April 03, 2025
In a world where car drivers cause 80% of car-truck accidents—yet 65% of drivers still blame the truck driver—it's clear that public perception of truck driver skill and responsibility is often skewed, to say the least. This misconception raises many questions about the true abilities of drivers on our roads and how the skills of modern truck drivers stack up.
To find the answers, we surveyed over 1,000 adults on their driving confidence, education, skills, strengths, and weaknesses—and explored how those traits correlated to professional truck driving. The results offer a compelling look at professional truck drivers: who they are, what they value, and what we can learn from them.
Key Takeaways:
Over 91% of truckers are confident in their driving skills.
Truckers are twice as likely to be motivated by criticism of their driving skills as non-truck drivers.
Over 58% of full-time truck drivers would take a less common approach to a tire blowout scenario.
Truckers are 3x more likely to acknowledge their driving errors.
Note that for the purposes of this article, we define "truckers" and "truck drivers" as those who responded "Yes, full-time" to the question, "Have you ever driven a heavy-duty truck, such as a semi-trailer truck, large delivery truck, or other commercial motor vehicle requiring a CDL?" in a general driving skills survey. See our methodology for more details.
According to data collected in a recent survey, professional truck drivers are significantly more confident in their driving skills than the average driver. Specifically, 63.3% of those who have ever operated a large truck reported feeling "very confident" in their driving skills, in contrast to 54% of non-truck drivers. Among full-time professionals in the trucking industry, this confidence level climbs even higher, with over 91% expressing some degree of confidence in their driving skills.
It's easy to see how the intense training and countless hours on the road would build truck drivers’ confidence. Most of these professionals go through 3 to 6 months of training at a professional truck driving school and obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL), receiving significantly more driving education than the average driver. And the average over-the-road (OTR) driver logs approximately 125,000 miles annually, which is an awful lot of time to practice those skills.
Despite their education and experience, truck drivers still struggle with safety. Large truck crashes are a serious concern—in 2022 alone, 5,837 lives were lost in such incidents. This suggests that extensive training and experience may not be enough to protect even the most confident driver from the hazards of the road.
Another striking difference between the average driver and professional truck drivers emerges when examining how truckers respond to critiques of their driving abilities. Survey data indicates that professional truck drivers are significantly more likely to embrace feedback and view it as an opportunity for improvement. This contrasts sharply with the average driver’s tendency to deflect blame.
Interestingly, while 32.14% of truck drivers would take a driving course if their skills were questioned, only 18.74% of non-truck drivers said the same. This means truck drivers are nearly twice as likely to be motivated by feedback to improve their driving. This disparity suggests that truck drivers are more receptive to constructive criticism, while non-truck drivers may be more sensitive to it.
A willingness to accept feedback matters, especially given the unfair blame often placed on truckers. This is further evidenced by their heightened motivation to enhance their skills after experiencing a near-miss (33.57% vs. 18.55% for non-truckers) and their significantly lower tendency to dismiss the need for improvement altogether (6.43% vs. 11.78% for non-truckers). Unlike many others, truck drivers demonstrate a proactive commitment to safety, continuous improvement, and consistently sharpening their skills.
Despite the high confidence levels among truck drivers, the survey data also revealed some surprising gaps in critical driving knowledge. When faced with specific safety scenarios—like how to respond to a tire blowout or what to do at a yield sign—non-truck drivers often outperformed their professional counterparts.
For example, in the case of a tire blowout, only 42.14% of full-time truck drivers correctly identified the safest course of action: maintain control, gradually slow down, and move to the shoulder. In contrast, 77.33% of those who have never driven a truck selected the correct response. Truck driver responses were spread evenly—nearly 20% of respondents each would immediately hit the brakes, quickly steer towards the shoulder, or put on hazard lights and continue driving slowly. While some of these actions are effective responses, not all align with the safest recommended action.
Similarly, when asked about the meaning of a yield sign, only 39.29% of full-time truck drivers provided the correct answer, while 79.22% of those who had never driven a truck answered correctly. (The correct answer is to slow down and yield to traffic on the intersecting road.) These findings raise significant questions about whether the specific demands of operating a truck might influence how drivers interpret specific road rules.
Some might criticize truck drivers' interpretations of road rules, but consider this: They live on the road. From navigating treacherous winter weather to managing summer health hazards, truck drivers face challenging conditions most drivers never will. This experience builds a unique understanding of real-world driving scenarios and how to respond in real time.
Finally, a striking contrast in accountability emerges when comparing truck drivers to the general driving population. A significantly higher percentage of truck drivers (57.14%) than non-truck drivers (22.18%) admitted that their driving directly contributed to an accident. This shows a greater willingness among truck drivers to take responsibility for their actions on the road.
That’s a big difference in how the two groups perceive and report their involvement in accidents. Truck drivers, as a whole, appear to be more honest about their involvement in accidents. This could be attributed to truck drivers’ extensive time on the road—which increases their exposure to potential accidents—and the professional responsibility inherent in their occupation. In contrast, the general driving population is more likely to downplay their role in accidents, potentially reflecting a lack of personal accountability.
It's also worth pointing out that the overall number of accidents involving the general driving population is lower than that of truck drivers. As shown in the table above, 30.32% of non-truck drivers report having never been in an accident, compared to only 11.43% of truck drivers. This indicates that the sample size of accidents for non-truck drivers to admit to is smaller.
The trucking industry sets a high standard for driving skills and safety that should inspire all drivers on the road. Our data shows that truck drivers consistently demonstrate a deeply admirable commitment to honesty, transparency, and continuous improvement. While they, like all drivers, may not be perfect, their willingness to take responsibility for their actions and their dedication to ongoing learning make them some of the safest and most reliable professionals behind the wheel.
At FinditParts, we’re not just about providing parts—we’re about partnering with the trucking community to ensure that you and your fleet can operate at your best every single day. Whether you’re hauling goods across the country or making local deliveries, we’re proud to be your trusted partner, giving you the parts and solutions you need to keep your fleet on the road and your business moving forward.
The survey of over 1,000 adults aged 18+ was conducted via SurveyMonkey Audience for FinditParts on March 10, 2025. The data is unweighted, and the margin of error is approximately +/-8.5% for the overall sample, with a 95% confidence level.
Related reading:
