The nation relies on truck drivers for the transportation of both raw materials and finished products. Countless tractor-trailers are common on highways and freeways from coast to coast. With so much at stake, the occupation presents challenges and significant pressure to make timely deliveries, only for drivers to immediately turn around and continue to the next destination.
Serious injuries
A grueling schedule of long hours combined with sleep deprivation far too often coincides with a wide range of injuries. Both the sedentary nature of the job itself and the lack of proper nutrition as drivers stop for a “quick bite” at their favorite truck stops add to numerous severe injuries and devastating conditions. That recipe for disasters often results in problems requiring surgical procedures or lengthy physical therapy, the most common including:
- Spinal fusion
- Carpal tunnel
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Knee operations
- Burn injury surgery
- Surgery to repair bone fractures
Additional risks
Keeping hands and arms in the same period for multiple miles combined with the vibration within the truck’s cab can lead to injuries that include carpal tunnel and tendonitis. Additionally, the lack of movement for significant amounts of time, only to then lift heavy loads, can become a path to painful sprains and strains.
Arriving at destinations can be dangerous. Climbing out of a truck cab in good and bad weather presents risks. Loading and unloading cargo can lead to a fall that results in an ambulance trip to a local hospital.
Truck drivers face significant injuries while on the job. From muscle strain and back trouble to TBI and joint problems, truckers often struggle with devastating conditions that might necessitate surgery, strong medication or physical therapy to correct.
