Top Semi Trucks Owned in Each State (Data for All 50 States)

26th Mar 2025

Here's some visual data on the most commonly owned heavy duty semi truck models based upon three popular truck brands: Peterbilt, Kenworth, and Freightliner.

DISCLAIMER: (as of 2025) this data is four years old and should be compared with more up-to-date metrics.

Key Takeaways

Freightliner dominated the 2021 registration data, ranking first in 41 of 50 states.
Peterbilt ranked second nationally, while Kenworth ranked third among the brands compared.
Peterbilt or Kenworth led ownership in only nine states.
Texas and California recorded the largest Freightliner totals.
Volvo did not rank first in any state, but placed second in Illinois, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and New Jersey.
Peterbilt registrations exceeded Kenworth registrations across many states, including California, Illinois, Florida, Missouri, and Pennsylvania.

In this graph, we are comparing data collected from registered truck makes/models, filtering it down to just 4 popular trucks: Freightliner, Kenworth, Peterbilt, and Volvo.

Freightliner had, by far, the largest number of individually owned trucks for nearly every state.

Only 9 states had Peterbilt or Kenworth in the top spot!

Which Class 8 Semi Truck Model is the Most Popular?

Key Takeaways from the Data

Freightliner is (by far) the most popular truck make across the majority of US states (41/50 states, or 82%)
Peterbilt comes in at second place when looking at all 50 states
Kenworth is the third most-owned semi truck in America

Freightliner is the most commonly owned truck in America, with Texas and California (the two biggest states) holding the largest number of Freightliner trucks.

States Where Volvo is the Second Most Popular Semi Truck

There are no states where Volvo ownership is the majority based on the number of registered trucks.

However, Volvo does manage to be the second-most popular truck make in the following states:

IL (52,841)
FL (14,950)
OH (14,189)
MI (9,580)
NJ (6,485)

Illinois tends to have the highest number of registered Volvo trucks in America.

States With the Highest Number of Peterbilt Semi Trucks

Interesting Fact: Despite Denton, Texas being the home base of Peterbilt, the most commonly-owned model is a Freightliner, followed closely by Peterbilt.

States Where Kenworth is the More Commonly Owned Truck

Peterbilt vs Kenworth Ownership in USA

There are far more registered Peterbilt models than there are Kenworth models in states like:

California
Illinois
Pennsylvania
Florida
Missouri
Ohio
Iowa
Oklahoma
Minnesota
Tennessee
Arkansas
Utah
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Mississippi
Idaho
North Dakota
South Dakota
New Mexico
Nevada
Massachusetts
West Virginia
Wyoming
Maryland
New Hampshire
Rhode Island

What are Your Thoughts on This Data?

Let us know what you think.

And if you're interested in taking a look at some of our top-of-the-line aftermarket accessories and parts for your Volvo, Peterbilt, Kenworth, or Freightliner truck, our extensive product lineup has a lot to offer.

26th Mar 2025