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Interstate 5 is a major trucking artery which courses through the center of Northern California. The cities of Redding, Corning and Orland are the half-way point between Seattle and Los Angeles. This brings a tremendous amount of commercial traffic to the north state.

Over the years, our Redding lawyers have represented numerous individuals and families involved in trucking accidents. This has included numerous truckers whom we have grown to appreciate for their hard work and industry, as well as their dedication to the safety of our highways through their professional competence and adherence to national safety standards. We have noticed a disturbing trend, however, and that is that it is becoming more and more difficult for truckers, particularly independents, to earn enough to sustain themselves and their families, and to provide for their “post-trucking” life or retirement. The ever increasing cost of fuel is a significant factor in this equation. As a result, we have seen that truckers are working into their late 60’s and 70’s in order to “keep the ball rolling.” As the trucker population ages, so do many of the health issues which may affect their ability to safely operate their commercial rigs.

In the next few weeks Congress will begin oversight hearings addressing the health fitness of the trucking industry, in the context of what has been described as one of the “biggest causes of occupational death in United States today.” This oversight appears to be prompted by several recent studies on trucker health.

A recent AP study concluded that of the over three million truck drivers who occupy our roadways, a large percentage do not meet adequate minimal health standards. As a result, 5,300 people died in 2006, and another 126,000 were injured in situations where truck drivers fell asleep, suffered heart attacks, seizures, or were otherwise seriously physically impaired.

Another soon to be released report by the Government Accountability Office claims that 563,000 commercial drivers were determined by the Veterans Affairs Department, Labor Department, or Social Security Administration to be eligible for full disability benefits due to their health problems. Of this 563,000, approximately 1,000 drivers have known serious vision defects, hearing problems, and seizure disorders which severely impair their ability to operate a motor vehicle safely.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration openly acknowledges that it hasn’t completed any of the eight recommendations that U.S. safety regulators have proposed since 2001.

Regarding trucker fitness, there is growing concern about “medical certificates” that are truckers are required to regularly obtain. Currently, there is no centralized medical oversight of the medical exams that truckers obtain. Many truckers have the ability to have their medical exams performed by any doctor of their choice. Where truckers have potentially disqualifying health issues, such as high blood pressure, it has been reported that “doctor shopping” is common.

Other concerns arise out of the length of time in which commercial driver’s licenses are valid. Some truck drivers will have known serious health problems years before their license expires. There is currently no effective procedure to intercept these drivers until their licenses expire or some event, such as a catastrophic accident, raises a concern.

With the current attention being brought to this issue, we are hopeful that trucking industry brings trucker health into focus and takes steps to improve it. Such an effort within the industry could lead the way to promoting healthier and more productive lives of the truckers, and would enhance safety on our roads. Unfortunately, the industry is very amorphous and unorganized, (except for large commercial lines), and it may be very difficult for the industry to move itself. If this ends up being the result, it would seem inevitable that Congress or the states will move to make truck health requirements and monitoring more stringent and harsh.