If you are a commercial truck driver, you know how important your job is to the entire American economy. Whether you ship consumer items or groceries, you provide a valuable service to the country. Unfortunately, driving a commercial truck and delivering goods can be tiring and grueling work that often causes injuries.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 65,000 truck drivers suffered illnesses and injuries that caused them to take breaks from work. Here is how you may get hurt or sick while driving your big rig.
1. Loading and unloading
When you are making deliveries or loading up your trailer, you may sustain various musculoskeletal disorders. Potential causes of these injuries include the following:
- Lifting boxes or cartons
- Moving garbage cans or bins
- Using vehicle loaders or dollies
While you are taking care of these job duties, you may sustain back, neck or wrist injuries.
2. Motor vehicle collisions
Due to the inherent nature of your work, you are at a high risk of being in an accident. Even if you are the safest driver and are always alert, you may never know when you may encounter a hazard on the road or a negligent motorist. Trucking accidents may cause you to suffer various injuries, such as whiplash, fractures, brain injuries or back pain.
3. Repetitive motions
One word that you may use to describe your occupation is repetitive. You are constantly sitting, steering and carrying things. While these things may seem harmless, they can actually cause injuries. Some repetitive motions may result in carpal tunnel syndrome, shoulder pain, back pain and neck pain.
4. Working at higher elevations
Another cause of truck driver injuries is falling from an elevation. You may fall while exiting your truck, making a delivery on a higher floor or tripping at a loading dock. Falls may result in sprains, fractures and brain injuries.