How does the trucking industry impact crash statistics?

The trucking industry has fallen under massive scrutiny due to the complaints of truckers across the board. Supply chain crises only worsen issues inherent in the industry itself, creating more trouble for everyone on the road.

Unfortunately, problems in the trucking industry can have significant implications for the safety of all motorists.

Bribery versus threats

USA Today discusses the impact trucking companies have on truckers. Unfortunately, many fall back on harmful methods to try getting their workers to put in more time than they should. Two common tactics involve coercion and threats.

With coercion or bribery, a company will attempt to get truckers to max out their schedules of their own volition by offering additional incentives, prizes and more. For example, it may offer cash bonuses to anyone who can finish a delivery run in a certain amount of time.

Sometimes, companies will press individuals to complete ridiculous delivery runs with the threat of probationary actions, demotion, or unpleasant jobs hanging over the heads of the truckers.

A negative impact on road safety

In either case, the end goal is the same: to get workers to overtax themselves for the benefit of the company. Unfortunately, this can have a huge negative impact on not only the truckers but also other drivers sharing the road. This is due to the fact that a drowsy and overworked trucker can easily get involved in a crash with other cars.

Because of the sheer size and weight of a truck, these crashes often end up serious or even deadly, which is why every driver on the road can benefit from a more responsible trucking industry.