Truck driving is a dangerous career choice and there many factors that affect the safety of both driver and contents while on the road. Weather conditions, driving habits and other commuters can cause accidents or other catastrophes, and for these reasons, transportation insurance is a necessity. Protecting your drivers, your cargo and other vehicles on the road requires knowing the hazards and risks that exist and taking action against them.
What Is a Hazard for Truck Drivers?
For truck drivers, the occupational hazards they face exist come from both the external conditions outside the rig and the internal tasks they complete. Keeping the drivers healthy, safe and able to arrive at the final destination requires a proactive strategy in each of these areas.
1. Roadway Accidents
Truck driving is considered a deadly occupation. The fact that drivers spend the majority of their employment on the road leads them highly exposed to injury and harm from driving accidents. Drivers cross interstates during all hours of the day or night, driving through weather conditions and exhaustion to ensure product delivery. Speeding, inclement weather and other drivers are contributing factors to safety risks while on the road.
2. Bodily Injuries
Though it may seem to be a sedentary job, truck drivers spend a lot of time physically preparing their trucks or loading goods into the truck. Drivers can be injured while changing a tire, lifting equipment or goods or coupling or uncoupling the truck and trailer. Less recognized are the ergonomic injuries that exist for truck drives. Hours of sitting in one position, the jarring bumps of the road and the vibration of the steering wheel can cause permanent damage to the body. Exposure to sunlight and the noise of the engine can also cause vision and hearing problems.
What Are the Hazards of Semi Trucks?
While drivers themselves experience a number of hazards from their career choice, there are a number of hazards associated with semi trucks. These hazards pose risks to other drivers on the road, and transportation insurance is meant to protect both the company’s interests and those of the others on the road. Cargo that is improperly secured or aggressive driving issues relate to the driver’s actions but impact fellow motorists.
Blind spots are a problem for truck drivers, and these areas impact the visibility of small cars and motorcycles along certain areas of the truck. The most vulnerable spots include the sides of the trailer, directly behind the trailer and close in front of the cab. Semi trucks also require extra room to make a turn, and problems with the turning radius could increase the likelihood of an accident in an intersection.
Protect Your Exposures
The many hazards of the trucking industry require adequate transportation insurance and proactive risk management strategies. Address these hazards to protect your driver, your interest and others traveling on the road.
About The Hilb Group
Deciding what coverage you need and what limits and deductibles make the most sense can be tricky. Founded in 2009, the Hilb Group has been helping clients to make sense of their options and make the smartest choices for their circumstances. Whether you need Warehouse Insurance or any other type of business or personal coverage, we encourage you to contact our friendly, experienced, and capable team today. Call us at (800) 776-3078 for a consultation.