Every year, 25,000 truck drivers are seriously injured on the job, a shocking number fueled by statistics showing they are 2.6 times more likely to be hurt than the average worker.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers had a nonfatal injury and illness rate of 2.9 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers
- From 2011-2020, truck drivers accounted for 24% of all occupational fatalities in transportation
- In 2021, the truck transportation industry reported 23.7 injury cases per 10,000 workers
- Sprains and strains account for 35% of all truck driver injuries per BLS 2022 data
- Musculoskeletal disorders represent 45% of trucker nonfatal injuries, NIOSH 2019
- Back injuries comprise 28% of truck driver claims, FMCSA 2021
- Fatigue leads to 13% of truck driver crashes resulting in injury, FMCSA 2022
- Long hours (>60/week) increase injury risk by 2.5x, NIOSH 2019
- Poor ergonomics cause 40% of MSDs in truckers, OSHA 2023
- In 2022, 501 truck driver fatalities occurred in the US
- Truck occupants died at 21.3 per 100,000 workers rate, BLS 2022
- FMCSA 2022: 4,479 large trucks in fatal crashes, killing 5,788 total
- Average cost of truck driver injury claim $50,000 in 2022
- Truck crashes cost $91B annually, including injuries, AAA 2023
- BLS 2022: Average days away for truck injuries 21 days
Truck drivers face disproportionately high injury rates and significant risks on the job.
Causes and Risk Factors
- Fatigue leads to 13% of truck driver crashes resulting in injury, FMCSA 2022
- Long hours (>60/week) increase injury risk by 2.5x, NIOSH 2019
- Poor ergonomics cause 40% of MSDs in truckers, OSHA 2023
- Distracted driving responsible for 8% of truck injuries, IIHS 2022
- Slippery roads contribute to 15% of winter truck injuries, FMCSA 2021
- Inadequate loading secures 25% of cargo-related injuries, ATA 2022
- Obesity raises trucker injury risk 1.8x, CDC 2020
- Smoking doubles respiratory injury rates in drivers, NIOSH 2018
- Speeding causes 29% of fatal truck crashes with injuries, NHTSA 2022
- Mechanical failures lead to 12% of trucker injuries, FMCSA 2023
- Night driving increases fatigue injuries by 3x, BLS 2021
- Improper seatbelts cause 20% more severe injuries, IIHS 2023
- Heavy traffic zones 2.2x injury risk, NSC 2022
- Drug use (non-alcohol) in 5% of injury crashes, NHTSA 2021
- Poor lighting at docks 18% of loading injuries, OSHA 2022
- Age >55 drivers 1.6x fall injury risk, CDC 2021
- Cell phone use pre-crash in 7% of injury events, NHTSA 2022
- Extreme weather 10% of seasonal injuries, FMCSA 2020
- Inexperience (<2 years) 2.4x crash injury rate, IIHS 2021
- Vibration exposure causes 30% chronic back pain, NIOSH 2020
- Tailgating 14% of rear-end injury crashes, ATA 2023
- Alcohol impairment in 2% of truck injuries, NHTSA 2023
- Uneven terrain 11% off-road truck injuries, OSHA 2021
- Sleep apnea untreated raises risk 4.5x, FMCSA 2022
Causes and Risk Factors Interpretation
A trucker’s world of pain is essentially a grueling checklist where your body, schedule, rig, and every other driver on the road are in a constant, high-stakes conspiracy to injure you.
Common Injury Types
- Sprains and strains account for 35% of all truck driver injuries per BLS 2022 data
- Musculoskeletal disorders represent 45% of trucker nonfatal injuries, NIOSH 2019
- Back injuries comprise 28% of truck driver claims, FMCSA 2021
- Slips, trips, and falls cause 22% of trucker injuries, OSHA 2023
- Overexertion injuries at 18% of total truck driver injuries, BLS 2022
- Fractures make up 12% of serious truck driver injuries, NSC 2022
- Shoulder injuries 15% prevalence in truckers, NIOSH study
- Knee disorders 10% of truck driver MSDs, CDC 2021
- Hand/wrist injuries 14% from loading/unloading, OSHA 2022
- Contusions/bruises 9% of nonfatal truck injuries, BLS 2023
- Neck strains 11% in long-haul drivers, ATA 2022
- Lacerations/cuts 7% from maintenance tasks, FMCSA 2020
- Hernias 6% of overexertion injuries in truckers, NIOSH 2020
- Spinal injuries 8% of crash-related trucker harms, IIHS 2022
- Ankle/foot injuries 5% from slips, OSHA 2021
- Concussions 4% of reported truck driver head injuries, CDC WISQARS 2022
- Carpal tunnel 13% in veteran truckers >10 years, NIOSH 2018
- Elbow injuries 9% from repetitive steering, BLS 2021
- Hip injuries 3% but high severity in falls, NSC 2023
- Eye injuries 2% from debris, OSHA 2023
- Respiratory injuries 1.5% from exposures, CDC 2020
- Burns 1% from mechanical issues, FMCSA 2022
- Nerve damage 7% long-term in truckers, NIOSH 2021
- Rib fractures 6% in rollover crashes, IIHS 2023
Common Injury Types Interpretation
The statistics suggest that for a truck driver, the greatest occupational hazard isn't the road, but the daily, cumulative war of attrition their body must wage against their own truck, its cargo, and the very ground they walk on.
Fatality Statistics
- In 2022, 501 truck driver fatalities occurred in the US
- Truck occupants died at 21.3 per 100,000 workers rate, BLS 2022
- FMCSA 2022: 4,479 large trucks in fatal crashes, killing 5,788 total
- NHTSA 2021: 5,000 truck-related deaths, 1,000 drivers
- IIHS 2022: 53% of truck driver deaths in crashes with cars
- NSC 2023: Trucking fatalities up 10% from 2021
- BLS 2023: 145 truck driver fatal work injuries in Q1-Q3
- FMCSA 2017-2021: 28.6 driver fatalities per 100M miles
- OSHA: 25% of transport fatalities are truck drivers
- CDC 2022: 492 trucker occupational deaths
- NHTSA 2020: Rollover crashes killed 400 truck drivers
- IIHS 2023: Underride crashes fatal to 150 truckers yearly
- BLS 2021: Fatality rate 27.1 for heavy truck drivers
- FMCSA 2023: 5,887 total fatalities in truck crashes
- NSC 2022: 4,950 road deaths involving trucks
- NHTSA FARS 2022: 936 truck driver fatalities
- BLS Census of Fatal Injuries 2020: 503 truck drivers
- IIHS 2021: 72% of truck driver deaths single-vehicle crashes
- FMCSA 2019: 4,444 fatal truck crashes
- CDC NVSS 2022: Transport incidents 30% of trucker deaths
- OSHA 2022: 118 trucker fatalities from falls
- NHTSA 2019: Speeding in 30% of fatal truck crashes
- BLS 2018: 91.3 fatal injuries per 100k for tractor-trailers
- IIHS 2020: Nighttime 60% of truck driver fatalities
- FMCSA 2022: 1,169 truck drivers killed in crashes
- NSC 2021: 5,788 fatalities in large truck crashes
Fatality Statistics Interpretation
Interpreting this grim pile of statistics, it seems the noble and essential profession of truck driving has somehow been contractually obligated to serve as both the backbone of our economy and a recurring participant in a macabre, high-stakes demolition derby where the odds are perpetually being recalculated upwards.
Incidence Rates
- In 2022, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers had a nonfatal injury and illness rate of 2.9 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers
- From 2011-2020, truck drivers accounted for 24% of all occupational fatalities in transportation
- In 2021, the truck transportation industry reported 23.7 injury cases per 10,000 workers
- OSHA data shows truck drivers have a 2.6 times higher injury rate than the all-industry average
- NIOSH reports 1 in 5 truck drivers experience musculoskeletal disorders annually
- FMCSA 2022 data: 4.5% of truck drivers reported work-related injuries in the past year
- BLS 2023: Light truck drivers had 3.2 injuries per 100 workers
- NSC 2022: Truckers face 11.7 serious injuries per 100,000 workers
- 2019-2023 average: 25,000 nonfatal truck driver injuries yearly
- IIHS: Interstate truck drivers have 1.8 injury claims per 100 drivers annually
- ATA 2022 survey: 15% of drivers reported injuries from slips/trips/falls
- CDC 2021: 2.1 million truckers at risk, with 4% injury prevalence
- BLS 2020: DART rate for truck drivers was 2.4 per 100 workers
- FMCSA 2018-2022: 3.7 crashes per million miles lead to driver injuries
- OSHA 2023: Long-haul drivers 3x more likely to be injured than local
- NIOSH 2019: 28% of truck injuries are sprains/strains
- BLS Q1 2024: Truck transport injury rate 2.8 per 100
- NSC 2023: 1 in 12 truck drivers injured yearly
- FMCSA 2021: 5.2% of inspected trucks had driver injury reports
- IIHS 2022: Owner-operators have 2.1x injury rate vs. company drivers
- 2022 BLS: 18,400 truck driver nonfatal injuries
- CDC WISQARS: Truck drivers 2.4x national average injury rate
- ATA 2023: 12% fatigue-related injury incidence
- OSHA logs: 4.1 TCIR for truck drivers 2022
- NIOSH 2020: 1.9 million potential injuries in trucking
- BLS 2021: Heavy truck drivers 3.1 DAFWII per 100
- FMCSA 2023: 6% increase in driver injuries post-COVID
- NSC 2021: 10.5 injuries per 10,000 truck workers
- IIHS 2023: Regional haulers 1.5x injury rate
- BLS 2018-2022 trend: 2% annual rise in truck injuries
Incidence Rates Interpretation
The sobering truth is that for truck drivers, the open road is a workplace where getting hurt is not a matter of "if" but a statistically alarming "when," with injury rates consistently dwarfing those in nearly every other profession.
Recovery and Cost Statistics
- Average cost of truck driver injury claim $50,000 in 2022
- Truck crashes cost $91B annually, including injuries, AAA 2023
- BLS 2022: Average days away for truck injuries 21 days
- Workers' comp costs for trucking $2.1B yearly, NSC 2022
- FMCSA 2021: Medical costs per serious truck injury $150,000
- NIOSH 2020: Lifetime back injury cost $100K per trucker
- OSHA 2023: Trucking industry pays $1.8 per $100 payroll in comp
- IIHS 2022: Societal cost of truck crash injuries $300B/decade
- ATA 2023: Driver injury downtime costs $5K/week
- BLS 2023: Median wage loss from truck injury $15,000/year
- CDC 2021: Rehab costs for MSDs $20K average per trucker
- NSC Injury Cost Calculator: Fatal truck driver $1.7M lifetime
- FMCSA 2022: Insurance premiums up 12% due to injuries
- Workers comp claims rose 8% to $2.5B in 2022, BLS
- Average settlement for truck back injury $60K, AllLaw 2023
- NHTSA 2022: Economic loss from truck injuries $57B
- OSHA 2022: Hidden costs (training) $10K per injury
- IIHS 2023: Per crash injury cost $200K severe cases
- ATA 2021: 30% of costs from non-crash injuries
- BLS 2021: 25% of truckers miss >30 days post-injury
- CDC 2022: Chronic pain costs trucking $1B/year productivity
- NSC 2023: Total work injury costs $167B, trucking 2%
- FMCSA 2020: CSA violation injuries cost $500M
- Insurance Journal 2023: Trucker claims average $45K
- BLS 2020: Indemnity payments $1.5B for truck transport
- NIOSH 2023: Ergonomic interventions save $4 per $1 spent
- IIHS 2021: Tech safety reduces injury costs 15%
Recovery and Cost Statistics Interpretation
Behind these staggering figures lies a brutal math where the human cost of a trucker's pain is measured in years of lost wages, billions in premiums, and a societal tab so large it could probably buy every injured driver a very comfortable retirement couch.
Sources & References
- Reference 1BLSbls.govVisit source
- Reference 2OSHAosha.govVisit source
- Reference 3CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 4FMCSAfmcsa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 5INJURYFACTSinjuryfacts.nsc.orgVisit source
- Reference 6IIHSiihs.orgVisit source
- Reference 7TRUCKINGtrucking.orgVisit source
- Reference 8AIai.fmcsa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 9WISQARSwisqars.cdc.govVisit source
- Reference 10NHTSAnhtsa.govVisit source
- Reference 11CRASHSTATScrashstats.nhtsa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 12CDAROADMAPcdaroadmap.fmcsa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 13WONDERwonder.cdc.govVisit source
- Reference 14NEWSROOMnewsroom.aaa.comVisit source
- Reference 15ALLLAWalllaw.comVisit source
- Reference 16CSAcsa.fmcsa.dot.govVisit source
- Reference 17INSURANCEJOURNALinsurancejournal.comVisit source