Truck driving is often seen as a relatively dangerous job. If someone is on the road for ten hours a day, their risk of a road accident is ten times that of someone that spends one hour on the road per day. Then you have to take into account the fact that truckers are often hauling heavy freight, reaching up to 80,000 lbs.

Fortunately, improvements in technology continue to make trucks safer. Widespread use of cameras, better structures for vehicles to handle collision, and accurate GPS all keep drivers in a better place than they were twenty years ago.

Additionally, the roads themselves are seeing some positive improvement in recent years. The US government passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which will make it safer to drive on highways and bridges, after the budgeted repairs and maintenance works are done.

A recent study by the American Trucking Association reports that the trucking industry invests a whopping $14 billion in safety every year. This money covers new technology, training, and highway expenditures. The study was done through a survey of almost170,000 drivers and nearly 160,000 trucks. Questions were asked about onboard safety technology, training, incentives, safety-related maintenance and compliance.

Chris Spear, President and CEO of ATA, commented: ““This report clearly demonstrates that safety isn’t just a slogan for our industry, it is our mission. While others talk about their commitment to safety, the trucking industry is doing the work and investing in life-saving technology and training every day.”