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When the Truck Isn’t Moving: The Injury Risks Drivers Face Every Day

When people think about safety in trucking, they usually think about what happens on ... the road. But some of the most common injury risks drivers face happen when the truck is parked. Getting in and out of the cab. Climbing onto equipment. Pulling tarps. Securing loads. Opening trailer doors. Walking through muddy yards, gravel lots, loading docks, snow, or ice. These routine tasks may not seem dramatic, but they can lead to serious injuries if the hazards are overlooked. Slips, trips, falls, and musculoskeletal injuries remain key workplace safety concerns, and employers have a responsibility to identify and reduce those risks. In trucking, it is easy for these types of injuries to be dismissed as just part of the job. A sore shoulder after wrestling with a stuck trailer door. A strained back after handling chains or straps. A slip while stepping down from the cab in poor weather. But these incidents are not unavoidable. They are workplace hazards, and like any other hazard, they can be assessed and controlled. WorkSafeBC’s guidance on musculoskeletal injury prevention makes clear that employers need to identify factors in the workplace that may expose workers to MSI risk. For fleets, that means looking beyond collision prevention alone. It means paying attention to the full job. Are drivers climbing safely with proper three-point contact? Are yard surfaces being maintained? Are workers carrying equipment in ways that increase their risk of strain? Are trailer access points, load securement practices, and footwear choices being considered as part of the safety conversation? Slips and trips are often linked to walking surfaces, housekeeping, footwear, and pace, all of which are highly relevant in trucking environments. This is also where a strong safety culture matters. If drivers feel pressure to rush, skip steps, or push through discomfort, small hazards can quickly turn into injuries. Encouraging workers to report near misses, flag potentially hazardous tasks, and speak up about unsafe site conditions can help employers identify and address issues before someone gets hurt. When driving is part of the job, employers, supervisors, and workers all have legal responsibilities for health and safety. The good news is that there are practical ways to reduce these risks. Employers can review common injury points in day-to-day operations, talk with drivers about the tasks that cause the most strain, reinforce safe entry and exit from vehicles, inspect yards and loading areas, and build short safety talks around the work drivers do before and after they get behind the wheel. Even small improvements can make a meaningful difference over time. In trucking, safety does not begin when the wheels start turning, and it does not end when the truck is parked. Some of the biggest opportunities to prevent injury are found in the everyday tasks in between. SafetyDriven can help employers identify these risks and strengthen their approach to workplace safety in trucking. Contact our team to learn more about the resources, support, and services available.