The Realities of Life on the Road: Why Truck Drivers Are Leaving

Trucking is a relentlessly demanding profession, plagued by one of the highest turnover rates in the United States. For every new driver entering the industry, another departs or switches companies. The Owner-Operator Autonomous Drivers Association (OOIDA) points to several key factors: low wages, the inability to earn overtime pay, and excessively long working hours.

Consider Lisa Otto. She’s logged over 20 years, driven through 48 states, and accumulated more than 3 million miles. During a single seven-day stretch, she routinely drives 70 hours. She lives in her truck – a $230,000 investment – for weeks at a time.