WHY TRUCKING COMPANIES HIRE UNSAFE DRIVERS
In case after case, we see truck drivers with bad driving records cause yet another crash. Given that trucking companies are required by law to check their drivers’ records, I wondered why they would keep hiring unsafe drivers. I did a little digging, and learned the answer was painfully obvious: to make more money. Trucking companies make money by hauling loads. An empty truck makes no money. In fact, an empty truck costs the company money because the company still has to pay insurance, make the truck payment, etc. A typical over-the-road or regional truck generates $800 to $1,000 per day in gross revenue when it is hauling loads. That same truck has around $100 per day in fixed overhead, such as the truck payment, insurance, taxes, and maintenance escrow. The company will also have to pay around $260 per day for fuel, and $200 per day for the driver, leaving the total costs around $560 per day. Therefore, a trucking company makes a profit of $240 to $440 for every day a tru...