How common is drug and alcohol abuse among truckers?

While today’s truck drivers play a critical role in the commerce system across Florida and the United States, many of them also pose a threat to the motoring public because of their admitted substance abuse. The results of numerous studies reveal that a significant percentage of commercial truck drivers are taking unnecessary and dangerous risks while driving their trucks, and they are endangering you, your loved ones and everyone else on the roadways in doing so.

Just how common is substance abuse among truck drivers? According to the American Addiction Centers, semi-truck drivers are using drugs and alcohol while on the clock at alarming rates, despite the fact that the dangers linked to doing so have been tremendously well-documented. In fact, more than 90% of the respondents in more than 35 studies conducted across 13 years admitted to drinking on the job, while another about 8% said they had used cocaine at some point or another while driving their trucks.

Amphetamine abuse, which has long plagued many professionals in the trucking industry, is also a clear and evident problem, per study results. More than 82 percent of participants in the studies acknowledged having used amphetamines before getting behind, or while, at the wheel, with some doing so because they wanted to stay awake longer or be able to cover more ground.

Others in the industry likely turn to alcohol and drugs simply out of boredom, or because they are lonely and looking for an escape after spending long, solitary stretches by themselves. Abusing drugs or alcohol before driving a truck can impact everything from a driver’s reaction time to his or her judgment, however, so it is critical that employers do more to educate their workers and prevent substance abusers from taking to the roads.

This copy about the prevalence of substance abuse among truck drivers is for informational purposes only, and it is not meant to serve as legal advice.