If you don't think that the trucking industry has anything to do with your life, think again.  The Number #1 killer of Americans is the traffic crash.  While truck drivers have shown an exemplary record in regards to crashes, the statistics say that if you are involved with a truck in a crash, 98% of the time, the automobile driver is the one who is killed. 

Conditions in the trucking industry have been on a downhill slide for some time.  Many believe that we have finally hit rock bottom.  Others believe the worst is yet to come.  Nearly everyone agrees that things are bad and continuing to deteriorate.

This has an effect on every American, in one way or another.  You are sharing the road with many professional and safety conscious truck drivers.  Unfortunately, you must share this same road with drivers who are exhausted, overworked and/or poorly trained.  The incredibly high rate of turnover in the industry virtually ensures that at the very least, the roads have a great many inexperienced truck drivers.  As these same drivers obtain the experience and knowledge that makes them better and safer, they grow bitter and leave.

Turnover is often blamed on the fickleness of the stereotypical truck driver.  The industry simply does not want to deal with the underlying issues and problems because they have a possibly devastating financial risk.  Carriers truly are in a Catch 22 situation, however.  They fear losing customers if they become too "demanding" by insisting on better conditions for drivers from shippers and receivers.  This is a valid fear.  Shippers will take their business elsewhere.  Shippers have been in the driver's seat (though unfortunately, never literally) for a long time.  They have enjoyed low freight rates for many years.  They have benefited tremendously from carriers who have cut each other's rates to practically nothing. 

On this "practically nothing" profit margin, carriers try to operate their businesses and pay their drivers.  Many have failed and many more will.  Some say that "only the strong survive".  Closer to truth would be "only the cutthroats survive".

The driver cannot depend upon the carrier, his employer, to do what is in his best interest.