Every now and again, a story creeps up in the news that shows concerned citizens fearing for their lives because of increased truck traffic. A lot of the fear of trucks comes from a lack of understanding of the industry and misguided reports showcasing the trucking industry in a poor light. As with anything, you can’t simply paint the trucking industry with one brush.

Drivers Have One Job: Deliver Freight Safely

Truck drivers are not monsters sitting behind the wheel of an 80,000 lb vehicle. Their mission in life is not to deliver freight at any cost. Truck drivers are people. They are husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends. They have families to return to. Their job is to deliver freight in a safe, timely manner and return home to their loved ones. This is why truck drivers take their jobs seriously.

Trucking is their livelihood, the way they provide for themselves and their families. They are professionals who operate within the regulations because they know that if they are unsafe there will be consequences. Not only is there a risk of losing their job, the most important guide for their professionalism is the safety of other motorists on the road.

The Trucking Industry Takes Safety Seriously

The truth is there are more good drivers than bad, more responsible trucking companies than not and, as an industry, we strive to remove the bad apples. The trucking industry is heavily regulated, with many checkpoints along the way to ensure everyone’s safety on the road.

These regulations include mandated hours of serve that drivers must follow, regular highway checkpoints operated by Department of Transportation, safety regulations that companies must follow in order to maintain their licensing permits, regular health checks, regular drug and alcohol testing and so much more.

Investments in proper training and resources are made to ensure that drivers are operating safely on the roads they share. Equipment is regularly checked and maintained be certified mechanics. Drivers are expected to complete regular, daily equipment checks to ensure that problems don’t arise while they are on the road. Safety and Compliance managers are hired to stay in regular contact with drivers to ensure that all safety and compliance issues are being met. Drivers’ log books, the record of their trips by the hour, are examined regularly to ensure that drivers are operating within the legal hours of service and electronic logging devices are getting set to launch which will help further ensure that drivers are operating within the regulated parameters.

The statement that all truck drivers are dangerous is a myth. In fact, studies have shown that truckers are amongst the safest on the roads. There is no reason to fear big trucks on the roads, and perhaps the fear that people feel can be overcome by gaining a better understanding of the industry, and the operations that truckers make on the roadways.