How Is Truck Driver Shortage a Major Safety Risk?

If you’ve recently sat in the comfort of your bedroom and ordered a product from an e-commerce site and wondered why the price for delivery is so high or why the last delivery took so long to get to you – It’s because there’s a shortage of truck drivers in the trucking industry.

This decline has been ongoing for over 15 years now and it’s a lot likely to get worse. In 2018, the American trucking associations released reports that highlighted several things:

1. The trucking industry is responsible for transporting more than 70% of freight volumes in the country
2. Over 800,000 new truck drivers are needed to cope with the demand in the industry
3. The average age of truck drivers is 55 years. As a result of this, new and young drivers are desperately needed to balance a large number of drivers nearing retirement.

Here’s where the big problem lies – the young drivers that are desperately needed aren’t interested in taking up truck driving jobs. The lifestyle of drivers (oftentimes staying on the road for a long time) isn’t appealing to millennials who would rather opt for alternative jobs with better appeal and pay.

Not to mention that truck driving is up there amongst the most dangerous jobs in the United States.

The effect of this fatigue in the trucking industry is a lot more than hiked delivery prices: lives are in danger with an increasing rate of truck accidents in the U.S.

How the lack of truck drivers poses safety risks to the public

1. Exhausted and Overworked Drivers: With fewer truck drivers in the U.S, there is a lot of pressure on the available guys to make deliveries – they spend an unhealthy number of days on the road and end up being overworked and exhausted. This increases the rate of truck accidents and puts other motorists in danger.
2. Incompetent and Underqualified drivers: A trailer loaded with goods will reach tens of thousands of pounds in weight. Expertise is needed to handle such a vehicle. Yet, due to immense pressure to move freight volumes, trucking companies are hiring below standard drivers to meet up with the demand. The risk that inexperienced drivers pose to other drivers cannot be overstated.
3. Negligence of Regulations: Since most truck drivers are constantly in a race against time to distribute goods, they will often time violate or completely ignore safety regulations that exist in truck driving – like taking mandated breaks, maximum hours to drive in a day, etc. All these put all the other drivers, sharing the road, at a huge risk.

The safety concerns that exist because of the shortage of truck drivers are almost endless. More work needs to be done to make the roads trustworthy again for people living in the U.S.

CONTACT HERRMAN & HERRMAN IF YOU HAVE BEEN INJURED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF ACCIDENTS:

We can help you if you have been harmed by the following:

• Car accidents – Our lawyers have extensive experience handling car accident cases. We will work to identify the party or parties at fault for the crash and build a case to demonstrate persuasively how the parties caused the accident and your injuries. We will seek fair and full compensation through a negotiated settlement or at trial if necessary.
• Truck accidents – Thousands of large commercial trucks travel the roads of Texas every single day. Unfortunately, careless truck drivers and trucking companies disregarding safety put innocent people at risk of serious injuries. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, let our experienced Texas personal injury lawyers stand up to the trucking companies and insurers on your behalf.
• Motorcycle accidents – Motorcycle riders often suffer grievous injuries in crashes caused by other motorists. Too many motorcycle accidents in Corpus Christi are caused by careless drivers who don’t look for motorcycle riders or violate their right of way. Our personal injury lawyers will work to cut through the bias and stigma against motorcycle riders. Our goal is to seek the financial compensation that you’ll need to recover from a serious motorcycle accident and injuries such as bone fractures, road rash, or traumatic brain injury.
• Product liability – Product manufacturers have a legal obligation to make products that are safe for their intended uses and to warn consumers of any risks that may come with the product. When products have design or manufacturing defects or undisclosed dangers, the product manufacturer may be legally responsible for injuries suffered by consumers. Our attorneys can help you evaluate whether you have a valid product liability claim.
• Brain injury – Brain injuries can leave accident victims with disabilities that leave them unable to work or perform many tasks of daily living. Seeking compensation for a brain injury in an accident often proves incredibly complex. The brain injury survivor may seek compensation for anticipated future medical care and the medical care already provided. Our personal injury lawyers can help you through the difficult recovery process following a brain injury and will fight to make sure you have the resources you need.
• Spinal injury – Spinal cord injuries could cost millions of dollars of care over the course of the victim’s lifetime, especially when those injuries result in partial or complete paralysis, such as paraplegia or quadriplegia. If you or your loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, you deserve compassionate legal representation. Our attorney can help you determine whether you may be entitled to claim compensation for your injury and expenses related to living with the disability, such as making a home more accessible.
• Wrongful death – If you have lost a loved one due to the negligent or reckless actions of another party, your family deserves to seek accountability and compensation from those at fault for the wrongful death. Our caring and dedicated attorneys can help guide you and your family through this difficult and painful time and seek justice for your loved one.

ABOUT HERRMAN & HERRMAN PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS