History of Truck driver in Timeline

A truck driver is an individual employed to operate a truck, typically a large goods vehicle (LGV) or heavy goods vehicle (HGV), for commercial purposes. Their primary responsibility is the safe and efficient transportation of goods over varying distances, often adhering to strict schedules and regulations. This profession is essential for supply chains and logistics, contributing significantly to the movement of products and materials across regions and countries. Truck drivers must possess specialized driving skills and certifications to handle these large vehicles and comply with transportation laws.

1929: 1929 stock-market crash

Following the 1929 stock-market crash, the reduction in sales due to consumers' prioritizing and reducing luxury item purchases, with companies responding by reducing production and increasing unemployment, exacerbated the cycle of reduction or elimination of production, sales, and employment, plunging the nation's economy into the Great Depression.

1936: Household Goods Mileage Guide Published

In 1936, Rand McNally, in conjunction with the precursor of the National Moving & Storage Association, developed and published the first Household Goods Mileage Guide containing about 300 point-to-point mileages. This guide was an early attempt to standardize motor carrier freight rates, particularly for movers of household goods.

1940: Release of "They Drive by Night"

In 1940, the film "They Drive by Night" was released, marking one of the early representations of truck drivers in film.

1974: Nationwide speed-limit reduction

In 1974, the nationwide speed-limit reduction to 55 mph, which merely slowed the movement of merchandise, was followed by the recession of the late 1970s.

1975: Release of "White Line Fever" and "Convoy"

In 1975, the film "White Line Fever" and the hit song "Convoy" by C. W. McCall were released, popularizing truck drivers in popular culture.

1977: Release of Smokey and the Bandit

In 1977, the film Smokey and the Bandit, was released, which revolves around the escapades of two CB-talking truck driver friends, one driving point as they transport a load of bootleg Coors beer across state lines.

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1978: Release of "Convoy" and "F.I.S.T."

In 1978, the film "Convoy" was released, and the film F.I.S.T., a fictionalized account of the unionization of the trucking industry in the earlier 20th century.

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1992: Truck Drivers Account for Highest Number of Fatalities

From 1992, truck drivers had a higher total number of fatalities than any other occupation, accounting for 12% of all work-related deaths.

1995: Truck Drivers Account for Highest Number of Fatalities

Until 1995, truck drivers had a higher total number of fatalities than any other occupation, accounting for 12% of all work-related deaths.

1996: Release of Space Truckers

In 1996, the film Space Truckers speculated on the future of truck driving with interplanetary loads.

January 1997: Driving Licence Restrictions

In January 1997, individuals passing their category B driving test before this date may have been restricted to driving C1+E Lorries between 3,500 kg and 7,500 kg with a trailer over 750 kg, with a total weight not exceeding 8,250 kg.

2000: ISS-2 Created

In 2000 the original Inspection Selection System (ISS) and the Motor Carrier Safety Status Measurement System (SafeStat) combined to create ISS-2.

2000: NTSB Highway Investigation Report Released

In 2000, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a highway special investigation report containing various statistics.

April 2001: FMCSA and NHTSA study on truck crashes begins

In April 2001, the FMCSA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began an extensive study to investigate the causes of large truck crashes.

2002: FHWA Study on Truck Parking

A study published in 2002 by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) division of the U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) indicates that "parking areas for trucks and buses along major roads and highways are more than adequate across the nation when both public (rest areas) and commercial parking facilities are factored in."

December 2003: FMCSA and NHTSA study on truck crashes concludes

From April 2001 to December 2003, the FMCSA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a study which reported that truck driver fatigue was present in thirteen percent of crashes resulting in fatalities or injuries.

February 2005: Idling Restrictions for Commercial Diesel Vehicles

Effective February 1, 2005, commercial diesel-fueled vehicles with a GVWR greater than 10,000 pounds became subject to idling restrictions.

November 2005: FMCSA Report on Large Truck Crashes

In a November 2005 FMCSA report to Congress, the data for 33 months of large truck crashes was analyzed. 87 percent of crashes were driver error. In cases where two vehicles, a car and a truck, were involved, 46 percent of the cases involved the truck's driver and 56 percent involved the car's driver.

2005: Record Employee Turnover in Long-Haul Trucking

In the 4th quarter of 2005, employee turnover within the largest carriers in the long-haul trucking industry reached a record 136%, indicating significant instability in the workforce.

2005: Lower Fatal Crashes than in 2005

While there has been a 29% increase in fatal crashes since 2009, this number is still lower than what it was in 2005.

2006: U.S. Trucking Industry Employment Statistics

In 2006, the U.S. trucking industry employed 3.4 million drivers. Concerns arose about an aging driver population and potential driver shortages.

April 2007: EU regulation on drivers' working hours in force

In April 2007, EU (EC) No 561/2006, which regulates drivers' working hours in the European Union, came into force on 11 April 2007. The regulation stipulates that nonstop driving time cannot exceed 4.5 hours, followed by a break of at least 45 minutes, which can be split into two breaks of at least 15 and 30 minutes, respectively.

June 2007: Premiere of Ice Road Truckers

On 17 June 2007, the History Channel began to air Ice Road Truckers, a documentary-style reality television series following truck drivers as they drive across the ice roads in the Northwest Territories in Canada, transporting equipment to the oil and natural gas mines in that area.

2007: Study on truck driver obesity

According to a 2007 study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 86% of the estimated 3.2 million truck drivers in the United States are overweight or obese.

2009: Truck Drivers Account for Transportation-Related Deaths

By 2009, truck drivers accounted for 16.8% of transportation-related deaths, indicating the ongoing safety risks associated with the profession.

2009: Fatalities Involving Large Trucks

In 2009 there were 3380 fatalities involving large trucks, of which 2470 were attributed to combination unit trucks (defined as any number of trailers behind a tractor).

2009: FMCSA Analysis of OOS Violations

In 2009, the FMCSA's Analysis and Information online website published national statistics on accidents. The key driver Out-Of-Service (OOS) categories for the year were: 17.6% log entry violations, 12.6% speeding violations, 12.5% drivers record of duty not current, and 6.5% requiring driver to drive more than 14 hours on duty.

2010: Survey on obesity among American truck drivers

A survey conducted in 2010 showed that 69% of American truck drivers met the criteria for obesity, twice the percentage of the adult working population in the US.

2010: Survey on risk factors among truck drivers

In 2010, 51% of truckers reported that they smoked and 61% reported having two or more risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, high cholesterol, no physical activity, or sleep deprivation.

2010: FMCSA Enacts Compliance, Safety, and Accountability Program

In 2010, the FMCSA enacted the Compliance, Safety, and Accountability program (CSA), formerly known as Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010, to improve commercial motor vehicle safety and prevent crashes, injuries, and fatalities. The program utilizes the Safety Measurement System (SMS) and Behavior Analysis Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs).

2010: Truck driver income comparison to supermarket cashier

In 2010, the median HGV driver in the UK earned 51 percent more per hour than the median supermarket cashier.

2010: Changes to HOS Regulations

Prior to the 2010 changes to Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, truck drivers in the United States often experienced significant unpaid time waiting for loading or unloading at shippers or receivers. CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) addressed this issue and introduced methods for drivers and companies to charge for excessive wait times.

2010: Truck Driver's DAC Report Information

Since 2010, a truck driver's "DAC Report" refers to the employment history information submitted by former employers to HireRight and USIS Commercial Services Inc. (formerly called DAC Services, or "Drive-A-Check").

2010: Multiple Changes to Hours of Service Rules

Since 2010, the hours of service rules has been changed several times and is a concern to carriers and drivers.

2011: FMCSA study on truck crashes published

In 2011, an FMCSA study reported that large truck crashes were increasingly associated with driving times greater than 7 hours, when fatigue begins to affect performance.

2011: BLS Reports Average Truck Driver Hourly Wage

In 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the average hourly wage for heavy and over-the-road truck drivers was $21.74 per hour.

2011: Modification of Hours of Service regulations

In 2011, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) modified Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, permitting drivers to work up to 70 hours in 7 days, with an 11-hour-per-day limit and 10 hours off required after the weekly shift.

April 2012: FMCSA proposed guidance for sleep apnea testing

In April 2012, the FMCSA published a proposed guidance for sleep apnea testing, leading carriers to require drivers to be tested based on neck circumference and Body Mass Index (BMI).

May 2012: FMCSA requirement for health care professional registration

After May 21, 2012, health care professionals had to be registered with the FMCSA to give certifications, and carriers started to require checking.

2012: BLS Reports Median Truck Driver Hourly Wage

In 2012, the BLS reported that the median hourly wage for truck drivers was $18.37 per hour.

2012: FHWA Report on Truck Parking Shortage

In 2012, the FHWA re-evaluated truck parking demand and availability, submitting the Commercial Motor Vehicle Parking Shortage report to Congress in June. The report identified a widespread shortage of truck parking facilities, particularly in certain areas.

2012: FMCSA Rule Change Addressed Issues

In 2012, the FMCSA rule change addressed issues but still presented many problems including the Hours of Service rules for those drivers falling under the required "record of duty status" (RODS).

May 2013: BLS Reports Range of Average Hourly Pay for Truck Drivers

In May 2013, the BLS reported the mean average hourly pay for truck drivers ranged from $12.21 (bottom 10%) to $28.66 per hour (top 10%).

March 2014: Payscale.com Publishes Entry-Level Truck Driver Hourly Rate

In March 2014, Payscale.com published that the entry-level truck driver hourly rate ranged from $11.82 to $20.22 an hour, with the average hourly rate reported as $15.53 an hour.

2014: Study on smoking rates among truck drivers

A 2014 study of 1,600 truck drivers found that truckers in the US smoke at twice the rate of other working adults in the United States.

2014: CDC report on drowsy driving crashes

In 2014, a CDC report (No. 2014–150) stated that most drowsy driving crashes or near misses occur between 0400 and 0600, 0000 and 0200, and 1400–1600 hours, with drivers at the highest risk of a sleep-related accident. Thirty-seven percent of fatal crashes happened between 6PM and 6AM.

2014: Call for Government to Address Truck Driver Shortage in the UK

In 2014, the Road Haulage Association and Freight Transport Association (FTA) have called for the government to help address the shortage of qualified truck drivers in the UK. According to the FTA, there was a shortage of 59,000 truck drivers. The average age of a truck driver was noted to be at 57.

October 2015: NTSB recommendation to FMCSA regarding synthetic drugs

On 12 October 2015, The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) asked the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to draft a proposed plan to address the use of synthetic drugs among truckers.

2015: Pay squeeze experienced by truck drivers

From 2015 to 2021, truck drivers experienced a tighter pay squeeze as median hourly pay rose 10 percent to £11.80, compared to 16 percent for all UK employees.

2015: Survey on morbidity among truck drivers

In 2015, a survey of more than 91,000 truck drivers found similar types of morbidity; truck drivers also suffer from musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular disease, and stress at higher rates.

February 2016: Independent Survey on Driver Shortage Carried Out

During February 2016, an independent survey on the driver shortage was carried out by a UK freight exchange. The purpose of the survey was to get the drivers opinions about the HGV driver shortage.

2016: Reported Truck and Bus Accidents

In 2016 alone, 475,000 crashes involving large trucks were reported to the police, with 0.8% being fatal and 22% resulting in injury. Property damages from these crashes cost several billion dollars.

2016: FMCSA reports on truck driver fatigue

In 2016, the FMCSA reported that truck driver fatigue was a larger contributing factor than alcohol and drugs in fatal truck crashes.

December 2017: FMCSA Mandates EOBR/ELD Use

On December 18, 2017, an FMCSA ruling mandated the use of Electronic On-Board Recorders (EOBR), also known as Electronic Logging Devices (ELD). This new mandate applies to all carriers not under FMCSA exemptions.

December 2017: Mandatory ELD Rule for Carriers Subjected to RODS Rules

On December 18, 2017, the new electronic logging device (ELD) rules became mandatory for carriers subjected to the Record of Duty Status (RODS) rules. Drivers need to be aware that with the ELD rule is a mandate to carry a paper log book and verify that the ELD manual and instruction sheet is in the truck.

September 2018: Testing of New IRT Model

In September 2018, testing began on a new Item Response Theory (IRT) model to replace the current relative rankings system.

2018: Projected Driver Shortage in Long-Haul Sector

By 2018, the shortage of truck drivers within the long-haul sector was expected to increase to 63,000, highlighting ongoing challenges in the industry.

2019: Changes Due

Congress has mandated the system to be overhauled and proposed FMCSA rules were scrapped as a result. New rules being proposed and testing includes a new Item Response Theory (IRT) model to replace the current relative rankings system began being tested in September 2018 with changes due in 2019.

2019: Current relative scoring system

The system in use until 2019 uses a relative scoring system that is based on comparing carriers to their peers

December 2020: Survey Finds Average Truck Driver Work Hours and Pay Per Mile

A December 2020 survey found that the average truck driver in the United States works 70–80 hours per week and earns between $.28 cents to $.40 per mile.

2020: Truck Driver Turnover Rate in Fleets

At the end of 2020, the turnover rate for truck drivers in fleets with more than $30 million of annual revenue was reported to be 92%.

2020: Reduced income premium for truck drivers

In 2020, the income premium for truck drivers was substantially reduced to 27 percent compared to supermarket cashiers.

2021: Pay squeeze experienced by truck drivers

From 2015 to 2021, truck drivers experienced a tighter pay squeeze as median hourly pay rose 10 percent to £11.80, compared to 16 percent for all UK employees.

2021: United Kingdom fuel supply crisis and HGV driver shortage

In 2021, the United Kingdom experienced a fuel supply crisis and shortages of food supplies due to a chronic shortage of HGV truck drivers. This shortage was attributed to factors like excessive hours, poor working conditions, and low wages, exacerbated by Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK government introduced a temporary visa program for 5,000 foreign HGV truck drivers and readied 150 Army tank drivers to deliver fuel.