Trucks are necessary for the transportation of goods. Since the trucking industry is so important, truck drivers have pretty good job security.
However, even if their jobs are secure, truck driving is one of the most dangerous jobs out there. Truck driving accounts for one out of every four fatal accidents.
Even if the accident isn’t fatal, truck drivers are more likely to have a non-fatal injury than other workers.
Some of these non-fatal injuries include back injuries due to long-term sitting and heavy lifting. Other non-fatal injuries happen in a warehouse setting where the truck driver is hit by a piece of equipment or injures themselves.
What Makes Truck Driving So Dangerous?
There are a number of reasons why truck driving ranks high on the list of dangerous jobs.
Winter Weather
Weather is one of the first things that can come to mind when thinking about the list of hazards truck drivers face. Trucks have to keep driving in bad conditions.
Some drivers do park and wait out some big storms but many push through as long as the road is open in order to meet deliveries.
Summer Tourism
Crowded highways in the summer actually cause more injuries and claim more lives than winter storms. More families are on the road.
Slower RVs that are more popular on the road during the summer months add to the congestion on highways and can frustrate drivers of every sized vehicle. Roughly 80% of accidents that involve big trucks are caused by 4-wheelers.
With heavier traffic comes more injuries, fatalities, and collisions. Trucks are not able to maneuver as well as SUVs and minivans. Aggressive driving and a high rate of distracted driving, along with heavy traffic, causes accidents at a high rate.
Fatigue with Truck Drivers
Even with the federally mandated E-log environment from 2017, drive fatigue is still a big issue. Drivers don’t have the luxury of waiting out rush hour traffic by taking a nap or getting a meal.
Truck drivers have to fight traffic in order to maximize their 11 hours of allowable driving time within the 14-hour window mandated by the government.
Even though truck drivers are required to take a 20-minute break within 8 hours of driving, drivers don’t take breaks when they want or need them and only when the E-log forces them to.
Many times, this break is on the side of the highway while they sit in the cab and it doesn’t help much to fight fatigue. These truck drivers also struggle to get quality sleep in their semi cabs due to sound, the pressure of the job, and poor sleeping conditions. Many truck drivers are unaware that they likely need a quieter cabin, less light exposure, and a quality semi truck mattress.
Lack of Truck Parking
The shortage of truck parking isn’t anything new. There are a number of reasons why there is a shortage. Large companies force their truck drivers to fuel in places where parking is limited.
Since there aren’t a lot of paying customers, truck stops that have larger lots have closed down. Trucking companies also require drivers to avoid toll roads and these other routes don’t have as much parking available.
The booming economy has made it so there is more freight being shipped, which means more trucks are on the road. There is more competition for the available parking.
Parking is another reason for driver fatigue. If a driver is forced to park in an abandoned lot in a makeshift isolated spot, then the driver won’t be able to sleep much and needs to be aware of the dangers.
Dangerous Places
Truck drivers have to deliver and pick up goods in some of the most dangerous parts of the country. This makes drivers targets. Even in a designated truck spot, a driver can still be victimized.
Truckers have been awakened in the middle of the night and robbed at gunpoint. Robberies can happen even when truck drivers have a false sense of security at a big named truck stop.
Other Dangerous Tasks That Come with Trucking
There are a number of dangerous tasks that truckers have to face and everything from putting on snow chains on the side of a busy highway to tarping a load of lumber can come with its own risks.
These tasks come with the territory but also add to the dangers of the job. Unloading and loading up freight, dropping trailers, and other seemingly mundane tasks can cause personal injury.
Poor Training and High Turnover
The trucking industry can have a very high turnover and some companies just keep cycling through drivers. Since the turnover rate is high, the training isn’t that great.
Lack of experience and poor training are also safety risks. Inexperience can be a big factor in the above risk factors.
Driver Health
This is certainly a risk factor but it’s not one that is just unique to trucking. Truckers can be overweight and eat garbage and not have time to exercise, but this can also be in any other industry.
Trucking isn’t an excuse for bad health behavior, but it can still contribute to the dangers.
There is a lot that can be done to improve trucker safety, including increasing vehicle safety, route safety, and improving weather and crisis response.
Since there are many dangers to truck driving, the legal liability for a commercial truck crash can be up for debate and working with a lawyer is important.
