample, brake problems were found in 32.7% of 407 inspected trucks.
Contents
- Fleet scale and vehicle populations
- Roadside inspections and out-of-service defects
- Brake, tire and lighting repair demand
- Workforce employment and wages
- Where mechanics and tire repairers work
- Maintenance compliance and enforcement trends
- Outlook and safety-related maintenance outcomes
Truck Repair Industry Statistics: Fleet Scale and Vehicle Populations
FMCSA’s 2024 Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics reports a large and varied U.S. carrier base. Its 2023 MCMIS snapshot lists 3,011,902 motor carriers, while noting that the carrier count is not a count of repair businesses.
| 2023 U.S. carrier measure | Count | Definition or limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Very small carriers | 1,008,803 | 1–6 power units |
| Small carriers | 496,483 | 7–20 power units |
| Medium carriers | 600,924 | 21–100 power units |
| Large carriers | 817,289 | More than 100 power units |
The same FMCSA fleet-size classification shows that repair demand is distributed across both very small operators and large fleets. The source does not convert these carrier counts into a national repair-business count.
- Interstate carriers numbered 2,461,709 in 2023, while intrastate carriers numbered 550,193.
- Carriers with a gross combination weight rating above 26,000 pounds numbered 2,367,725 in 2023; the figure is based on inspection reports in MCMIS.
- Carriers with 10,000–26,000 pounds GCWR numbered 538,191, and carriers with less than 10,000 pounds GCWR numbered 8,934 in 2023.
Source: 2024 Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics. These are carrier and classification measures, not direct truck-repair revenue or business counts.
Truck Repair Statistics from Roadside Inspections and Out-of-Service Defects
FMCSA recorded 1,994,946 vehicle inspections in the United States in 2023. Those inspections generated 3,097,660 vehicle violations and 678,529 vehicle out-of-service violations; one inspection can produce multiple violations, and OOS violations are not unique trucks.
The most frequent listed vehicle violation was an inoperable required lamp. Other common observations covered inspection documentation, fire extinguishers, signals, wipers, lighting materials, leaks and windshields.
| 2023 vehicle violation | Cases | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Inoperable required lamp | 336,623 | Top-20 vehicle violations |
| No proof of periodic inspection | 190,975 | Top-20 vehicle violations |
| No, discharged or unsecured fire extinguisher | 120,664 | Top-20 vehicle violations |
| Inoperative turn signal | 107,272 | Top-20 vehicle violations |
| Windshield-wiper defect | 82,983 | Top-20 vehicle violations |
| Required lighting or reflective-material defect | 79,054 | Top-20 vehicle violations |
| Oil or grease leak | 54,481 | Top-20 vehicle violations |
| Damaged or discolored windshield | 45,017 | Top-20 vehicle violations |
Source: 2024 Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics. The table is a frequency view of FMCSA’s top-20 vehicle violations, not a complete census of every repair need.
Brake, Tire and Lighting Repair Demand in Truck Inspection Data
Inspection data gives a more specific view of the systems most directly associated with maintenance and repair work. Brake-related observations include adjustment, automatic-adjustment systems, defective service brakes, trailer ABS indicators, brake lamps and hoses or tubing.
- Clamp- or roto-type brake out-of-adjustment violations numbered 125,372 in 2023.
- Air-brake automatic-adjustment-system failures numbered 69,882 in 2023.
- Out-of-service brake conditions involving at least 20% defective service brakes numbered 54,150 in 2023; FMCSA’s definition is based on the vehicle or combination’s service brakes.
- Inoperative or defective brake violations numbered 53,041 in 2023.
- Defective trailer ABS malfunction-indicator lamps numbered 49,156 in 2023, applying to trailers manufactured after March 1, 1998.
- Brake-lamp failures numbered 45,959, while brake-hose or tubing chafing or kinking numbered 41,973 in 2023.
Tire and lighting observations point to recurring inspection exposure for tire service and electrical repair. Flat tires or audible tire air leaks were cited 103,511 times, and tread below 2/32 inch in a major tread groove was cited 65,766 times in 2023.
Source: 2024 Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics. These are violation counts, not unique repair orders, parts sales or completed repairs.
Truck Repair Workforce Employment and Wage Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not provide a single occupation that captures only truck repair. Its May 2024 national estimates therefore provide useful workforce boundaries while including related bus, diesel, mobile-equipment or other service work.
| BLS occupation or industry measure | Employment | Mean hourly wage | Mean annual wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists, May 2024 | 287,230 | $30.04 | $62,480 |
| Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians and mechanics, May 2024 | 235,450 | $31.57 | $65,660 |
| Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians and mechanics in repair and maintenance, May 2023 | 11,830 | $28.75 | Not supplied |
The May 2024 median hourly wage was $29.15 for bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists. For heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians and mechanics, the median hourly wage was $30.16.
Source: Occupational Employment and Wages—May 2024 and Repair and Maintenance—May 2023 OEWS Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. The occupation totals are not a direct census of truck-repair businesses, and the annual wages are BLS full-time-equivalent calculations.
Where Truck Mechanics and Tire Repairers Work
State OEWS data shows the largest reported employment concentrations among selected states, but the occupations remain broader than truck-only repair. Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists include the related bus and diesel categories, while tire repairers and changers include tire work beyond heavy trucks.
| State, May 2024 | Bus/truck mechanics and diesel specialists | Tire repairers and changers | Mobile heavy-equipment mechanics, except engines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 29,730 | 14,200 | 19,850 |
| California | 21,730 | 10,300 | 21,170 |
| Florida | Not supplied | 7,640 | 9,760 |
| New York | 14,320 | Not supplied | Not supplied |
Texas therefore had 29,730 workers in the bus/truck mechanic and diesel specialist occupation, while California had 21,730 and New York had 14,320. The same state table reports 21,170 mobile heavy-equipment mechanics in California and 19,850 in Texas, a related occupation rather than a truck-only repair measure.
Source: OEWS Chart Data: State employment by occupation, May 2024. “Not supplied” means the provided state facts did not include that cell, not zero employment.
Truck Repair Trends, Maintenance Compliance and Enforcement Activity
FMCSA’s traffic-enforcement series shows a sharp 2020 interruption followed by a return to roughly the earlier inspection level. Total traffic-enforcement inspections fell from 590,860 in 2019 to 492,564 in 2020, then rose to 593,547 in 2023.
| Traffic-enforcement measure | Count | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Total inspections | 590,860 | 2019 |
| Total inspections | 492,564 | 2020 |
| Total inspections | 593,547 | 2023 |
| Vehicle-observed inspections | 226,846 | 2023 |
| Vehicle-observed violations | 520,406 | 2023 |
| Inspections with moving violations | 357,903 | 2023 |
Vehicle-observed traffic-enforcement inspections numbered 226,846 in 2023 and produced 520,406 vehicle-observed violations. Traffic-enforcement inspections with moving violations numbered 357,903, which is a driver-observed component and not a repair count.
Source: 2024 Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics. The inspection series describes enforcement activity, not the number of maintenance jobs performed.
Truck Repair Industry Outlook and Safety-Related Maintenance Outcomes
A Michigan FACT team analysis provides a safety-related example of maintenance findings, but its sample is narrow. In a sample of 407 inspected trucks, maintenance defects that would have placed more than one-third out of service were found before a crash; brake problems appeared in 32.7%, and light, marker and signal violations in 23.1%.
The FMCSA study findings should not be generalized as national fleet prevalence. They describe a crash-related, study-specific sample rather than a representative national inspection survey.
BLS projections also point to modest growth in broader automotive repair occupations and industries between 2023 and 2033:
- Employment in automotive mechanical and electrical repair-and-maintenance was projected to grow 1.6% from 2023 to 2033.
- Employment in other automotive repair-and-maintenance was projected to grow 2.4% from 2023 to 2033.
- Automotive service technicians and mechanics employment was projected to grow 2.7% from 2023 to 2033; this occupation includes passenger-vehicle service work.
- Tire repairers and changers employment was projected to grow 5.3% from 2023 to 2033, with the projection covering tire work beyond heavy trucks and attributing part of demand to EV tire-service needs.
Source: Industry and occupational employment projections overview and highlights, 2023–33. These are forecasts for broader automotive categories, not a direct forecast of truck-repair employment or revenue.
No direct national revenue series for a narrowly defined truck-repair industry is represented here. The available primary-source measures instead establish the sector’s operating context through carrier populations, inspection-measured defects, related workers and wages, enforcement activity, study-specific safety findings and broader employment projections.