The Cost of Workers Comp Payments
is 1 Billion Dollars per Week

How are Workers Injured?

An infographic from Bolt Insurance shows workman’s comp claims costing US businesses alone $1 Billion dollars per week.  1 in 4 injuries is caused by overexertion.

Most Dangerous Industries

One of the most dangerous industries to work in is transportation and warehousing business.

Cost of Workman’s Comp Claims to Businesses

Indirect costs of injuries maybe 20 times the direct costs.  Businesses are left with having to pay for workers’ compensation payments, medical expenses, the cost for legal services, with indirect costs including training replacement employees, repairs of damaged equipment and property, lowered employee morale and productivity as a result, accident investigation, and implementation of corrective measures.

Did you know that trucking, cargo and insurance companies lose billions a year due to operator injury?

Did you know 50% of all trucking injuries are sprains/strains?  Check out our infographic on workplace injuries, costs and causes:

Trucking and Warehouse Injuries, Costs and Causes

How Much is Workman’s Comp?

Workers compensation insurance for trucking companies is expensive. It pays to shop around for a commercial truck insurance policy and find the best deal.

Rates are mostly a function of the number of drivers you have and their salary. These rates also vary tremendously by state with California having the highest rates in the nation. It pays to shop around and get the best deal. We can help you with that.

Here’s a real example based on a truck company with 4 drivers with annual salaries of $38,000/year.

• In Alabama the rate would be $375 per driver per month. So with 4 drivers, it would cost $18,000/year for a workers compensation policy.
• In Mississippi the rate would be $250 per driver per month. With 4 drivers the yearly cost would be $12,000.
• In California the rate, don’t cry, would be $625/month per driver. So 4 drivers would be $30,000 each year. Ouch!

Who Needs Workman’s Comp?

When you have employees, they may get injured while on the job. If you had to pay their medical bills out of pocket, you could go bankrupt faster than a Ferrari in the hammer lane. Workers comp covers your truck drivers if they are injured or disabled while working for you.

This is also commonly called Workman’s compensation, but if you haven’t noticed, there is a growing number of lady truckers. So it’s best to pick a name for the coverage that includes everyone.

The laws for this coverage vary by state, but if you have employees you need this coverage. There are stiff penalties for not covering your employees.

Equip operators with the proper tools needed and promote safety to help them avoid injury.

The OPNBar tool, for instance, can help avoid some injuries by providing an ergonomic means of opening shipping containers, checking for low-pressure tires, and aiding operators in releasing the tractor from the trailer. Please be sure to read OPNBar Extended Instructions & Precautions Safer Grip by OPNBar™️ are ideal work gloves for all-day use for light manufacturing, warehouse operators, and for use in maintenance areas.  Safer Grip gloves by OPNBar are ideal multi-purpose work gloves for various applications like trucking and delivery, warehouses, maintenance areas, light manufacturing, and carpentry. They are also great for gardening, and various outdoor activities that require grip in wet conditions, like boating, fishing, hiking, and biking, and can help protect hands while providing extra grip when handling tools and materials.

Proud to be recommended by:

Trucker Safety: Head Injuries from Releasing 5th Wheel

John worked for a company that pulled reefer trailers. For the most part, John kept the same trailer couple all of the time – that is unless the truck or trailer needed service. On March 30th his trailer needed to be dropped at the company shop for service to the refer unit. The company had a very small area to park trailers, so all of the trailers were dropped pretty close to one another. In fact, there was only about 5 feet of clearance on either side of his trailer when John backed his trailer into the only empty spot he could find. He climbed out of his truck, lowered the landing gear and grabbed his fifthwheel hook. Once he reached his 5th wheel pull hook under the trailer and began to pull, he noticed that the fifth-wheel release was a bit stubborn and that he would need to pull harder.

As John pulled hard, the hook came loose and he flew backwards into the next trailer. The back of his head struck the bottom edge of that trailer causing a 2 inch cut that bled profusely. He ran to the office with his bloodsoaked hand covering the cut. The mechanic (who was also an EMT for the local fire department) was there and provided first-aid, getting the bleeding under control. John was then taken to the local hospital where he received 17 stitches.

A review of this incident revealed that the 5th wheel pull hook that John was using was aluminum (a soft metal). As he pulled on the stubborn fifth-wheel release hard, the hook portion straightened and slipped off of the fifth-wheel release handle.

LIFE LESSON

Although John only lost 2 days of work because of this incident any head trauma is serious. Certainly for John the following life lesson will forever be embedded in his mind.

Using a 5th wheel pull hook is recommended. However, soft-metal hooks (such as those made from aluminum) are unsafe as they are too susceptible to bending.

When using a hook to pull a fifth-wheel release get a wide foot stance, with your rear foot parallel with the trailer. Such a stance will help you maintain your stability if the hook slips off of the fifth-wheel release handle.

Source: Midwestern Insurance Alliance

Equip operators with the proper tools needed and promote safety to help them avoid injury.

The OPNBar tool, for instance, can help avoid some injuries by providing an ergonomic means of opening shipping containers, checking for low-pressure tires, and aiding operators in releasing the tractor from the trailer. Please be sure to read OPNBar Extended Instructions & Precautions Safer Grip by OPNBar™️ are ideal work gloves for all-day use for light manufacturing, warehouse operators, and for use in maintenance areas.  Safer Grip gloves by OPNBar are ideal multi-purpose work gloves for various applications like trucking and delivery, warehouses, maintenance areas, light manufacturing, and carpentry. They are also great for gardening, and various outdoor activities that require grip in wet conditions, like boating, fishing, hiking, and biking, and can help protect hands while providing extra grip when handling tools and materials.

Did you know that trucking, cargo and insurance companies lose billions a year due to operator injury?

Did you know 50% of all trucking injuries are sprains/strains?  Check out our infographic on workplace injuries, costs and causes:

Trucking and Warehouse Injuries, Costs and Causes

Strains and Sprains:
The Most Costly Injuries in Trucking

Work-related strains and sprains are injuries to muscles, tendons and nerves that are referred to by doctors and researchers as musculoskeletal disorders or MSDs. Strains and sprains can have many causes and each additional risk factor increases the likelihood of injury. Risk factors for muscles, tendons and nerves include:

• Repetitive use without adequate rest
• Lifting heavy or awkward objects or boxes
• Awkward postures such as reaching overhead for long periods of time
• Gripping something tightly

Work-related strains and sprains include:

• Back pain
• Shoulder pain
• Muscle strain
• Tendonitis
• Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)
• Tennis elbow (epicondylitis)

Costs

Work-related strains and sprains are the most costly and most frequent injuries in the trucking industry.

Workers’ compensation costs

• 41% of compensable claims are the result of strains and sprains to the neck, back and upper extremity (shoulders, elbows, hands/wrists)
• The average cost for a claim is over $26,000
• Average of 184 time-loss days

Compared to other industries
Couriers have almost four times the rate of work-related strains and sprains claims of all industries combined. Waste Collection has three and a half times the rate and General Freight trucking is close with almost two and a half times the rate of work-related strains and sprains of all other industries combined.

Additional costs
Work-related strains and sprains also increase the cost of hiring and training, increase turnover and decrease productivity. Sometimes workers are unable to return to their full wage jobs after such an injury or require extensive life-altering surgeries or treatments to recover

Source: KeepTruckingSafe.org

Trucking Industry has Highest Workers’ Compensation Claim Rates in Washington State

The trucking industry has some of the highest workers’ compensation claim rates and costs in Washington State.  Claims are so high that they have an initiative for preventing on the job injury, called the TIRES Initiative.

The TIRES research team is working with industry leaders, safety and health professionals, employers, drivers, warehouse and dock workers, and many others to develop educational materials that identify hazards and provide low-cost, simple solutions to prevent injuries in the trucking industry.

Click here for more info:

Equip operators with the proper tools needed and promote safety to help them avoid injury.

The OPNBar tool, for instance, can help avoid some injuries by providing an ergonomic means of opening shipping containers, checking for low-pressure tires, and aiding operators in releasing the tractor from the trailer. Please be sure to read OPNBar Extended Instructions & Precautions Safer Grip by OPNBar™️ are ideal work gloves for all-day use for light manufacturing, warehouse operators, and for use in maintenance areas.  Safer Grip gloves by OPNBar are ideal multi-purpose work gloves for various applications like trucking and delivery, warehouses, maintenance areas, light manufacturing, and carpentry. They are also great for gardening, and various outdoor activities that require grip in wet conditions, like boating, fishing, hiking, and biking, and can help protect hands while providing extra grip when handling tools and materials.

Did you know that trucking, cargo and insurance companies lose billions a year due to operator injury?

Did you know 50% of all trucking injuries are sprains/strains?  Check out our infographic on workplace injuries, costs and causes:

Trucking and Warehouse Injuries, Costs and Causes

Trucking Safety

Trucking is one of the highest injury professions.  Some states have such a high rate of injury for truck drivers that there are initiatives to help protect drivers.  Truck driving can be a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.  The trucker cab front seat is the truck driver’s office.  They provide a vital service that keeps the economy moving, getting products from point A to point B and everywhere else they need to be.

While the road offers some flexible freedom, there is pressure to deliver on time.  One of the keys to delivering on time is to ensure trucking safety.  Here are some tips that can help keep truck drivers safe and healthy.

Trucking Safety #1: Take care of yourself and keep healthy

Keeping fit, eating right, and avoiding injury is a big part of being a safe trucker driver.  Truck drivers are on the road long periods of time, and health issues are part of the job if you don’t take care of yourself.  A big part of truck driver safety has less to do with your vehicle, and more to do with you. Getting enough sleep, eating right, exercising, and taking quality home time will all help you feel more content and refreshed behind the wheel.

Trucking Safety #2: Equip yourself with the right tools for the job

Without the right tools, truck drivers can be prone to injury.  Use tools to help you avoid injury, check tires for low pressure, avoid strains when reaching underneath the trailer, etc.  A tool like the OPNBar can help avoid injuries or strains when opening and closing truck trailer or shipping container doors.  If you don’t have these tools, let your company know about them.  Who knows, you could be promoted for helping to lower workman’s comp claims.

Trucking Safety #3: Reducing Accidents

Equip operators with the proper tools needed and promote safety to help them avoid injury.

The OPNBar tool, for instance, can help avoid some injuries by providing an ergonomic means of opening shipping containers, checking for low-pressure tires, and aiding operators in releasing the tractor from the trailer.



Please be sure to read OPNBar Extended Instructions & Precautions

Safer Grip by OPNBar™️ are ideal work gloves for all-day use for light manufacturing, warehouse operators, and for use in maintenance areas.  Safer Grip gloves by OPNBar are ideal multi-purpose work gloves for various applications like trucking and delivery, warehouses, maintenance areas, light manufacturing, and carpentry. They are also great for gardening, and various outdoor activities that require grip in wet conditions, like boating, fishing, hiking, and biking, and can help protect hands while providing extra grip when handling tools and materials.

Trucking Safety #4: Buckle your seatbelt

As with driving any vehicle, your chances of being killed are almost 25 times higher if you are thrown from your vehicle during a crash. Safety belts can keep you from being tossed out a window, from being dragged on the road or from being crushed by your own vehicle or another.

Trucking Safety #5: Don’t speed

Truck drivers have their own speed limit for a reason.  Trucks have much less control when going fast than cars.  Curve and entrance/exit ramp speed limits are intended for small vehicles, not large trucks. Studies show large trucks often lose control or roll over when entering a curve at a posted speed limit due to their high center of gravity.

Trucking Safety #6: Pay attention to driving conditions

Unless you’re on the show, “Ice Road Truckers” if really bad weather is in the forecast, consider taking a detour or pulling over to ride out the storm.  Bad weather conditions contribute to 25 percent of speeding-related large-truck fatalities. Drivers should reduce their speed by one-third on wet roads and by half or more on snow-packed streets.

Trucking Safety #7: Check and recheck blind spots frequently

Truck drivers have many blind spots and no rear view mirror.  Never rely on other drivers to stay out of your blind spots; they may not be aware of the size of your vehicle’s “no zone.” Check your mirrors every 5-8 seconds as well as before you change lanes, turn or merge. This will help you keep track of changing traffic patterns around your truck.

Trucking Safety #8: Watch the road

Pay attention to the road.  Don’t drive distracted or be on your phone.  To safely slow down, a commercial motor vehicle driver should look at least 15 seconds ahead (a quarter-mile on the interstate and one-and-a-half blocks in the city). Paying close attention to the road ahead helps avoid abrupt braking situations and potential accidents.

Trucking Safety #9: Don’t drive drowsy

If you are drowsy, pull over.  Research shows that being awake for 18 hours is comparable to having a blood alcohol concentration of .08 percent, that is no good. Keep yourself safe and the motorists around you.  Always pay attention to signs of drowsiness like frequent yawning, heavy eyes, blurry vision, and spacing out.  Don’t lose your job, or even worse, kill someone.  Pull over and stay safe.

Did you know that trucking, cargo and insurance companies lose billions a year due to operator injury?

Did you know 50% of all trucking injuries are sprains/strains?  Check out our infographic on workplace injuries, costs and causes:

Trucking and Warehouse Injuries, Costs and Causes

Keep on trucking and be safe out there truckers!

Proud to be recommended by:

Workers Comp Rates for Trucking Companies

Workers compensation insurance for trucking companies is expensive. It pays to shop around and find the best deal.

Rates are mostly a function of the number of drivers you have and their salary. These rates also vary tremendously by state with California having the highest rates in the nation. It pays to shop around and get the best deal. We can help you with that.

Here’s a real example based on a truck company with 4 drivers with annual salaries of $38,000/year.

• In Alabama the rate would be $375 per driver per month. So with 4 drivers, it would cost $18,000/year for a workers compensation policy.
• In Mississippi the rate would be $250 per driver per month. With 4 drivers the yearly cost would be $12,000.
• In California the rate, don’t cry, would be $625/month per driver. So 4 drivers would be $30,000 each year. Ouch!

Who Needs Workman’s Comp?

When you have employees, they may get injured while on the job. If you had to pay their medical bills out of pocket, you could go bankrupt faster than a Ferrari in the hammer lane. Workers comp covers your truck drivers if they are injured or disabled while working for you.

This is also commonly called Workman’s compensation, but if you haven’t noticed, there is a growing number of lady truckers. So it’s best to pick a name for the coverage that includes everyone.

The laws for this coverage vary by state, but if you have employees you need this coverage. There are stiff penalties for not covering your employees.

Source: commercialtruckinsurancehq.com

Equip operators with the proper tools needed and promote safety to help them avoid injury.

The OPNBar tool, for instance, can help avoid some injuries by providing an ergonomic means of opening shipping containers, checking for low-pressure tires, and aiding operators in releasing the tractor from the trailer. Please be sure to read OPNBar Extended Instructions & Precautions Safer Grip by OPNBar™️ are ideal work gloves for all-day use for light manufacturing, warehouse operators, and for use in maintenance areas.  Safer Grip gloves by OPNBar are ideal multi-purpose work gloves for various applications like trucking and delivery, warehouses, maintenance areas, light manufacturing, and carpentry. They are also great for gardening, and various outdoor activities that require grip in wet conditions, like boating, fishing, hiking, and biking, and can help protect hands while providing extra grip when handling tools and materials.

Did you know that trucking, cargo and insurance companies lose billions a year due to operator injury?

Did you know 50% of all trucking injuries are sprains/strains?  Check out our infographic on workplace injuries, costs and causes:

Trucking and Warehouse Injuries, Costs and Causes

Proud to be recommended by:

50 Percent of Trucker Injuries are Due to Strains and Sprains

According to Knestaut, A. Compensation and Working Conditions, (1997, Fall)., truck drivers had more nonfatal injuries (over 151,000) than workers in any other occupation in 1995.  Half of the nonfatal injuries were serious sprains and strains; this may be attributed to the fact that many truck drivers must unload the goods they transport.

Of all trucker injuries, strains and sprains make up 50% of injuries.  Work-related strains and sprains are injuries to muscles, tendons and nerves that are referred to by doctors and researchers as musculoskeletal disorders or MSDs. Strains and sprains can have many causes and each additional risk factor increases the likelihood of injury. Risk factors for muscles, tendons and nerves include:

• Overexertion
• Contact with or being struck by an object
• Falling
• Transportation accidents
• Repetitive use without adequate rest
• Lifting heavy or awkward objects or boxes
• Awkward postures such as reaching overhead for long periods of time
• Gripping something tightly

Work-related strains and sprains include:

• Back pain
• Shoulder pain
• Muscle strain
• Tendonitis
• Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)
• Tennis elbow (epicondylitis)

Other common trucker injuries include bruises, fractures, cuts and lacerations, soreness and pain, and multiple traumatic injuries.

Costs

Work-related strains and sprains are the most costly and most frequent injuries in the trucking industry.

Sprains, strains and overexertion accounted for the most trucking-related injuries, with costs exceeding $107 million and resulting in 576,000 lost-work days. About 70 percent of these injuries were to drivers. Many of the injuries occurred while connecting or disconnecting a trailer to the truck or opening stuck trailer doors.

Workers’ compensation costs

• 41% of compensable claims are the result of strains and sprains to the neck, back and upper extremity (shoulders, elbows, hands/wrists)
• The average cost for a claim is over $26,000
• Average of 184 time-loss days

Compared to other industries
Couriers have almost four times the rate of work-related strains and sprains claims of all industries combined. Waste Collection has three and a half times the rate and General Freight trucking is close with almost two and a half times the rate of work-related strains and sprains of all other industries combined.

Additional costs
Work-related strains and sprains also increase the cost of hiring and training, increase turnover and decrease productivity. Sometimes workers are unable to return to their full wage jobs after such an injury or require extensive life-altering surgeries or treatments to recover

Source: KeepTruckingSafe.org

Trucking Industry has Highest Workers’ Compensation Claim Rates in Washington State

Injury rates in trucking are far above the state average for all other industries combined.  The trucking industry has some of the highest workers’ compensation claim rates and costs in Washington State.  Claims are so high that they have an initiative for preventing on the job injury, called the TIRES Initiative.

Each year, one in every 13 truck drivers in the state of Washington has a work-related injury serious enough that they have to miss work for a period of time.

The TIRES research team is working with industry leaders, safety and health professionals, employers, drivers, warehouse and dock workers, and many others to develop educational materials that identify hazards and provide low-cost, simple solutions to prevent injuries in the trucking industry.

Click here for more info:

Equip operators with the proper tools needed and promote safety to help them avoid injury.

The OPNBar tool, for instance, can help avoid some injuries by providing an ergonomic means of opening shipping containers, checking for low-pressure tires, and aiding operators in releasing the tractor from the trailer. Please be sure to read OPNBar Extended Instructions & Precautions Safer Grip by OPNBar™️ are ideal work gloves for all-day use for light manufacturing, warehouse operators, and for use in maintenance areas.  Safer Grip gloves by OPNBar are ideal multi-purpose work gloves for various applications like trucking and delivery, warehouses, maintenance areas, light manufacturing, and carpentry. They are also great for gardening, and various outdoor activities that require grip in wet conditions, like boating, fishing, hiking, and biking, and can help protect hands while providing extra grip when handling tools and materials.

Did you know that trucking, cargo and insurance companies lose billions a year due to operator injury?

Did you know 50% of all trucking injuries are sprains/strains?  Check out our infographic on workplace injuries, costs and causes:

Trucking and Warehouse Injuries, Costs and Causes

Citations

This article highlights that approximately 50% of trucker injuries are due to strains and sprains. This statistic aligns with data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which reports that strains and sprains account for 50% of common trucker injuries.

Further supporting this, a study funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that sprains and strains accounted for 60% of injuries reported by long-haul truck drivers.

Additionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that in 2018, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers had an incidence rate of 109.0 cases per 10,000 full-time workers for strains, sprains, and tears.

These findings underscore the prevalence of strains and sprains among truck drivers, highlighting the importance of implementing preventive measures to reduce the risk of such injuries.