Occupational injuries in the trucking industry are far too common, as thousands of workers suffer injuries and deaths each year. These are serious trucker injuries that can end a career and leave individuals coping with medical bills and financial uncertainty. Typically, injuries among truck drivers fall within the following categories.
Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD): A Common Trucker Injury
One of the most prevalent trucker injuries is MSD of the neck, back and upper extremities are very common. These issues may be due to loading/unloading the truck or lifting boxes, cartons, containers, garbage cans, tanks or bins.
They can also occur after using vehicle dollies or loaders and working on vehicle tires. Most of these disorders occur from overexertion throughout the loading process.
Falls
Falling from vehicles, falling on stairs and falling are all known incidents within the trucking industry. They are likely to cause injuries while making deliveries on upper floors, exiting the truck or stepping into holes on loading or unloading spaces. The most common causes of trucker injuries related to elevation falls are knee and back sprains from falling out of a vehicle.
Falls from the same level commonly result in injuries after lifting the latch on the back of the truck, putting on tire chains or unloading the truck. Back and knee sprains are the most common injuries from same level falls.
Struck by or Against Objects
Truck drivers can easily be struck by or against objects when lifting hitched trailers, opening containers and attaching trailers to trucks.
Objects that a worker may hit or be hit by:
- Vehicle parts
- Lift-gates
- Winch bars
- Pallet jacks
- Boxes or cartons
- Binders and chains
The most common trucker injuries caused by being hit or struck by objects are back sprains and strains due to boxes or cartons falling on the driver.
Vehicle-related Injuries
Over 50% of truck driver fatalities are the result of vehicle-related injuries. Drivers may become severely injured when they lose control of the vehicle or collide with another car. Workers are at risk not only of getting hurt in a car accident but also of being rolled over by the very truck they are operating. Those who perform various types of work face different injuries. For instance, drivers delivering to residential areas may be at risk of slipping and falling when making a delivery walking up to someone’s porch. While, on the other hand, industrial truckers are more likely to suffer injuries due to loading and unloading heavy materials or issues with malfunctioning lift gates.
All truck drivers are faced with physically demanding tasks that can take a toll on the body with a high risk of injury. The labor-intensive nature of trucking jobs can even be detrimental, which is why it’s crucial to secure workers comp for transportation business.
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