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Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities
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Heavy and Tractor‐Trailer Truck Drivers, 2015‐2019
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.
| 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.
| 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/overview/cfoi.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