Truck Drivers Research Articles

Gossip and coping with social isolation: the case of migrant truck drivers in Western Europe.

This article examines how employees use gossip as a resource to cope with social isolation. Building on a qualitative study with 32 truck drivers in a Western European company, our research identified gossip in close relationships and gossip in distant relationships as distinct patterns playing a different role in coping with social isolation, and a third pattern in which gossip was not beneficial. First, gossiping with close friends at work helped drivers engage in emotion-focused coping by reducing stress and loneliness. Second, gossiping with distant colleagues helped drivers engage in problem-focused coping by exchanging knowledge involving people in the organization. Third, gossip avoidance occurred in distant relationships, where drivers limited gossip exchanges going beyond instrumentally useful information. Overall, these findings show that drivers relied on different layers of their social network to cope with social isolation. Enriching previous research, this study shows that gossip represents an essential resource for emotion-focused and problem-focused coping.

Can TROPOMI NO2 satellite data be used to track the drop in and resurgence of NOx emissions in Germany between 2019–2021 using the multi-source plume method (MSPM)?

Abstract. NOx is an important primary air pollutant of major environmental concern which is predominantly produced by anthropogenic combustion activities. NOx needs to be accounted for in national emission inventories, according to international treaties. Constructing accurate inventories requires substantial time and effort, resulting in reporting delays of 1 to 5 years. In addition to this, difficulties can arise from temporal and country-specific legislative and protocol differences. To address these issues, satellite-based atmospheric composition measurements offer a unique opportunity for the independent and large-scale estimation of emissions in a consistent, transparent, and comprehensible manner. Here we test the multi-source plume method (MSPM) to assess the NOx emissions over Germany in the COVID-19 period from 2019–2021. For the years where reporting is available, the differences between satellite estimates and inventory totals were within 75–100 kt (NO2) NOx (<10 % of inventory values). The large reduction in the NOx emissions (∼15 %) concurrent with the COVID-19 lockdowns was observed in both the inventory and satellite-derived emissions. The recent projections for the inventory emissions of 2021 pointed to a recovery of the 2021 emissions towards pre-COVID-19 levels. In the satellite-derived emissions, however, such an increase was not observed. While emissions from the larger power plants did rebound to pre-COVID-19 levels, other sectors such as road transport did not, and the change in emissions is likely due to a reduction in the number of heavier transport trucks compared to the pre-COVID-19 numbers. This again illustrates the value of having a consistent satellite-based methodology for faster emission estimates to guide and check the conventional emission inventory reporting. The method described in this work also meets the demand for independent verification of the official emission inventories, which will enable inventory compilers to detect potentially problematic reporting issues, bolstering transparency and comparability, which are two key values for emission reporting.

Working Hours, Shift, and Remote Work by Industry and Occupation in U.S. Full-time Workers.

This study examines working hours, shift work, and remote work patterns by occupation and industry among U.S. full-time workers, along with the association between working and sleeping hours. Utilizing data from 2011 to 2020 American Time Use Survey, this national household survey examines how individuals aged 15 years or older in the United States spend their time within a 24-hour period. In 2011 to 2019, U.S. full-time workers averaged 8.1 hours of work and 7.8 hours spent sleep on workdays, increasing to 9.6 hours on non-workdays. Among all occupations, Emergency medical technicians and paramedics had the longest average working hours (10.4 hours). Protective services occupations had the highest percentage (41.7%) of workers reporting often working shifts other than daytime. Among all industries, truck transportation industry had the longest average working hours (9.2). Food services and drinking places industries had the highest percentage (28.6%) of workers reporting often working shifts other than daytime. Working hours showed a negative association with sleeping hours. In 2020, 34.0% of full-time workers reported remote work due to COVID-19, with the largest percentage (72.3%) occurring in business and financial operations. The study findings offer essential benchmarks for comparing working hours and schedules across diverse occupations and industries. These insights empower occupational health practitioners to advocate for prevention measures, addressing health concerns arising from prolonged working hours and shift work.

Representations of truck platooning acceptance of truck drivers, decision-makers, and general public: A systematic review

Truck platooning, involving two or more automated trucks virtually linked in a convoy through vehicle automation and communication technologies, has become a core topic in the long-haul freight transport industry. Despite its potential benefits – fuel efficiency, reduced carbon emissions, operation cost savings, improved road safety, and alleviated traffic congestion – further research is required to understand the representations of technology acceptance that will mediate its adoption across different stakeholders. This study presents a systematic review of the representations of decision-makers, truck drivers, and the general public on truck platooning acceptance. A total of 35 papers were included in the review and grouped into (i) studies with no platooning experience, (ii) studies with a simulated platooning experience, and (iii) studies with an on-road platooning experience. Representations were extracted using thematic analysis to synthesize the perspectives of each stakeholder and organized in themes. Even when similar themes emerged, representations highlight each stakeholder singular perspective. Although decision-makers have a more positive outlook on the potentialities of the technology, they are concerned about several obstacles related to its implementation and risks that may undermine the promised efficiency benefits of truck platooning. Regarding general public, peripheral drivers are mainly concerned about the reliability and safety of truck platooning and the potential traffic conflicts. Truck drivers denote the potential advantages in driving comfort and road safety, but highlight their concerns about employment, the reliability of the automation, loss of driving pleasure, trust in the platooning systems and their elements, and additional stress associated with the reconfiguration of their activity by the technology. Meanwhile, considering the role of experience, when the technology was experimented on-road, representations became more positive. Still, although these experiments are closer to real-world context, they only focused on basic driver-truck interactions and did not account for multitask driving scenarios, nor explored truck drivers’ employment concerns.

A non-linear and interaction effect analysis of various risk factors influencing mobile phone use while driving among long-haul truck drivers travelling across India

Mobile phone use while driving (MPWD) is one of the most critical behaviours contributing to distraction related fatalities and injuries. However, MPWD is not well understood among long-haul truck drivers (LHTDs) especially in developing countries like India. The present study aims to develop a prediction model for MPWD and attempts to identify the underlying factors and patterns affecting MPWD among LHTDs travelling across India. A total of 756 valid samples were collected utilising a questionnaire in Salem city, Tamil Nadu, India. Machine learning algorithms including Decision tree, Random Forest, Adaptive Boosting, and Extreme gradient boosting were employed to model MPWD. A split ratio of 70:30 was adopted for training and testing purposes. A 10-fold cross validation procedure was carried out during model development. The analysis results showed that XGBoost demonstrated superior performance than other models (accuracy = 0.82, F1 score =0.8, and AUROC = 0.82). In addition, SHapley Additive explanations (SHAP) were implemented to reveal the importance of predictors contributing to MPWD. The findings of the study showed that type of commodity, pressured delivery, calls received during driving, smoking habits, educational level, and continuous driving duration as major factors contributing to MPWD among LHTDs. SHAP values were also utilised to investigate hidden patterns and interaction effects for major factors affecting MPWD. Parcel and food items coupled with frequent pressured delivery and middle aged LHTDs driving continuously for 5–6 h are some of the interactive risk factors enhancing MPWD. These findings are useful for road safety authorities and truck companies to draft suitable policies and help to introduce effective interventions for reducing MPWD among LHTDs.

Survey of driver's functional state change, considering movement through mountain passes

According to traffic accident statistics, the main causes are violations of traffic rules. Based on scientific research, it is clear that the main reason for these events is the drivers' incorrect assessment of the road situation and their inadequate response. Assessing road conditions depends on drivers' qualifications, skills, work experience, reaction time, and other physiological factors. The functional state of drivers is important to consider. It reflects their ability to work reliably and affects both fatigue levels and how fatigue builds up. Factors that impact decision-making speed and quality are crucial when evaluating the risks of the transportation process, particularly those associated with human behavior. This study investigates the safety of freight transportation for drivers, road users, third parties, and the environment. The study focuses on road traffic characteristics in mountainous conditions at high altitudes. The study aims to analyze how drivers' performance is affected while navigating challenging sections of mountain roads in the Ukrainian Carpathians. Four different routes will be examined. The research will provide graphic analysis of the results. It will show the main patterns of changes in drivers' functional state based on the route's complexity. The research aims to analyze indicators of drivers' functional state and their impact on their performance reliability. It allows for a more detailed evaluation of transport routes and planning of truck drivers' work and rest schedules on suburban routes.

Development of sleepiness in professional truck drivers: Real-road testing for driver drowsiness and attention warning (DDAW) system evaluation.

All new vehicle types within the European Union must now be equipped with a driver drowsiness and attention warning system starting from 2022. The specific requirements for the test procedure necessary for type approval are defined in the Annex of EU Regulation C/2021/2639. The objectives of this study were to: (i) investigate how sleepiness develops in professional truck drivers under real-road driving conditions; and (ii) assess the feasibility of a test procedure for validating driver drowsiness and attention warning systems according to the EU regulation. Twenty-four professional truck drivers participated in the test. They drove for 180 km on a dual-lane motorway, first during daytime after a normal night's sleep and then at nighttime after being awake since early morning. The results showed higher sleepiness levels during nighttime driving compared with daytime, with a faster increase in sleepiness with distance driven, especially during the night. Psychomotor vigilance task results corroborated these findings. From a driver drowsiness and attention warning testing perspective, the study design with sleep-deprived drivers at night was successful in inducing the targeted sleepiness level of a Karolinska Sleepiness Scale score of ≥ 8. Many drivers who reported a Karolinska Sleepiness Scale ≥ 8 during the drives also acknowledged feeling sleepy in the post-drive questionnaire. Reaching high levels of sleepiness on real roads during daytime is more problematic, not the least from legal and ethical perspectives as higher traffic densities during the daytime lead to increased risks.

Improving truck stop environments to support long-haul truck driver safety and health: A scoping review

BackgroundLong-haul truck drivers (LHTD) are required to drive long distances to transport essential goods and products in a timely manner, which can leadto roadway safety risks, an unbalanced lifestyle, and poor health and wellbeing. While truck stops are designed for LHTD to park, refuel, eat, shower, and sleep, the lack of amenities (e.g., unavailable parking, poor food choices) contributes to poor safety and health outcomes. ObjectiveThis scoping review synthesized the evidence on the current amenities offered at truck stops and how they can be improved to support LHTD safety and health. MethodsResearch databases (e.g., EMBASE, Global Health, Medline) and online sources (e.g., transportation research websites) were searched for publications in English from 2006 to 2023. A total of 5,377 unique sources were identified. Two reviewers independently screened the 5,377 titles and abstracts and then the full texts of 59 sources. Three sources were included through searching reference lists of 13 full-texts included, totaling 16 sources included in the scoping review. ResultsParking and basic truck stop amenities (e.g., fuel, food, restrooms, and showers) are most important to LHTD. However, there is currently a lack of available, accessible, affordable, or safe parking at truck stops which preclude LHTD from parking overnight. There is also a lack of food options to meet LHTD preferences for different cuisines, healthier choices, and options that accommodate food allergies. Moreover, LHTD expect parking, restrooms, and showers to be free when purchasing fuel. Conclusion/ImplicationsThe current state of parking and basic truck-stop amenities should be improved to prevent safety-adverse LHTD behaviors (e.g., driving beyond their hours of service and increasing their risk of driving fatigued, falling asleep, or getting into an accident). Thereis a high demand among LHTD to improve and expand the availability, accessibility, security, and cost of these truck stop amenities. Improvements to truck stop amenities may improve the resilience of supply chains and constitute public health interventions to reduce longstanding safety and health disparities.

Application of the Machine Learning Method to Determine Spring Load Limits and Winter Weight Premium

Freight transportation plays a crucial role in sustaining the Canadian economy. However, heavy truck transportation also puts enormous pressure on roadway networks. Spring Load Restrictions (SLR) are implemented to minimize road damage caused by heavy traffic during the thaw-weakening season, and Winter Weight Premium (WWP) is used to reduce the impact of SLR on trucking operations by allowing higher axle loads in winter. However, existing policies apply fixed dates each year for these restrictions, regardless of the actual structural capacity of the pavement. Different methods have been proposed to improve the application of SLR and WWP; however, they rely mainly on indirect indices, such as the cumulative thawing index and cumulative freezing index, which pose challenges in their calculation. This study explores the practical implementation of machine learning models for accurately determining the start and end dates of SLR and WWP. In a novel approach, machine learning models directly derive the start and end dates of SLR and WWP from frost and thaw depths in the pavement structure which are determined by pavement temperature and moisture content. In contrast to previous studies that neglected the influence of soil moisture content on determining the start and end dates of SLR and WWP, this study examines the variation in soil moisture content to evaluate the validity of existing theories. The findings reveal a high level of agreement between the machine learning model’s estimations of frost and thaw depths and the measured values, with R2 values exceeding 0.91.

Occupational Noise Exposure and Hearing Loss in Truck Drivers: A Cross-sectional Analytical Study in Iran

Occupational Noise Exposure and Hearing Loss in Truck Drivers: A Cross-sectional Analytical Study in Iran

Participatory Political Violence: The Sensorial Toll of the Truckers’ Convoy

In February 2022, people local to downtown Ottawa were caught in the grip of a three-week alt-right occupation that called for the end of public health measures—at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic—and the overthrow of parliament—in a government town. As hundreds of protestors in heavy-duty transportation trucks rolled into Ottawa, blockaded the streets, and with the help of a well-funded, off-site logistical network, settled in with food and fuel, their demands literally idled in the impassable streets. Their populist message of “freedom” was supported by a predominantly white male-dominated group of protestors. Idling their diesel engines and blaring air horns day and night outside the House of Commons, and nearby Centretown neighbourhood, the self-described “Freedom Convoy,” repurposed public nuisances into tactics of the alt-right. This article examines how the Convoy used such tactics to stage a sensorium of participatory political violence in the nation’s capital. It telescopes on Centretown residents, Zexi Li and Victoria De La Ronde, who testified as part of the Public Order Emergencies Commission about the harassment they endured during the occupation. Their testimony reveals how decibel-breaking noise, and noxious diesel fumes, not only overtook the streets but also entered their dwellings, filling their homes with commotion and sulfur, making it impossible to seek respite from the convoy. The airing of populist grievances through coordinated acts of honking and idling speaks to an ontological shift in political violence in Canada toward participatory performances of insolence that ultimately mask broader extremist agendas.

Heavy vehicle driver fatigue: Observing work and rest behaviours of truck drivers in Australia

The extant transport literature suggests that truck driver fatigue is a leading contributor in truck crashes. Various factors are known to affect a truck driver’s ability to comply with work and rest requirements, including long working hours, irregular work schedules, sleep deprivation and driving at night. In Australia, while control measures restrict the number of hours of work a truck driver may undertake without rest, they travel vast distances and work with a high level of autonomy. This makes it difficult for transport companies to monitor and manage truck drivers’ work and rest compliance; thereby relying on them to self-manage driver fatigue at designated rest-stops. However, there is little Australian research examining rest-stop behaviour of truck drivers in relation to driver fatigue compliance. To better understand how truck drivers manage driver fatigue, an exploratory participant observation study of truck drivers (N = 378) was undertaken at two Australian truck rest stops in rural New South Wales. The findings indicate that while most truck drivers comply with rest requirements regarding driver fatigue, load type, driver changeovers, access to parking, and time spent on work-related activities at the rest areas affects the time truck drivers spend at rest, and these factors are likely to increase the risk of truck drivers not complying with driver fatigue regulation. They are also likely to increase the number of truck drivers involved in fatigue related crashes.

Couples traveling together and long-haul truckers’ transport performance: A theory-based empirical test

As the core force in logistics transportation, long-haul truck drivers profoundly impact the global economy. However, the monotonous and demanding nature of the transport task often results in truck drivers neglecting their health and well-being, and the resulting issues of psychological safety and fatigue pose a significant challenge to truck drivers’ transport performance. Couples traveling together as a strategy can increase driver-family interactions and significantly improve driver transport performance. However, there is a gap in research on the specific pathways of the effects of traveling together as a couple on truck drivers’ transport performance. This study combined perceived risk theory, conservation of resources theory, and job demand-resource theory with structural equation modeling to investigate 167 long-haul truck drivers from China. The comprehensive evaluation found that, under the mediating role of psychological capital and job burnout, couples traveling together can reduce the perceived health, financial, social, and performance risks of long-haul truck drivers, thereby increasing the psychological capital of long-haul truck drivers, reducing job burnout, and ultimately improving transportation performance. This study reveals the jurisprudential relationship between truck driver couples traveling together and transport performance. This study also provides useful insights for transportation companies and government departments to formulate business strategies and management policies for truck driver couples traveling together.

An Observation of Organizational Behaviour Differences Between White and Blue-Collar Transportation Roles

This project aims to provide a detailed overview and observation of the organizational behavioural differences found between on-site, blue-collar, and off-site, white-collar workers within the transportation industry. The observation will be drawn from personal experiences found between the two industries and the use of researched articles. The differences found will include studies of communication, delegation and autonomy, morale. and ethics between the two fields. The observations draw from my own experience as both a residential and commercial mover to contrast the behavioural differences between one industry to provide variabilities found within similar blue-collar roles, and my current role as an international freight forwarder, a white-collar position coordinating transportation in a global scope. Researched roles include a 10-ton linehaul truck driver and a trucking company dispatcher—both roles I am not directly familiar with to provide further insight beyond my experiences.

Spatial Differentiation of the Land and Nutrient Footprints for Kampala: Implications for Urban Food Sustainability

Rapid urban growth, together with an increase in urban food demand and rural-urban food flows, effectively transfer the urban footprint to the surrounding cities. In Uganda, where fast urban growth is evident, data on the resultant foodprint is sparse. To bridge this gap in knowledge, this paper quantitatively analyses the flows of the rural-urban cooking banana (matooke) to Kampala, Uganda, and the embedded land and nutrient footprints. Food freight surveys involving interviews with food truck drivers and field measurements were used to obtain data on quantities of banana flow to ten purposively sampled city markets. The results confirm that 88.5% of Kampala’s banana inflows are sourced from the Ankole sub-region. Disaggregation of the flows by season revealed a 52% fall in banana supplies to the city during the wet season. The calculated annual land footprint associated with the city’s banana inflows was 15,268 hectares. The hot spots for NPK nutrient mining are in the Ankole region, including mean daily losses of 362.29±29.13Kg (K), 104.66±8.42Kg (N) and 4.03±0.32Kg(P). The ANOVA results exhibited significant differences (P˂0.05) in the cooking banana land and nutrient footprints between the source regions and concerning the dry and wet seasons, except for the Rwenzori, Kigezi, and Bunyoro sub-regions pertaining to the land footprint and Buganda, Tooro, and Bunyoro as regards the nutrient footprint. These results emphasise the intense rural nutrient mining that is associated with urban food consumption. Thus, to guarantee sustainable matooke production, there is a need to establish waste diversion strategies that enable nutrient recycling back to rural farms.

Optimized Shapley value cost allocation model for carriers’ collaboration in road haulage transportation

Transportation carriers can achieve significant profit or cost savings if they collaborate rather than engage in wasteful competition among themselves. However, the challenge in cooperative game theory is finding the optimal cost allocation methods to support pecuniary expectations of coalition members. In this paper, we determine cost allocation model that supports horizontal collaboration among transportation carriers involved in downstream distribution of packaged cement from shipper’s processing plant to customer locations in selected states in Nigeria. The study focuses on the relationship between the shipper and haulage carriers that service the transport needs of its geographically distributed customers. A cost allocation mechanism based on game theory is proposed to implement win-win collaboration among the carriers. We applied a Shapley value cost allocation model to fairly distribute the cost savings from operation of five grand coalitions (S) formed by the carriers. The Shapely values were then optimized with mixed integer programming model to realize optimal cost savings from the coalition. The result revealed that the coalitions: S3 (N165,173,700.00) and S4 (N27,200,960.00) contributed significantly to the optimal savings apart from their initial contributions. The path that corresponds to S3 (X3) is the coalition providing service from Calabar to Jos while the path that corresponds to S4 (X4) is the coalition providing service from Calabar to Owerri and the optimal savings is N48,286,760,000.00. Based on these results, we therefore encourage horizontal collaboration among haulage transport providers in their overall interest, that of the shipper and hence ensure supply or distribution chain cost efficiency.

Truck drivers’ behaviour on road traffic crash involvement: A structural equation modeling approach

Truck drivers’ behaviour on road traffic crash involvement: A structural equation modeling approach

Waiting at Giurgiulesti Customs: Borders, Bureaucracy, and Geopolitics in between Ukraine, Moldova, and the EU

ABSTRACT Customs and geopolitics condition one another and are produced on a transnational, national, and local scale. The Russian war in Ukraine gives this interdependency a human face in the form of thousands of lorry drivers waiting to be cleared at external EU borders. This article explores the reasons and the inherent power structure behind movement and stasis at the border triangle between Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania. Flanking the European Union, this border is a historically contested and infrastructurally dense nodal point where corruption is rife. Analysing EU policy discourse on border management, and combining semi-structured interviews with customs officials, conversations with lorry drivers, and border and office-space ethnography, this article brings together different narratives of Moldova’s integration into the EU customs space. All these perspectives articulate cross-border bureaucracy through a geopolitical lens. Thus, this article ethnographically debunks the techno-bureaucratic discourse of customs regulation that emphasises efficiency, rationality, and transparency by shedding light on the everyday dimension of customs and geopolitics as a lived practice.

Qualitative Study of Multilevel Barriers and Facilitators Associated With Physical Activity and Diet Among Long-haul Truck Drivers

BackgroundLong-haul truck drivers (LHTD) experience disproportionately greater chronic disease risk, which may be influenced by both occupational and lifestyle factors. This study aimed to explore the multilevel factors associated with LHTD's diet and physical activity (PA). MethodsThirty in-depth interviews were conducted with LHTD in the Southern California border region. Interview questions captured occupational and lifestyle factors relating to PA and diet at multiple levels and were analyzed using thematic analysis. ResultsEmergent themes relating to both diet and PA included time constraints, attitudes and perceived beliefs, and accessibility of environments to engage in PA and healthy eating. Themes specific to PA were weather conditions and flatbed job duties. Themes specific to diet included access to refrigerators/microwaves and social interactions. ConclusionFindings from this study can inform the development of tailored, multi-level interventions to encourage PA and healthy dietary behaviors among LHTD.

Truck Driving Assessment for Chinese Logistics and Transportation Companies Based on a Safety Climate Test System

By applying the “safety atmosphere” measurement theory to Chinese management companies engaged in road transportation, a corporate and individual safety risk assessment system was established that is consistent with the management and cultural climate in China, thereby reducing the driving safety risk of truck drivers. The system realizes the safety risk assessment of enterprises, fleets and individuals in the form of test scales by constructing a structural model of the enterprise safety atmosphere, including the management, communication, and supervision of enterprises, fleets, and individuals. The safety climate was modeled using a two-level framework, at the organizational level and fleet level, and three dimensions of test items for each level were obtained by exploratory factor analysis. The three dimensions of safety management, safety supervision, and safety priority at the organizational level, and the three dimensions of positive communication, safety awareness, and self-discipline at the fleet level, respectively, passed a valid factorial test (p < 0.01). Finally, the validity of the system evaluation results was verified by relying on the actual in-vehicle monitoring data and accident records of the corporate transportation fleet. The results show that the total test scores at the organizational level and the fleet level are significantly correlated with their driving risk behaviors, and both are linearly and negatively correlated with the number of accidents per thousand kilometers. This indicates a high degree of consistency between the system’s test results and actual risky accidents.