It is well known that people make more mistakes when they’re in a rush. It doesn’t only matter if they’re driving. This is also true at work or at school. Rushing leads to errors and mistakes that wouldn’t have been made otherwise.
This is especially problematic with drivers. Many American drivers always seem to be in a rush as they try to stick to strict schedules, hurry into the office, rush to a doctor’s appointment or something else of this nature. This is one of the reasons for aggressive driving. Someone who is in a rush is going to feel frustrated and angry whenever anything slows them down.
What does all of this have to do with truck drivers and their pay rates? These rates can create a sense of pressure that causes drivers to rush, and that can contribute to serious accidents that harm other individuals.
Being paid by the mile
The issue is that, at least in most cases, a truck driver doesn’t have an hourly rate or a salary. Instead, they have a rate by which they are paid for every mile that they drive. If a driver was paid $.50 a mile, for instance, and he or she drove 200 miles in a day, they would earn $100.
What this means is that drivers are incentivized to cover distance, which is certainly what trucking companies want because it makes them more productive. But it also means that a driver is going to reap financial gains if they break the speed limit and cover more miles. Plus, drivers who have been delayed by things like road work or traffic jams may feel that they are actively losing money while they wait in traffic, leading to aggressive driving and rushing behaviors afterwards.
The danger of truck accidents
Semi-trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. A passenger car will probably only weigh a few thousand pounds. This makes them extremely dangerous and people in passenger cars are often injured in these accidents. If you or a family member has been injured, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation.