There are truck drivers in every state and we’re thankful for that. Truck drivers are a vital part of the country’s economy and the country would literally grind to a halt without them. Their service is so often overlooked but, again, we wouldn’t want to see the world without them, bad craziness there.

Although Texas is the state with the most truck drivers, they boast about 172,000 people employed as truck drivers, with 15 out of every 1000 jobs belonging to truck drivers, the most doesn’t always mean the best.

Here’s a list of the top five states to be a truck driver in and some cool facts about those states.

Top 5 States to be a Truck Driver

5. Iowa

Coming in at number five is Iowa. Achieving statehood on December 28, 1846, Iowa. the Hawkeye State, is a good place to be a truck driver.

8 out of 10 Iowans have a very favorable view of the Trucking industry. For families with kids,  the state is ranked 5th in the country for education by US News and World report

The Hawkeye State can be proud of its 20 safest cities, 70% of which claim the title for the second consecutive year. And although the state’s property crime rate of 29.59 is slightly higher than the national rate of 27.11, residents rank violent crime as their top concern, according to our State of Safety report. But there’s good news for those concerned citizens because Iowa’s violent crime rate is 3.85 incidents per 1,000 people, which beats the nationwide rate of 4.49.

What else is so special about Iowa?

Lots of fun things make Iowa a great place to drive and live. Such as:

• The state’s smallest city park is situated in the middle of a road in Hiteman. It’s 2 feet across with a total area of 452 square inches, and it’s named Mill Ends Park.

• Kalona is the largest Amish community west of the Mississippi.

• Francis Drake was 66 years old at the time of his inauguration and Iowa’s oldest governor.

• Fenelon Place Elevator in Dubuque is the world’s steepest and shortest railway.

• Wright County has the highest percentage of grade-A topsoil in the nation.

• Quaker Oats in Cedar Rapids is the largest cereal company in the world.

• The Sergeant Floyd Monument in Sioux City honors the only man to die during the Lewis and Clark expedition.

• Iowa State University is the oldest land grant college in the U.S.

• Iowa is the only state name that starts with two vowels.

• John Wayne, born Marion Robert Morrison, was the son of a Pharmacist, in Winterset May 26, 1907.

• Iowa’s oldest continually running theater is in Story City, opened in 1913.

4. Wyoming

The Equality State shows up at number 4. Achieving Statehood on July 10, 1890, it’s a fine place to drive a truck.

Wyoming has plenty of wide-open spaces and it is the least densely populated state in the country. This means there’s not a lot of waiting in line and there isn’t a lot of traffic. There are a lot of small towns in Wyoming which means everything in town is very nearby including some incredible natural views. And, the unemployment rate is low with some towns boasting a rate below 4%. Wyoming can also brag about its low cost of living and it’s among five states with the lowest taxes in the U.S.

What else makes Wyoming so special? Good question, How about:

• It was the first state to give women the right to vote.

• Yellowstone is the first official National Park, designated in 1872

• The largest coal mine in the United States is Black Thunder, located near Wright.

• The horse on the Wyoming license plate has a name and it’s “old Steamboat”.

• The Red Desert in South Central Wyoming drains neither to the east nor to the west. The continental divide splits and goes around the desert on all sides, leaving the basin without drainage.

• Wyoming has the lowest population of all 50 United States.

3. Pennsylvania

It’s known as the Keystone State because it is the middle colony of the original 13 colonies. It became a state on December 12, 1787. And, it’s a very friendly state for truck drivers. 

Pennsylvania is also a true to life national treasure with so much history it will make you feel like a founding father or founding mother for that matter. The state also has an excellent job market so, if you decide to park the rig for good you’re set as there are 21 Fortune 500 companies there.

It’s an original and it has some other great features:

• Forbes Field is the world’s first baseball stadium which opened in Pittsburg, June 30, 1909.

• Hershey is considered the chocolate capital in the U.S.

• In 1946 Philadelphia became home to the first computer in the U.S. at the Moore School of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.

• The country’s first daily newspaper was published in Philadelphia on September 21, 1784.

• In Hazleton, there is a law on the books that prohibits a person from sipping a carbonated beverage while lecturing students in a school auditorium.

• The Rockville Bridge in Harrisburg is the longest stone arch bridge in the world.

• Ben Franklin established the Philadelphia Zoo, the first public zoo in the United States, on July 1, 1874.

2. New Mexico

The Land of Enlightenment is the nickname for New Mexico. It’s called so because of it’s inspiring scenery and incredible culture. It became a state on January 6, 1912. It loves it’s truck drivers.

It also loves jobs with a very diverse job market encompassing aerospace and defense as well as energy and agriculture. It’s a state with a very reasonable cost of living and some of the cleanest air in the country. In fact, Albuquerque and Santa Fe are often on the list of least polluted cities in the country.

It's a special place because:

• The capital and cultural center is Santa Fe.

• The largest city is Albuquerque, made famous by Bugs Bunny always taking a wrong turn there.

• It's one of the mountain states and it shares the four corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona.

• It has the 3rd largest crude oil and 9th largest natural gas producer in the United States.

• The New Mexico artists whose work survives today are the Mimbres Indians. Their black and white pottery is often mistaken for modern art, however, it was produced before 1130 CE.

• Santa Fe has a large artistic community.

1. Nebraska

The Cornhusker State with the motto of Equality before the law, was established as a state on March 1, 1867. It encompasses the Great Plains, and it is the number one state to be a truck driver.

Nebraska has a lot of reasons to be proud and it’s a fine place to live for anyone. It has a lower crime rate than the national average and the lowest unemployment rate in the whole country. It’s one of the top most affordable states in the country and healthcare here is less expensive than the national average. For you drivers looking to the future, it’s the #10 state to retire in and for new drivers, #6 state in which to raise kids.

What a fine state, this state of Nebraska. Here’s some fun stuff about this fair state that makes it oh so fine:

• Kool-Aid was created in Hastings in 1927 by Edwin Parks. It’s celebrated the second weekend of every August with Kool-Aid days.

• It’s the only state whose legislature is unicameral.

• The Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard in North Platte is the largest train yard in the world.

• The state insect is the honey bee.

• The Naval Ammunition Depot in Hastings was the largest U.S. ammunition plant providing 40% of WWII’s ammunition.

• The Lied Jungle in Omaha is the world’s largest indoor rainforest.

• It’s the birthplace of the Reuben Sandwich.

• Spam, the canned meat is produced in Fremont.

• The largest porch swing in the world is located in Hebron and can seat 25 adults.

And finally:

• In Blue Hill, Nebraska, no female wearing a “hat that would scare a timid person” can be seen eating onions in public.

There you go. Not only 5 great states for truck drivers but 5 states with interesting, diverse and remarkable culture and history. America loves its truck drivers and we all love some interesting history and culture.