Truckers Reveal the Biggest Challenges of Life on the Road

In a recent survey, Truckers News polled 812 drivers, 566 of which were company drivers and 246 were leased owner-operators with 53% of the total participants being over-the-road long-haul drivers.

The survey asked these drivers, “What is your biggest problem as a driver that’s not related to your current employer/leasing fleet?”

The top responses included:

1. Finding parking – 45%
2. Delays from traffic congestion – 32%
3. Detention time – 15%

Slightly more owner-operators (48%) cited parking as the leading problem they face versus company drivers (44%).

From the survey results, it would appear that younger drivers, aged 34 years and below felt parking was the leading problem they faced with 64% of respondents in this age group ranking it first. In drivers 35-54, only 45% ranked this as number one and 44% of drivers over 55 placed parking first.

Interestingly enough, not a single driver in the 34 and under category felt traffic congestion was an area of concern for them. Conversely, 34% of the 55 and older group found this to be their biggest problem, and 28% of those 35-54 chose this as their leading issue.

The good news is that truck parking is getting some attention outside the industry as of late. The recent introduction of a bill in the U.S. Senate that would allocate $700 million to build new truck parking across the country could certainly provide some relief. Several states are also working on infrastructure projects to aid with this issue.

More about the survey participants:

72% were 55 or older
27% were 35-54
2% were 34 or younger

69% have driven for 20+ years
8% have driven 16-20 years
6% have driven for 11-15 years
8% have driven for 6-10 years
7% have driven 5 years or less

26% drive 100,001-125,000 miles per year
26% drive 75,001-100,000 miles per year
17% drive 125,001-150,000 miles per year
8% logged over 150,000 miles per year

53% earned a net income of $75,001 or more
31% earned a net income of $75,001-$100,000
22% earned a net income over $100,000

Source: truckersnews