Trucking among most fatal occupations, according to federal report

[Mike]

When narrowing down to more detailed occupations, heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver had the most fatalities at 831, according to the report.
Accounting for all occupations, transportation incidents were the most common event leading to an occupational death. With a 1% increase to 2,080 deaths, transportation-related incidents account for 40% of the 5,250 total work-related fatalities. Other fatal events include:

• Violence and other injuries by persons/animals up 2.5% to 828 deaths.
• Fall/slip/trip down 11% to 791 deaths.
• Contact with objects and equipment up 12% to 786 deaths.
• Exposure to harmful substances or environments up 17% to 621 deaths.
• Fire or explosion up 6.5% to 115 deaths.

Trucking among most fatal occupations, according to federal report

More than 800 truckers were killed on the job in 2018, the most among all jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statisitics’ occupation deaths report.

landline.media

 

[Mike]

Not only the most dangerous, it has always been ranked as one of the most stressful as well. You would think that pay and benefits would reflect this.....

 

[Rigjockey]

Not only the most dangerous, it has always been ranked as one of the most stressful as well. You would think that pay and benefits would reflect this.....

It is circular, the lower the pay stays the more dangerous it gets.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Freaking Swifty skewing the numbers.


0

 

[Electric Chicken]

I dunno if pay matters. We always want more more more. Heck we've got drivers pissed when they make less than $400 in a day.

They're retarded, but still.

 

[Mike]

I dunno if pay matters. We always want more more more. Heck we've got drivers pissed when they make less than $400 in a day.

They're retarded, but still.

Pay matters because they make you hustle like hell to earn the pay, in most cases.

Think about this. If you were paid a solid hourly rate or a good salary, how hard would you work? As it is, people drive faster than what is really safe in many cases, tailgate as they race the clock, and constantly do work related activities while claiming to be off duty. Change the pay structure, and you will see driving habits change.

 

[Nomad1]

Pay matters because they make you hustle like hell to earn the pay, in most cases.

Think about this. If you were paid a solid hourly rate or a good salary, how hard would you work? As it is, people drive faster than what is really safe in many cases, tailgate as they race the clock, and constantly do work related activities while claiming to be off duty. Change the pay structure, and you will see driving habits change.

I would assume the union companies pay structure and compensation is better than most other companies. Are their safety records better than everyone else's?

 

[Mike]

I would assume the union companies pay structure and compensation is better than most other companies. Are their safety records better than everyone else's?

I would have to find a way to research it, but probably so.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Pay matters because they make you hustle like hell to earn the pay, in most cases.

Think about this. If you were paid a solid hourly rate or a good salary, how hard would you work? As it is, people drive faster than what is really safe in many cases, tailgate as they race the clock, and constantly do work related activities while claiming to be off duty. Change the pay structure, and you will see driving habits change.

At Amazon I worked harder than most for the same pay because I'm stupid.

I'm just saying paying us more like...getting raises didn't automatically slow me down. I still wanted to chase more cash. It took a shoulder injury to slow me down.

IOW more money per load didn't make me hang back and do less loads.

Some of those causes listed were outside the truck. So it's not just driving. Unless you're kicking your own ass and spraying yourself with methylethylbadshit in the driver's seat....

 

[Mike]

At Amazon I worked harder than most for the same pay because I'm stupid.

I'm just saying paying us more like...getting raises didn't automatically slow me down. I still wanted to chase more cash. It took a shoulder injury to slow me down.

IOW more money per load didn't make me hang back and do less loads.

Exactly.

If it was hourly or salary, there would be not incentive to push for those extra loads. Pretty sure that would change things.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Exactly.

If it was hourly or salary, there would be not incentive to push for those extra loads. Pretty sure that would change things.

Read my first sentence. Hourly wasn't any different. Companies set targets when they stick you on hourly.

Hell look at UPS. They're hourly and still run like they're on fire.

There are a bazillion hourly gigs out there but most of them don't want to pay squat.

Sorry but I ain't working for the same $15 I made in the warehouse.

 

[Shreck]

Read my first sentence. Hourly wasn't any different. Companies set targets when they stick you on hourly.

Hell look at UPS. They're hourly and still run like they're on fire.

There are a bazillion hourly gigs out there but most of them don't want to pay squat.

Sorry but I ain't working for the same $15 I made in the warehouse.

I thought UPS went mileage a long time ago?

 

[Electric Chicken]

I thought UPS went mileage a long time ago?

Those guys that are always flipping the wiggle wagons over are hourly. And it's not chump change. Somewhere around $37/hr plus overtime on the top side.

I don't know about the OTR and flatbed guys though.

So if some of the top hourly wages aren't gonna make people drive safely, that's not really the answer.

 

[389 Hood]

How often do you ever see a UPS truck in a bang up? Them and company WalMart drivers are the only ones that I feel safe going by anymore. I never see either one going back and forth within their lane like most guys are.

The problem around here is no one uses radios anymore.

 

[Padre]

I've been self employed for 33 yrs and can see the companies side of things. This is not approval of those companies that do stupid wrong things. Just for the sake of simplicity lets say the co. grosses $1 mil/yr. Most business will net 10 to 20%. That's the owner's pay for taking the risk, providing the opportunity. It's also the money that pays for expansion, upgrading equipment, hiring new drivers that cost money until or IF they ever provide a profit. If things slow down or things go wrong the bills of $800k to $900k are still there. As a business owner I've spent more time than I like being stressed to the point of puking trying to keep the business going. When you take on the responsibility of the bills that go with running a business you take on a huge load and that is going to filter down on everybody. Some people handle it better than others. The ones that don't are hard to work for. This is just a simple explanation that most people understand but maybe forget sometimes.

 

[Electric Chicken]

How often do you ever see a UPS truck in a bang up? Them and company WalMart drivers are the only ones that I feel safe going by anymore. I never see either one going back and forth within their lane like most guys are.

The problem around here is no one uses radios anymore.

I've seen several in person. It's enough to say hey hourly pay isn't the cure all.

 

[Electric Chicken]

hiring new drivers that cost money until or IF they ever provide a profit.

Carolina Cargo, is that you?

 

[Mike]

I've seen several in person. It's enough to say hey hourly pay isn't the cure all.

Big picture. Figure how many times that happens per miles traveled by the company.

 

[389 Hood]

And every accident takes a year to recoup the losses, as long as they are not catastrophic. Trucking works on a very thin margin.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Big picture. Figure how many times that happens per miles traveled by the company.

Big picture. Figure how many other trucks are out there not flipping over and not paid hourly.

And not just wrecking. They're always hauling ass.

Point is, hourly pay doesn't stop the rush.