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Why Are There More Drivers on the Road and What Does It Mean for Truckers?

May 4, 2016 by Lady Unemployed

Commute times and local traffic patterns can play a big role in the stress levels experienced by truckers, especially since it seems like there are more drivers on the road in general. There are several factors that contribute to how much traffic is on the road. Do you live in a city or a rural area? Do you travel on highways or take local roads? Are there major trucking lanes that pass through or near your starting and ending points?

All of these factors can contribute to the amount of traffic truck drivers face day-in and day-out as they make their short-distance and long-distance deliveries at their trucking jobs.

According to data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau, the average travel time for workers 16 and over is 25.4 minutes. As that number grows, commuters are becoming more impatient with their long commute times and this leads to more issues for truck drivers.

Irritated drivers are more prone to road rage, and more likely to try to multitask by talking on their cell phone or even texting while driving. This can lead to more accidents and more congested roads for drivers trying to do their jobs.

Freeways, where truckers spend most of their time, are getting more congested. The Texas A&M Transportation Institute predicts that by 2020 the annual delay per commuter will grow from 42 hours to 47 hours. This in turn will impact how long it takes truck drivers to complete their routes and could cost them money in wasted fuel sitting in traffic.

So when you are looking at trucking jobs, be sure to take a few minutes and consider how traffic for the areas you will be operating in can impact your travel times!

This is a sponsored guest post.

1 Comment »

  1. sparkyjen says:

    I have a companion that drives a truck. He’s very time conscious, and often frets about traffic. Apparently, he’s on a rigid driving schedule, which plagues his sensibilities to no end. Thankfully, he’s gotten good about looking for alternative routes. That’s not always easy driving a big truck however, but it keeps his mind occupied instead of causing him to get angry, which wouldn’t be good in the overall scheme of things. I’ve noticed that he also drives slower even in his own vehicle. Traffic or no! Is it becoming a habit I wonder?? He mentioned Atlanta last time we talked. He did get stuck in a doosey of a traffic jam recently. He was unpleasantly surprised by that since both he and I believe Atlanta has a wonderful highway system…just not helping that day. Ugh!

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