Are Truckers Overworked?

How to decrease sleeping behind the wheel.

Research, studies, and anecdotal evidence indicate that truck drivers are overworked and underpaid. Trucking companies push truck drivers to work long hours despite federal limits. More and more truck drivers are driving while fatigued and sleep-deprived, which can reduce their alertness, slow their reaction time, and lead to a much higher chance of an accident.

The trucking industry is a critical part of the economy in the United States and throughout the world. In the U.S. alone, trucks deliver more than 10 billion tons of commodities, accounting for over $700 billion worth of goods.

Nearly all industries need trucks to deliver goods to them so they can produce products or get products from other markets. In fact, the trucking industry carries more cargo than planes, trains, and ships. Seventy percent of all freight moved in the country is done by trucks. Any disruption or problems in the trucking industry can cause many economic disruptions throughout all sectors of the economy.

For more information on this issue, please read the infographic below. (Note: the interactive map below does not work on our site; please go here to use it.)

LegalReader thanks our friends at Morris, King & Hodge, P.C. for permission to republish this infographic. The original can be found here.