Safety and productivity in the long distance trucking industry

Abstract

Media attention to truck safety in recent years has highlighted the lack of scientific evidence on the real causes of heavy vehicle crashes. The paper examines the hypothesis that the underlying causes of unsafe on-road behaviour are inherently linked to the structure of economic reward in the long distance road transport industry. A strong relationship between economic reward and onroad performance was demonstrated in this empirical study. Elements of on-road behaviour include fatigue arising from working and driving hours, work routines, night time driving and stimulant use, and imposition of schedules and speeding. The study's main finding is that economic reward, through freight rates and income uncertainty, has a major influence on on-road behaviour. Competitive practices in the industry should be changed: regular competitive contracts may be a preferred form of load allocation. The study found an element of unsafe driver behaviour which is influenced significantly by the conditions and structure of economic reward in the industry.