Labor shortages have plagued the trucking industry since the 1980s as the US began its deregulation and the number of new trucking companies increased. The problem, according to many critics, is that companies are carrying near record freight loads resulting from a flourishing economy, increased online shopping and lowest fuel prices in a decade. Trucking industry employment demand is through the roof and the pay is less than national average for other professional jobs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the nationwide median hourly wage for U.S. heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers is $20.43, or about $40,260 a year and a high of $43,660 for general freight drivers, which accounts for 61 percent of all truck drivers in the U.S.
The pay isn’t congruent with the rigors of the job, causing a massive turnover rate of 102 percent. The lack of higher pay in an era of nearly full employment is leading drivers to quit, particularly long-haul drivers. This means that the roadways we share with these less experience drivers are becoming increasingly unsafe.
When trucking companies and the pressure they put on their employees to put profit over safety result in an accident, the outcome is nearly always devastating, due in large part to the sheer size and weight loads of these vehicles. Recovering from an accident involving a commercial truck can take an enormous toll on you physically and financially; hospital stays, missed work, doctors appointment and in some cases home health nursing while you recover are but a few of the financial burdens victims incur.
If you or a loved one have been in an accident involving an 18-wheeler give our team of experienced truck accident attorneys a call. We have over 20 years’ experience helping our clients recover the compensation they deserve to help fully recover from these tragic and often avoidable incidents. N. Craig Richardson, your Lake Charles 18-wheeler accident attorney.