Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities

Occupation Snapshot | Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, 2015-2019 | January 2021

Background

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers transport goods from one location to another. Most tractor-trailer drivers are long-haul drivers and operate trucks with a total weight exceeding 26,000 pounds for the vehicle, passengers, and cargo. These drivers deliver goods over intercity routes that sometimes span several states.

As of May 2019, there were 1,856,130 people employed in this occupation. The average hourly wage was $22.52 and the average annual wage was $46,850.

Nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses

In private industry for this occupation, there were 47,990 nonfatal injury and illness cases requiring days away from work during 2019. The incidence rate per 10,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers was 280.

View data

Table 1. Number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work by selected case characteristics, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, private industry, 2019
Case characteristic^[1]	Number of cases
Nature of injury or illness
Sprains, strains, tears	18,960
Soreness, pain	10,730
All other natures	5,990
Fractures	4,540
Bruises, contusions	4,000
Part of body affected
Back	7,540
Multiple body parts	5,610
Knee	5,520
Shoulder	5,070
Ankle	3,170
Source of injury or illness
Vehicles	16,480
Worker motion or position	7,790
Floors, walkways, ground surfaces	6,750
Parts and materials	5,630
Containers	5,140
Event or exposure leading to injury or illness
Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles	6,670
Fall on same level	6,340
Struck by object or equipment	5,560
Fall to lower level	4,670
Slips, trips without fall	3,560
^[1] Data shown correspond to Nature, Part, Source, and Event codes based on the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System 2.01 developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses

Fatal occupational injuries

Fatal work injuries totaled 843 for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers during 2019, compared to 831 during 2018.

Table 2. Fatal occupational injuries by event or exposure, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, all United States, 2015-2019
Event or exposure^[1][2]	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019
Total fatal injuries (number)	745	786	840	831	843
Violence and other injuries by persons or animals	26	23	32	24	44
Transportation incidents	613	632	661	649	656
Fires and explosions	--	6	6	--	9
Falls, slips, trips	28	41	38	30	36
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	16	38	45	55	38
Contact with objects and equipment	60	46	57	67	60
^[1] CFOI data by event are only provided if there are fatal case counts in three or more of the six event categories. For more information visit: https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshfat1.htm. ^[2] Data shown correspond to Event codes based on the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System 2.01 developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Note: Dashes indicate data do not meet BLS publication guidelines. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

Sources

Wage and employment estimates come from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program. Injury and illness information come from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) and Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI). For more information on SOII and CFOI program concepts and definitions see the SOII Handbook of Methods and the CFOI Handbook of Methods.

Last Modified Date: February 3, 2021