Some surprising results came out of a poll commissioned by the ATA surveying people’s opinions of truckers and the transportation industry in general. The poll, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, surveyed 800 voters across the United States.
When asked how they viewed the trucking industry, 65% of the respondents answered that perceive it favorably, with only 9% saying they perceive it unfavorably. The remainder had no opinion. They even came down heavily in support of trucking’s safety record with only 5% saying they thought it was “poor.”
Even more surprising, it seems that four-wheelers know that they’re worse drivers than professional truckers. 80% of those polled said that they think that truckers are safer drivers than the drivers of passenger vehicles and 74% said that it’s more likely that a passenger vehicle driver would cause a crash involving a truck rather than a truck driver.
You can see the whole survey and the results in their entirety here.
Next Story: Hero Trucker Digs Moat To Save Fellow Driver From Liquid Asphalt
Source: trucking, gobytrucknews, truckinginfo
Image Source: hyperarts
Mike says
800 people in a country with a population of 300 million is much too small of a sample size to possibly be construed as accurate.
Joe says
Mike, the sad truth is this thing called a ‘statistically significant sample size’. According to some quick math over at http://www.surveysystem.com/sscalc.htm, for 95% accuracy with a 3.5% margin of error, you only need to survey 784 people for a population of 300,000,000. Interestingly enough though, for 99% accuracy with a 5% margin (almost always more likely to be more accurate than above) you only need 666 people. Unfortunately this almost always sounds like nowhere enough people are surveyed, but the math says they don’t need to survey that many people to get a result that’s ‘representative’ of the whole population.
Stormy says
Uh-huh..
stan says
Wow and they paid money to commission this study? It’s not like this information will be taken into consideration the next time FASSA wants to “tweek” the HOS rules
stan says
FMCSA oops
Joe Skeptical says
“tweak”
Rich says
Bring back the split sleeper time, and I will come back. Otherwise forget it.
Ray says
I’m glad to hear that the public’s view of truckers is improving.
Moving Forward says
Very true Ray, but isn’t it a shame that so many of the company managers and dispatchers still seem to look down on truck drivers and the job we do? I guess that might never change.
BASEBALLbat says
Yeah right. They probably took the poll at a truck stop. ROFL.
Bob says
The unfavorable must be from New Jersey
harry s monster says
now poll the truck drivers and see what they think of the industry
harry s monster says
i screwed up posting this..I had this absolutely idiotic idea that we were people..I forget we are objects..Cows for everyone to abuse milk and take to the cleaners.We simply cant sacrafice enough to satisfy the apetites of the greedy grabbers on this industries gravy train. NAME ME ONE true absolute alibi that stands one hundred percent behind truckers concerns and needs that isnt back there for the buck..Anyone notice most of the mom n pop homely friendly truck stops are mostly in tatters now..Their all going under and barely making enough to get by. The folks who used to care for us..The ones who gave us a fair price..fair meal..fair smile and warm welcome..Now its a machine of garbage products and service that we have to use because there is no other place to go…
EVEN the damn DOT officers agree. You should poll them..But you need an honest poll not threaten their jobs if they tell the truth..Ive been polling officers and they will tell you..The mentality and the professionalism is getting far worst..and the irony they all sit behind the wheels of the most prominent trucking companies in the industry.
harry s monster says
Whats the point of the poll? Was it to promote the FMCSA efforts? Or truckers efforts? The answer is obvious..This ISNT about or FOR truckers..ITs about putting on a nice makeup job and prettying up a failed job..Its a whitewash over a really rickety fence ..Want take a poll? Open your damn eyes and look at the reality of whats going on out there..